Things to Get Rid of in Your Kitchen

1 Kitchen Gadgets You Never Use

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You know the drawer — the one that's filled with so many kitchen gadgets that it's hard to comfortably open and close it. Go through any of those drawers and make a pile for items you actually use and ones you don't. You'll realize there's only a certain number you need to keep, and you'll be glad you got rid of all the extras.

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2 Pans You Hate Cooking With

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Keep clutter to a minimum by getting rid of any pans that aren't useful and instead investing in one or two high-quality pans you'll use on a regular basis. If you have a go-to nonstick skillet and a heavy-bottomed pan for searing, you'll be good to go.

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3 Warped Wooden Spoons

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Wooden spoons can easily warp if you put them in the dishwasher, so hand washing them is best. Start fresh in the New Year by replacing any warped ones that are difficult to cook with.

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4 Kitchen Tools You Have Two Of

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Maybe you found a microplane you just had to have, or maybe you've accumulated a few lemon juicers or garlic presses over the years. But really, you only need one of each essential kitchen tool.

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5 Filthy Baking Sheets

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There's nothing wrong with a seasoned baking sheet that you use for everything from baking cookies to roasting vegetables, but there comes a time when tossing those filthy, covered-in-grime sheets is necessary.

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6 Old Spices

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Ground spices typically last about 12 months (when stored away from sunlight), so do an overhaul of your spice cabinet and get rid of any questionably old ones.

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7 Cookbooks You've Never Used

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That ever-growing stack of cookbooks in your kitchen can take up a lot of unwanted space. Keep your absolute must-have cookbooks, like Chrissy Teigen's Cravings, and donate the rest or regift them to people who'd appreciate them.

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8 Stacks of Plates You Don't Touch

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Keeping the number of plates you realistically need clears cabinet space and makes storage easier.

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9 Plastic Bags

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It's so much more efficient to bring reusable bags to the grocery store instead of letting that collection of annoying plastic bags build up in your kitchen.

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10 Extra Reusable Bags

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Speaking of plastic bags, you can replace the ones you threw away with high-quality, environmentally friendly reusable bags found at your grocery store. But don't keep too many — give away any extras that end up getting squished in your closet or cabinet.

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11 Unitaskers

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Alton Brown hates unitaskers for a reason: they're usually a waste of money and space in your kitchen. Unless you find one that you absolutely love, like a tool for a microwave poached egg, get rid of those products that only serve one specific purpose.

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12 Extra Plastic Containers

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Instead of continuing to add to your overflowing collection of cheap plastic containers, figure out a trusty kind that you love, and only keep a few of those.

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13 Mugs Gathering Dust

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Get a handle on your collection of coffee and tea mugs by taking a look at which ones you actually use and getting rid of the ones gathering dust in the back of your cabinets.

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14 Dull Knives Beyond Repair

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Getting dull knives professionally sharpened can definitely save the day, but sometimes, cheap knives just need to go. Thankfully, there's an easy way to get rid of old knives. Chopping with a dull knife is more dangerous than using a sharp one, so give your knives a long overdue upgrade if they're noticeably ineffective.

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15 Nonessential Appliances

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Maybe you got a waffle maker as a gift or you just had to have that trendy new juicer . . . but do you really need it? Bulky appliances can take up a lot of storage space, so make sure you're only keeping your essentials.

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16 Handwritten Recipes Floating Around

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It's completely OK to keep those stacks of handwritten recipes you've gathered over the years, but make sure they're all in one place (consider getting a recipe box), and get rid of the ones you're not inspired to use.

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17 Extra Salt and Pepper Shakers

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They're cute, but you only need one set!

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18 Ineffective Cutting Boards

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It feels good to get everything you possibly could've out of a cutting board, so once it's all scratched up and annoying to use, give it the replacement it deserves.

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19 Mismatched Silverware

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You'll feel a huge sigh of relief if you organize your silverware drawer and keep it uniform with matching forks, spoons, and knives.

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