Whether you are a huge fan of cooking or not, cookbooks still find their way into your home. They come as gifts, hand-me-downs, or maybe just because you like to collect them. Doesn’t matter if you are the owner of 10 or 100 cookbooks, the way to go about organizing them is the same.
Gather all of your cookbooks. Go thorough all of them and get rid of the ones you don’t use. Maybe years back you got it as a gift and you never ever opened it. Donate any books you decided to let go of. If you have a small collection, assign a shelf in the pantry or in the kitchen to your cookbooks. This way, when you get inspired to cook the recipes are handy.
Maybe you have a special cookbook or one with a cool looking cover. Why not prop it up and use it as decoration? Try using a stand like this which will work for decoration and will also hold your page while you are making a recipe. Cookbooks are a nice addition to any kitchen, giving the space a more homey feel.
But if your book collection is more than 15 books or too much for a few shelves in the kitchen, divide your cookbooks in to two categories. The first pile can be for the books that you frequently use and the other pile is for the books that you rarely use but would like to keep.
Store and display the books you use in your kitchen at eye level or below. The rest can be stored away on a bookshelf with other books in your office, guest room, or living room. Also, if you have any antique cookbooks, we recommend storing them away from the kitchen for safe keeping from all the grease and dirt. If you have a china cabinet in your kitchen, this is a great option for storing these books as well.
When considering how to sort your books, think about your habits and your collection. Figure out how you access your cookbooks. When you want to find a cookbook, do you think of the cuisine, region, technique, the author’s name, or the title? You should sort your cookbooks based on your answer. If you love to use cookbooks but are also looking for a digital way of storing them, check out the Eat Your Books website.
To learn how to organize your recipes, check out our video on “ How 2 Organize Your Recipes”. It has some great tips on how to turn that pile of clipped out magazine and paper recipes in to an organized system. Bon appetit!
