You know those meticulous, perfect, minimalist kitchens you always see in magazines? I do not have a kitchen like that. I have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and my kitchen is set up in a way that makes sense for my ADHD brain.
ADHD is an executive function disorder, which makes it hard to plan, prioritize, organize, and complete tasks. Cooking and baking both involve a lot of planning, prioritizing, organizing, and completing tasks, so a kitchen organized for ADHD has to make it as easy as possible to do those things!
Lots of people with ADHD are great cooks and bakers
The other day someone asked on Twitter if anyone with ADHD is actually good at baking, because of the prep work and planning it often requires.
That bummed me out, because there are ways to set up an ADHD friendly kitchen.
Also, I'm a pastry chef and I have ADHD and I know other chefs who do too. Those kinds of generalizations just aren't helpful — and can be really discouraging!
I do get why many people with ADHD find casual cooking and baking difficult. But people with ADHD often thrive in creative, high pressure situations, especially when we're working on something that fully engages our brains (hyperfocusing ftw!). The kitchen is a great place to put that skill to use!
Of course, there are lots of different types of ADHD. What makes sense in my ADHD kitchen may not make sense in yours. But, there are a few tools and organizational strategies that have worked really well for me. I hope they work for you, too!
These tips may also help even if you don't have ADHD.
(BTW, I'm including real photos of these things in my real kitchen for you. I've tried to include links to the exact things I have with each item or items. In some cases the thing I have no longer exists or a better version exists in which case I've linked other options for you too!)
1. Multiples of most frequently used kitchen tools — spatulas, whisks, measuring spoons, etc.
One of the simplest and most straightforward ways I make my kitchen more ADHD friendly is by having extras of a lot of things like whisks and spatulas. Measuring spoons, too.
This way I don't have to worry about the one tool I need being at the bottom or the sink or in the dishwasher when I'm ready to start cooking or baking.
Or, just in case I accidentally bring one outside with me and put it down while I water the pepper plants. And then forget about it for a week or so.
(You know, hypothetically speaking.)
Here's some of my faves:
- This 19-piece measuring cup and spoon set has some really unique sizes
- I love my GIR spatulas and GIR whisks and can never have enough of them (in all sizes and colors!)
2. A baker's rack to keep stuff visible, organized, and within reach
Once something goes into a cupboard or a drawer I have a tendency to forget it exists. And sometimes even the simple act of having to open a cupboard and move things around to get a thing out (like a Dutch oven or a blender or whatever) can be enough of an obstacle to actually starting the cooking or baking process.
These little roadblocks can feel monumental to the ADHD brain. So much of my ADHD organizational strategy in the kitchen (and in life) is about finding ways to keep the things I use often visible and reachable but not messy, either. It's not about perfection, it's about function.
A baker's rack is the PERFECT open-storage ADHD kitchen organization solution.
With two shelves, a back with hooks, and a top shelf with more hooks, there is plenty of room to store your most commonly used spices, tools, and cooking equipment.
A baker's rack is great for storing things you use frequently but not frequently enough to keep on the counter or kitchen island. Or things you need to grab quickly without digging through drawers.
My pastry brush, wire mesh strainers, deli containers, Vitamix, Dutch oven, and Challenger bread pan all live on the bottom shelves of the baker's rack. I can even hang one of my rolling pins from two of the hooks along the backboard. The counter-height shelf is great for liquor, fancy balsamics, my Joseph Joseph file folder cutting board set, and toaster.
I can't find my specific baker's rack model anywhere but here are three similar ones with some different shelving configurations:
3. Masking tape and pens hung on the fridge for labeling and dating food
This is a habit I picked up in pastry school, and I'll admit I'm not always the best at remembering to do it. But it's a huge help when I do!
Whenever you put leftovers in the fridge, label them. Date them, too, if you can. That way you don't have to play the "how long has this been in here again?" game every time you open the fridge.
This doesn't have to mean your fridge is obsessively or meticulously organized. Here's what my ADHD fridge organization genuinely looks like on most days:
To really take organizing your ADHD kitchen to the next level, try to put new stuff away behind stuff you already have. That way the food that will go bad first is right in the front when you open the fridge instead of getting pushed to the back where you'll forget about it. (In professional kitchens this is known as FIFO — first in, first out.)
If the masking tape and pens aren't within reach as I'm putting stuff into the fridge, I know I'd never remember to label things. My whole ADHD fridge organization system would collapse. I'd end up going to look for the masking tape and end up reorganizing a sock drawer or something, or end up putting leftovers away without labels only to find them 3 months later in the back of the fridge growing mold. So I keep the markers and tape right on the fridge where I can't miss them.
Here's what I recommend:
- Magnetic pen cup - so you don't have to go hunting for a working pen every time you have leftovers
- 1" standard masking tape - write on the roll before tearing the tape off so you know you have enough room before you tear the tape
- A set of 5 permanent markers - because you're gonna lose some of them
- A magnetic hook - to keep the masking tape within reach/so it doesn't get lost or roll away from you
4. Meal planning pads to avoid decision paralysis and make grocery shopping easier
Stop me if this sounds familiar. It's dinner time and you have no idea what you're going to make. You're thinking and thinking and you have so many ideas but they all seem like so much work and it's getting later and later and you're getting hungrier and hungrier.
Finally, you start cooking. Then you realize you don't actually have everything you need. Or, you realize it's too late to start cooking and order delivery instead.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with ordering delivery for dinner. But if you're trying to cut back on delivery, or don't have the budget for it, or you just keep forgetting to eat, it can be frustrating to have procrastinated or decision paralysis-ed your way into ordering takeout again.
This doesn't mean you're stupid or bad or incompetent or any of the things your ADHD brain might tell you in that moment.
It just means you need a plan.
These meal planning pads are one of my favorite ADHD kitchen organization tools. The grocery list tears off and comes to the store with you so you actually get everything you need. The meal plan stays on the fridge so you don't forget it once you get home.
On Saturday or Sunday mornings, my husband and I sit down and write down what we want to cook that week. We always include nights for eating leftovers and nights for takeout, so we can impulsively move things around if needed. The plan is loose. The plan is flexible.
And!! The best part? A new, blank grocery list is right there on the next page waiting for you. So if you think of any necessities throughout the week that you need to pick up (toilet paper, paper towels, kitchen staples like flour or oil or whatever) you can add them to next week's shopping list.
You will need:
- Any one of my favorite meal planning pads - there are so many designs to choose from!
- Magnetic pen cup - so you don't have to go hunting for a working pen
5. A voice controlled Amazon Echo Show with a screen for setting timers, reminders, and getting answers to questions without having to stop what you're doing
Two things common with ADHD are difficulty taking in auditory information (meaning, we might struggle to take in information we hear) and time blindness (difficulty with gauging the passing of time).
The number of times I've ended up picking egg shells out of my ceiling because I forgot I was hard boiling eggs and all the water evaporated and the eggs went kablooey is three. THREE TIMES. That is too many times. "But Rebecca, why didn't you set a timer?" I did. I set the timer on my microwave that went "beep beep" and I didn't hear it and then the eggs went kablooey.
ADHD brains are also really good at following multiple leaps and trains of thought at once, which can make it hard to focus on one thing at a time. A voice controlled smart assistant like Alexa is a great way to manage those thoughts without missing a beat in the kitchen.
You can be elbows deep in a bucket of pizza dough when you remember that you forgot to check mail and, instead of hoping you'll remember to do that when you're done, shout, "Alexa, in 15 minutes remind me to check mail!" Alexa will have your back and your brain can therefore refocus on the bucket of dough.
Not only can you set timers using voice commands, but Alexa's timers are LOUD and KEEP GOING and you can't miss them. You can also name the timers so that if you have multiple timers set, you know which one is going off.
Because I have trouble with taking in auditory information, I prefer the Echo Show with a screen as opposed to an audio-only Alexa (or Siri or Google) device because it displays the results on screen. Because I'm getting the information visually, too, I actually remember what she says!
And if I do forget, at least she won't get annoyed when I ask her the same question 5 times in a row.
Depending on the size of your kitchen and how many bells and whistles you want, the Amazon Echo Show is available in three different sizes:
- Amazon Echo Show 5" (this is the one I have)
- Amazon Echo Show 8"
- Amazon Echo Show 10"
Some Amazon Alexa commands to try in the kitchen:
- "Alexa, how many grams are in 1 cup of water?"
- "Alexa what's 856 divided by 8?"
- "Alexa remind me tomorrow at 2 pm to defrost the chicken."
- "Alexa set timer for 35 minutes."
- "Alexa, at what temperature is chicken cooked through?"
- "Alexa, give me a recipe for pesto."
- "Alexa what time will it be in 18 hours?" (great for when you're trying to plan ahead for a no-knead bread with a long rise time)
- "Alexa, announce that dinner is ready."
- "Alexa, play my cooking playlist."
- "Alexa, add lemon juice to my grocery list." (this only works if you use a digital grocery list!)
6. Storage containers with interchangeable lids so you always have a lid that fits
You know what's really annoying? When you've put your leftovers into a container and cannot find the one specific lid that fits that container amongst a sea of other food storage container lids in varying sizes.
When you have ADHD, you know that what happens next is not that you reorganize your food storage containers to find the right one.
What happens next is that you end up pulling everything out of the cupboard, only to get distracted by how dirty the floors are, so you sweep the dirt into a pile, but before you scoop it, you remember that you meant to vacuum the rugs too, and then two hours later your food is still sitting there. Oh, but you still need to put all the containers away and at this point you just don't care anymore, so you put plastic wrap over the food (ugh, plastic wrap, you know you shouldn't be using it when the lid exists somewhere int the kitchen, great, now you feel guilty too) and shove the containers back in the cupboard.
You're back where you started.
All of this could have been avoided if you'd just had a set of food storage containers with lids that fit every single container in the set, regardless of size. My go-to is a set of round deli containers.
Deli containers stack neatly (you can see them in my fridge above) and come in 8, 16, and 32 oz sizes (1 cup, 2 cup, 3 cup). And because they have interchangeable lids, whenever you need a lid, you don't need to tear your kitchen apart trying to find it. Any lid you grab will fit.
Here's some of my fave containers:
- SafeWare set of 40 Round Deli Containers - (12) 8 oz, (16) 16 oz, and (12) 32 oz
- Chef's Path set of 40 Rectangular Lock-Lid Containers - (6) XL 94 oz, (6) Large 67 oz, (6) Medium 47 oz, (6) Small 27 oz containers
- Cambro containers: 2 quart, 4 quart (the lids that come with these will fit both sizes!)
7. A vacuum sealer to divide up ingredients and leftovers to freeze for quick meals later
Procrastination! Ahh! It gets the best of all of us at one point or another. And it can be one of the most frustrating things about having ADHD. On one hand, we're great under last minute pressure, on the other hand, it'd be great if our brains gave us some say in the matter!
How many times have you bought some sort of fresh produce only to procrastinate on eating it before it goes bad? Instead of beating yourself up for wasting money and food, get yourself a vacuum sealer.
You can also buy a family pack of chicken breasts or pork chops or whatever at the store, and divide them up into individual or pre-sliced portions and vacuum seal them in the freezer for later.
Take it to the next level by seasoning or marinating them before freezing so that they're ready to cook as soon as they defrost (or cook them right in the bag with a sous vide).
This is a great for ADHD fridge organization — you can keep things clearly labeled, and the vacuum sealing can make things much easier to stack!
You can freeze so many fresh fruits and vegetables just before they go bad. As soon as you realize you're not going to get around to eating something, freeze it! Chili peppers, bell peppers, cucumbers, celery, apples, avocado, berries, fresh herbs, broccoli stalks, shredded chicken, leftover pulled pork or carnitas, etc, etc, etc.
Instead of throwing them away, build your own little freezer pantry full of fresh food just ready to be used at a moment's notice.
Sure it takes a little time up front to divide, prep, and seal everything, but you can do those tasks when you have the energy to do it, instead of when you're hangry af and want to eat 5 minutes ago. Think of it as a gift to your future self!
This can also make grocery shopping a little easier and less stressful. When you meal plan, start by looking at what's in your freezer.
Make it a puzzle for your brain: How can you use up what you have before you buy new stuff? You might be surprised at how few new things you need to pick up at the store and how quick your grocery trips become.
You will need:
- Vacuum sealer - this is the model I have, it's very affordable, not too big, and gets the job done. If you want a model that has room to store the extra vacuum bags inside, try this model.
- Extra vacuum sealer bags - duh
8. Quick reference magnets for internal meat temperature doneness and volume measurement conversions
In pastry school I had to memorize these charts, so I know that I know them better off the top of my head than most people do. But I still second guess myself. Because the ADHD brain is tricky like that!
Sure, I could just Google the conversions and temperatures, but I know if take my phone out I know I'm gonna end up spending 5 minutes on Twitter before I remember what I meant to look up in the first place. And once I do look it up, there's a chance I'll forget what it said by the time I get back to the stove.Then I'll have to get out my phone again, and well, it's a cycle!
Meanwhile, my burgers will have overcooked and my chicken will be dry. Thanks, ADHD.
(FWIW, these were a little more useful before I got my Echo Show and could just ask Alexa, but I wanted to include them on this list for anyone who'd rather not go the smart assistant route.)
There are much more extensive kitchen reference magnets out there if you're interested, but these two cover a lot of the basics and blend in nicely on a stainless steel fridge. They're there if you need them, but they're not an eyesore either.
What things in your ADHD kitchen just make sense? Let me know in the comments!
For more of my product roundups, reviews, and gift guides click here. For a master list of my favorite kitchen tools click here.
Becca
The pens and masking tape on the fridge, I just... *chefs kiss*
Rebecca
It makes a HUGE difference lol
Claire
When I read #1 I said Doh!!! I have duplicates of many, many kitchen items. But it wasn't until I read your #1 that it dawned on my why I have two pair of sunglasses, two silk eye masks, several toothbrushes, many hair clips, more chargers than the Apple store, etc. This is a great list. One of my ADD kitchen life savers is I took a spiral notebook (that miraculously stays in the kitchen) Each page has a tried and true, often made recipe. I don't have to spend time remembering where I put or stored the recipe.
Rebecca
Oh that notebook tip is so smart!! I actually have a binder where I save printed or torn out magazine recipes that I have tried and liked. I have different binder for recipes I want to try. I know if I save them on my phone I won’t remember them but when I do my meal planning I actually go through the binders!
Claire
It's strange but I don't like binders at all. They do the opposite of inspire me. I used to have folders filled with recipes. But now I save them online in Evernote, with tags. The key is the tags. I subscribe to NYTimes Cooking. When I see something that looks good to me I print it out. But my rule is that I can't take it out of the printer basket unless I write across the top some keywords or some short hand about why I want to make it. Like Easy, Summer, Chicken Thighs, Appetizer, etc. Words that mean something to me.
Rebecca
That’s so interesting! The binders work for me because I can keep the recipes in plastic sleeves so they don’t get dirty when I bring them in the kitchen. But the most important thing is having a system that works for you — it’s tags for you, it’s binders for me!
Emily
Never been officially diagnosed, but I think I just figured out what's up with my life, my house and my KITCHEN!
The recipes I like and want to keep are printed on a piece of paper and masking taped to the cupboard above the counter. They stay there for years. I have not figured out pantry storage yet. My entire stock of food is spread out occupying the entire kitchen counter, because if I put them in the pantry, it's like throwing them in a black hole. It feels so comforting to understand a bit of why am I like this, and now I have some ideas for work around.
Rebecca
So glad to hear this was helpful!
I have a two binder system for organizing my recipes — one is for recipes I want to try. The other is for recipes I've tried and liked. I move the recipes from the "to try" binder to the "liked" binder if I like them. I've never been able to make a digital recipe organization system work for me; I have to print them out. But this way whenever I'm looking for dinner inspo, I can just grab the binder of recipes I like! And I keep the recipes in those plastic sheet protectors so when I want to make a recipe I can take it out of the binder and tape it to the wall or cupboard or have it out without worrying it'll get messed up. You may want to give something like that a try!
Tara
What about laminating the recipes rather than having them in binders/folders? I have found that laminating them keeps them lasting longer because they generally don't make it back into the binder/folder in my house. :/
Rebecca Eisenberg
I keep them in sheet protectors inside the binders! When i want to use a recipe I take the whole sheet out so it's safe inside the sheet protector. Remembering to get the recipe back in the binder can be an issue, but since the sheet protectors have the three holes in them it's usually pretty easy to just quickly pop them back in.
To me laminating sounds like a lot more work, but if it works for you, then it's a great system!
Cindy Dodge
I too have a binder full of recipes that I've tried, each in a plastic sleeve. Storing them this way protects them, but also allows me to slip them out and make additional notes on them, such as adjusting the temperature or cooking time. Sometimes I add what side dishes work well with each entree. Otherwise, I'm too focused on making the entree that I forget to consider a side dish such as wild rice that takes 40 minutes to cook. Each week, I flip through the binder to come up with a weekly meal plan, which I write down on a scrap of paper. I review the ingredients and update my grocery list, and also flag the recipes with little sticky notes. Without my written meal plan, I'll forget why I bought those jalapeno peppers! Each day I remove the recipe of the day, leaving me with only have one recipe on the counter to focus on. This system helps my cluttered and distracted mind to focus on a weekly meal plan, grocery shopping and meal prep. It has to be visual and written for me to stay focused.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Love this!!
Janine
My hubby and 3 kids all have ADHD and I'm trying to reorganize our home to be better for them. This list is amazing! I really appreciate the links-- makes it easier.
Krista
This made my heart so happy. My mom would *never*. You're a wonderful parent and partner. I wanted to share the best tip I've found myself is to rearrange my fridge so that the condiments are in the drawers and the vegetables/nutritious snacks are on the doors. When we need a condiment, we will search for it but veg become a black hole in the drawers. Putting them on doors means we are way more likely to see, use and eat them!
CC
Yes! I’ve started doing this too and it helps me a lot. I do need to remind my family and put labels on the drawers or they start sticking things back in the side doors!
Andrea Cahill
So so clever
CC
I’ve been so hesitant to get a digital voice command, but the screen feature is really interesting to me. I am one of the gals that cooks for my family out of necessity. I enjoy cooking a lot, but it does deplete all my mental energy. I know doing some batch cooking/meal prepping would help. Any tips on that? I start from scratch every night and if my kitchen isn’t streamlined the process might take longer or not happen at all. This was one of the most helpful articles. Can you share your pantry suggestions for storing dry ingredients? I would like to bake more, but I get overwhelmed by it (due to allergies it is gf flour, almond flour, etc.)
Rebecca Eisenberg
My best advice is to lean on leftovers a lot! When I started meal planning a bunch (I've written about this a bit more here and here for Greatist) I initially was planning a new recipe every night and it's exhausting and you end up with a ton of food waste and it's unsustainable. You need to lean on leftovers, choose recipes around things you already have in your kitchen to reduce the amount of new stuff coming in, and keep your ingredients in places that make sense to you and where they're easy to get out/put away. Here are my recommendations for flour containers, sugar containers, and brown sugar containers. Hope those are helpful!
Krista
We have fallen in love with home-made TV dinners! My energy comes in bursts so one Sunday a month is meal prep day. I buy the 300 throw away food bowls (with lids that are freezer and microwave safe and reusable) from Costco and make ~40 at a time. I pick 3 meals to make (last time in was a turkey dinner, a flank steak dinner, and chilli) but you can do just one at a time and make extra to have for later to switch off. I get all my beans soaking and meat thawing/marinating Saturday before bed and then Sunday I make all the dinners and package them into the 32oz bowls let them cool, sharpie heating instructions, then put them in the freezer. We also changed to an upright freezer and it is life changing being able to see everything we have on hand. I'm exhausted by the end of Sunday but I know I have a whole month of lunches or dinners on hand and everyone can grab their own. Some months when I have the energy to do it twice, I will, and we now have a solid backlog of options after a year of doing it this way. You can also do big tray dinners with tin trays that pop in the oven like convenience meals. I find the bag method sets off my sensory issues and I never use them but a tin tray that goes directly in the oven from froze is perfect!
KZ
I'm commenting 6 months after finding this article, to say the masking tape and pens idea has been AMAZING (mine are stuck to my fridge). Letting go of the idea that things have to be pretty is so freeing and enabling of labels. Seeing the way you framed it here inspired me to reorganize my entire kitchen and has revolutionized the way I think of my kitchen. In my year of trying to rewire my habits to work with my brain, not against it, this was the most helpful article I read. So thank you. <3
Rebecca Eisenberg
"I'm commenting 6 months after finding this article" is the most ADHD response you could possibly have hahaha. I'm so glad it was helpful and continues to be helpful! Enjoy your kitchen 🙂
Kate
My 5" Echo Show has been my go-to for adhd kitchen stuff (and adhd in general)! I came here to see if you had additional insight, as my husband and I are about to completely overhaul our kitchen organization to help with baby-proofing and having room for a few new items (we recently bought a nice knife set and a stand mixer, and we were given a very nice 12-place-setting set of dishes). I'm quite certain a lot of the stuff currently in the kitchen will be gotten rid of, but I'm hoping we can find ways to better organize most of it before we get rid of things.
Laura
Some ideas I hadn't thought of, thanks. For me, I am trying to pair down complete duplicates. If I own 5 sets of measuring cups, that is a possibility of 5 dirties. That is to say though, I do not leave the kitchen with these. If I would use a 1/8 c for coffee, I would designate one to be left in the coffee bag. So my 2 sets always remain in my drawer.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yes, that's such a good tip too! I have a few broken measuring spoons that end up staying in the places I need them — a 1 tablespoon scoop for dry cat food, etc. I agree you can definitely end up with too many duplicates but personally I'd rather have what I need when I need it and wash more dishes later if it comes to it.
AshAsh
So helpful! The Alexa might be the game changer I need! And even with the magnetic cup and interchangeable lids! Thank you! So simple for my brain
Rebecca Eisenberg
I really can't recommend the Alexa enough! I'm glad these were helpful for you!
Emily
I just read three articles about ADHD and kitchen hacks. This was the ONLY one that helped in the slightest. Thank you so much!
Rebecca Eisenberg
You are SO welcome!!
Donna
At 40 I was diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive Type. I just find this article so interesting because throughout the years I've come up with tricks to help me keep up with things and reading your article was like reading a short bio of my life. I already do 6 out of 8 of these exact things and they have made a world of difference over the years. It just amazed me that someone I've never even met is running her kitchen almost the same way I run mine and for the same reason. ADHD. And that we somehow came up with the same ideas. So, yes, with ADHD it is entirely possible to cook big meals, pressure
can vegetables, bake fresh bread etc...and do it well. You just have to have certain things in place ahead of time.