Ok, 
so alot of this boils down to your personality type. clean as you go, works for some.  clean at the end, works for others. You’ll find the right mess for you, at some point. really.. trust that it will be your way, and that’s how it will be.. just realize that it’s ALWAYS
A MESS

for now..

two sets of measuring spoons. one dry one wet.  cups the same..

depending on your “handedness”, work from left to right, or right to left.. that is to say.. for each formula. arrange your ingredients, that you need for that process on one side.. as you measure them, place them on the other side.. that way, if you are interrupted, you’ll never wonder what’s in the bowl.

two bowls in the sink. one hot soapy, the other a rinse.  like a commercial three bay sink, only at home.. then as you’ve time, you can plow through the soapy one, and put them to rinse..

also. use your salad spinner for a mini washer for tips. you can set them to soak, and lift them out to find the one that you need. rather than a mess at the bottom of a bowl of colored water.

if you can afford to, buy kitchen towels/bar mops etc, of all the same color, preferrably white.  sams club etc.  then use only them.  again, set them to soak in a five gallon bucket, if you have the space. this will eliminate alot of the need for bleach.. but who cares if they’re stained with food coloring.  they’re “baking” towels. same with a large throw rug, for baking days.. cotton, with a no skid pad under.  there’s a reason that they’re called throw rugs.  so you can throw them out, if they get trashed.. Ikea has some nice all cotton ones, seems, all the time.. they’re perfect.

and Simplify.  the less stuff out, the less clutter to plow through, looking for things.

just as easy to bake two as it is one.. use one, freeze one. if you have the room.

store NOTHING, NADA, ZIP in glass anything, EVER.

Clement, why not store things in glass?  It’s nonreactive and protects flavors well.

one broken glass is all it takes, to ruin a very good baking day. I speak from experience.  the lost time, ingredient, finish product, and sanity, is not worth it.

Greetings - My kitchen is literally the size of a small boat’s galley - not room for two people to turn around. I have metal olive-oil cans full of spatulasl and tall tools, jugs of measuring cups and measuring spoons, shelves full of bowls and things where you can’t see behind the front ones, and essentially no counter space—misery! And today I came upon this thread with the many ways to help those of us with such dilemma, such as mis en place and other time-savers. What wonderful help you have provided. I have fallen immediately into the idea of the tall rolling tool cart! And am imploring my poor husband to go to WalMart and Home Depot tonight to see if we can find one. As always, thanks for sharing your experience.  > ’ . ’ <

Joan - 09 May 2009 12:33 PM

I have fallen immediately into the idea of the tall rolling tool cart! And am imploring my poor husband to go to WalMart and Home Depot tonight to see if we can find one. As always, thanks for sharing your experience.  > ’ . ’ <

So glad we could offer some practical advice for you Joan!  I’m sure your hubby will have no trouble finding one… I’ve purchased several at Wal-Mart.  Not only do I store overflow cake decorating stuff in one that I tuck into the coat closet, but I also put smaller ones under each of the bathroom sinks for extra toothpaste, floss, travel size toiletries, etc.

Oh Patrincia, you’re back!!! Nice to ‘hear your voice’ once again. Thanks for your input. I will see if I can find a small one for under the sink. The cupboard under the long side of the sink, however, has been altered. We took out the shelf in that space. Painted the area noble-blue gloss. Put in a little light. Made a little door into the hallway. Made a little bolt on the two cupboard doors entering into the bathroom. Into this new space we inserted a large electric litter box. Et voila: Palacio del Gatto. Our two cats have a fine pooh palace.
      > ’ . ’ <  They send best wishes!

Definitely of the “clean as you go” school here.  The reason I think people back away from cooking AND baking is because the kitchen looks like a bad paper towel commercial when they’re done.  Once you mise en place your ingredients, wash what you can.  Alternatively, rinse what you can and load the dishwasher with whatever tools you do not need to re-use during prep of the recipe.

I learned “clean as you go” from my mother when I first started baking at 14.  Not so much out of efficiency but I got tired of her slapping me upside the head if the kitchen was left a mess.  It was worth all that bopping to make CAYG a habit.  I employed it in my tiny east village kitchen (size of a phone booth), in my little restaurant in Colorado (new meaning to the term “chief cook and bottle washer”) and ESPECIALLY in my home kitchen during party prep. 

Baking time = cleaning time.  While the recipe bakes/simmers/roasts, I am busy cleaning up after myself.  The apre-mise-en-place method works best when sauteing as it’s tough to walk away from a saute pan to clean up.

If you clean as you go - you will remain sane; at least as it pertains to after-baking mess.  :D

Chiffonade:
I swear, I swear, that I will try my best to clean as I go next time.  I’ve been baking my whole life…and I just can’t seem to do it.  The disaster zone that is my tiny kitchen when I’m done with (what I call) “The Big Bake” is just not to believed (The Big Bake is when I have to turn out more than one elaborate cake or pastry in one night).  I just can’t seem to clean as I go…and I never put anything away, either…AHHHHHHHHHHH! (Just a slob at heart).

Bill - 02 June 2009 10:25 AM

Chiffonade:
I swear, I swear, that I will try my best to clean as I go next time.  I’ve been baking my whole life…and I just can’t seem to do it.  The disaster zone that is my tiny kitchen when I’m done with (what I call) “The Big Bake” is just not to believed (The Big Bake is when I have to turn out more than one elaborate cake or pastry in one night).  I just can’t seem to clean as I go…and I never put anything away, either…AHHHHHHHHHHH! (Just a slob at heart).

Hey committing to do it is the first step!!  Would it help if you got a basin, filled it with hot water and a little dish soap and tossed used utensils in the basin?  That would presoak the utensils and other tools and they’d be quicker to final-wash.

The first couple of times you make a conscious effort to clean as you go, you’ll notice a distinct improvement in the condition of your kitchen when you’re done and in the time you’ll have to put into final cleanup.  Scout’s honor.

Thanks for the suggestion, but the problem with the basin of water…there is no place to put it…except on the floor…and well…I’m a little clumsy, and that could open up a whole other bucket of trouble. We have a terrible space problem in New York City, and since many new yorkers don’t cook at all (I know people who keep books and or shoes in their ovens), kitchens are often very small in all but the most expensive buildings.  In searching for an apartment, I had to make compromises, and in this case, everything was perfect, except the size of the kitchen…so I make do.  I have no dishwasher, a 24 inch range, a 24 inch fridge and two small counter spaces (one is about 15” wide, the other about 25” wide) and a sink.  That’s it. No table, no shelves, just the two tiny counter spaces, the two appliances and the sink.  I did bake a batch of cupcakes last night, I did manage to clean as I went, and I have to say, it did make a difference.  Thanks for your encouragement.

If this is a description of your kitchen I think you do extremely well turning out such lovely cakes!  I’m sure I wouldn’t manage in such cramped circumstances!

jeannette - 03 June 2009 03:10 PM

If this is a description of your kitchen I think you do extremely well turning out such lovely cakes!  I’m sure I wouldn’t manage in such cramped circumstances!

So true!

Patrincia - 03 June 2009 03:17 PM

jeannette - 03 June 2009 03:10 PM

If this is a description of your kitchen I think you do extremely well turning out such lovely cakes!  I’m sure I wouldn’t manage in such cramped circumstances!

So true!

Ditto!

Bill - 03 June 2009 01:47 PM

Thanks for the suggestion, but the problem with the basin of water…there is no place to put it…except on the floor…and well…I’m a little clumsy, and that could open up a whole other bucket of trouble. We have a terrible space problem in New York City, and since many new yorkers don’t cook at all (I know people who keep books and or shoes in their ovens), kitchens are often very small in all but the most expensive buildings.  In searching for an apartment, I had to make compromises, and in this case, everything was perfect, except the size of the kitchen…so I make do.  I have no dishwasher, a 24 inch range, a 24 inch fridge and two small counter spaces (one is about 15” wide, the other about 25” wide) and a sink.  That’s it. No table, no shelves, just the two tiny counter spaces, the two appliances and the sink.  I did bake a batch of cupcakes last night, I did manage to clean as I went, and I have to say, it did make a difference.  Thanks for your encouragement.

I lived on University Place and 13th street in the Village and I remember that little phone booth kitchen!  It was well laid out for a tiny space.  The floor was comprised of nine floor tiles.  Your small kitchen is definitely a challenge but it won’t stop you.  I have confidence you’ll get something figured out that will work!