I’m not going to pretend I’m a minimalist. My kitchen drawers have a drawer just for takeaway menus I’ll never use. But last month, something snapped. I was looking for a measuring spoon and found three identical ones. And a whisk I don’t remember buying. And a jar of something that expired in 2023.

So I did the thing I’d been avoiding for years – I took everything out. Every single thing.

What I found shocked me: I had 13 mugs. I live alone. I do not need 13 mugs.

I replaced my mismatched chaos with a matching 16‑piece dinner set from a small UK brand I stumbled across on Instagram. I swapped my awkwardly shaped pans for a stackable set that actually fits in my cupboard. I bought simple glass storage containers that I can actually see into (game changer).

The result? My kitchen feels bigger. I can find things. I’ve stopped buying duplicates. And I’ve saved money because I’m not rebuying things I already own.

I’m not saying you need to go full Marie Kondo. But if your kitchen is starting to feel like a charity shop, maybe it’s time to start over. I used zilrone.com for most of my replacements – they ship free (no minimum spend, which I love) and everything arrived within 3 days.

My top 3 finds:

• Glass storage containers – actually airtight, no weird smells, stack neatly.

• A magnetic knife strip – because drawer storage was a terrible idea.

• A proper cast‑iron skillet – I don’t know why I waited so long.

If you’re thinking about doing a kitchen reset, just start with one cupboard. Then another. You’ll feel better, I promise.