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sailorgal_gw

Show me your Cookbook storage, please!

sailorgal
13 years ago

Hi,

Working on my tiny kitchen planning... I have about 3 linear feet of cookbooks that I need to figure out where to put. Please tell or show where you put yours.

Thank you!

Comments (28)

  • bethohio3
    13 years ago

    I've hidden mine on a shelf (well, 2 shelves) in the broom closet. I know that's not ideal but many of them aren't pretty enough to put on display--especially since I have lots of clippings and things in a magazine holder.

  • momj47
    13 years ago

    Here's where I keep all my recipes. My cookbooks are in boxes in the basement.

    {{!gwi}}

  • jsweenc
    13 years ago

    I'm trying to figure out a good system so I can get rid of most of them, but there are a few I can't bear to part with. This is partly cookbooks, partly homeschool materials, right across from the kitchen (formerly the coat closet). See door to left of hoosier in bottom pic, taken from kitchen.


    This was the original place for them, but if you have a small kitchen you won't be wanting to do this.

  • grlwprls
    13 years ago

    We do have a small kitchen by GW standards (basically an L shaped 9x10) and this is my cookbook storage:

    Clearly, we are still doing punch list stuff...

  • rhome410
    13 years ago

    First had them here:

    Then moved them above our fridge and freezer, thanks to inspiration from Trailrunner's kitchen in which she did similarly (the shelf shown above became our coffee supply center):

  • Buehl
    13 years ago

    In my old kitchen, most of them were stored in the cabinet above our rangehood. The rest were in the Library/Computer Room. I actually forgot about cookbook storage when I was planning...so I had to find a place for them when after the remodel. I first tried putting them on a shelf in the pantry...


    But, I didn't like that location, so now they're in an upper cabinet (to the left of our rangehood...on the Baking Center side)...

  • cat_mom
    13 years ago

    Ours are in here, cab at the end of the island:

    That pic was taken either during or just after cabs were installed.

    Here's one taken a year or two later:

  • chocolatebunny
    13 years ago

    I don't have a photo but mine are in an upper cabinet right above the desk. It is next to our pantry and across from the kitchen table.

  • pinch_me
    13 years ago

    I planned this space specifically for my cookbooks.

  • desertsteph
    13 years ago

    I like the idea of on an upper cab shelf. since i can't really reach the 2nd shelf anyway that'll be a good place for them. since I don't normally cook so don't use them. lol!

    I am thinking of leaving the space where there'd normally be a lower drawer open for my step stool - that'll make it right there for me when needed.

  • eastbaymom
    13 years ago

    Desertsteph --

    we found a folding stool that folds flat, and requires less than 4 inches of vertical space. We slide it into the bottom of our 24 inch pantry cabinet -- or you can have a toe kick drawer made under the cabinet itself.

    Sailorgal --

    our cookbooks will live on a bookshelf in the family room. I didn't want them up high because I'm short.

    Here is a link that might be useful: here's the stepstool

  • beachbum
    13 years ago

    I threw mine out.
    I keep two 3 ring binders with "keeper" recipes that I've torn out or printed in an upper cabinet.
    When I'm looking for inspiration I always look online. While I do enjoy "reading" cookbooks, I don't actually cook from them anymore.
    Throwing them out was a hard thing to do, but I think it was the right choice for me.

  • susanka
    13 years ago

    I keep mine now on a lower cabinet pull-out shelf. Used to keep them on a bookshelf built into the island, but they were right next to the dining area and looked too messy. I look for recipes online more than I use the books.

  • firstmmo
    13 years ago

    You absolutely MUST find Elizpiz's kitchen and view her cookbook storage...it is truly the "Gold Standard" version of anything you will ever want. Her kitchen details are amazing too!!!

  • formerlyflorantha
    13 years ago

    Some time back I posted about my need for a large bookshelf to hold many books including cookbooks. Readers may find the conversation and images useful. The Elizpiz bookshelf is linked in it.

    In my old 8 x 10 kitchen, I had one mega upper cupboard up to ceiling with 3 long shelves of books at top (stool needed to access one of them). It was necessary to add one of those cheap metal supports under each of these three shelves. Not ideal, but had my baking ingredients and about 6 little recipe boxes (some inherited) in the lower 2 shelves so I could consult recipes and begin cooking immediately. Very handy. After looking at the modest cookbooks of other posters here, it is clear that I am not your usual cookbook collector.

  • nishka
    13 years ago

    Most of mine are stored on my computer or in a plastic folder in one of my kitchen drawers.

    My mother left me many old, classic cookbooks and recipes. I keep them stored away in plastic boxes for safe keeping but I have transcibed the ones I use into Word files. I also keep electronic recipe boxes online at several cooking sites.

    I can print them if I need a copy and toss them out after I finish cooking. Makes it nice not to worry about messing up your recipes.

  • arlosmom
    13 years ago

    Mine are in the upper part of a desk in our breakfast room, right outside the kitchen. It works perfectly for me because I do my meal planning and recipe searches at the breakfast room table.

  • carecooks
    13 years ago

    Because I'm a sick, sick person. I have a whole wall in my library. Like most folks I tend to use the internet more these days but I can't get rid of my cookbooks. and now that I've just completed my kitchen I'll be using them more. Right, right?

  • cindyandmocha
    13 years ago

    Some I couldn't part with, and some my husband are actually in. I wanted just a little and managed to eek out some space in my pantry wall by using space between the studs. The "bookcase" only sticks out 3 inches into the room, the rest of the space is between the wall studs.

  • holligator
    13 years ago

    We included a cookbook shelf in our design, just above the desk/message center. It's really handy there, because that desk is where I make my grocery list. It helps to be able to check the cookbook right there. It doesn't hold all my cookbooks, but it holds all the ones I use on an even semi-regular basis. The rest are on the shelves in our sunroom/library.

    This is before I filled it up. It isn't the best pic of the shelf, but it's the only one I could find.

  • elizpiz
    13 years ago

    mp - :-)

    carecooks - I am with you! 367 and counting (yes, I catalogue them and do use them more than you would think). If anyone else on this thread wants to throw their cookbooks away, please send them our way. I fear I am going to run out of room, even with my hidden shelf and my substantial hutch, which has the bulk of them. I suspect my artful arrangement on the hutch of glasses, roosters and plates is not long for this world (unless I put a shelf in the guest bedroom for the ones I REALLY don't use...hmmmm)

    Eliz

  • morgne
    13 years ago

    Carecooks and elizpiz,

    I'm with you guys. I stopped counting over about 350. It just seems less... HUGE a number if I can put "ish" after it. So I own 350ish... Give or take some. You know, about that many. *waves hand vaguely* I have a few.

    M.

  • carecooks
    13 years ago

    Morgne and elizpiz,

    I've got some pics for you. It's been a long time since I counted my cookbooks. I think it was 700. I told you that I had a problem. I really don't buy too many anymore, except that when I was finally getting stuff out of my storage boxes (where they had been for 4 years) to put into the kitchen I found some old clay pots that I hadn't used much. Well, Paula Wolfert has a new book out on clay pot cooking and it would be so useful. Help me!

    Sorry to tempt you all with these but you're right I can't give them up.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/42398147@N05/4871238466/"; title="IMG_2297 by Carem2, on Flickr">

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/42398147@N05/4870629605/"; title="IMG_2294 by Carem2, on Flickr">

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/42398147@N05/4870629131/"; title="IMG_2296 by Carem2, on Flickr">

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/42398147@N05/4871238030/"; title="IMG_2295 by Carem2, on Flickr">

  • elizpiz
    13 years ago

    Wow! Thks for sharing! It's like shoes - there's always someone that has more than you, so you can justify another purchase - you are my new line of defense against "ANOTHER cookbook?!?!?!" :-). You have so many of my favourites, and so many more that look intriguing. What a beautiful collection.

    Was in Chicago this week for biz and on the way back to the hotel I passed a used bookstore - yup, four more for the collection. My two favs so far are: Contemplation and the Art of Salad Making and Nita Mehta's Handi Tawa Kadhai (which as I have since discovered, are traditional cooking vessels for Indian food).

    I hope the OP got what she needed...we should start another thread comparing fav cookbooks.

    Eliz

  • wizardnm
    13 years ago

    I'm trying to make space in the lower shelves of a new pantry wall for about 50 favorites. Will see if that turns out. The rest will reside in the library.
    The last time I counted (4-5 yrs ago this question came up in the Cooking Forum) I had over 800... I won't count again.

    Nancy

  • elizpiz
    13 years ago

    Nancy and carecooks, I'm not worthy... :-)

    For sailorgal, here's the shelf that mp mentioned in case you didn't see it. It captures a smaller number of cookbooks quite well. The bottom half of this pantry stores mixing bowls, my food processor, serving dishes etc.

    Closed

    Open

    Eliz

  • formerlyflorantha
    13 years ago

    Many of my cookbooks are 8 inches deep or less, but some are deep in page width--the old Time-Life ethnic cooking boxed sets are over 9 inches, for example. How do you handle your very deep cookbooks when shelving them? How to handle paperbacks? Hybrid cookbook-user manuals for appliances? Recipe boxes? Cooking mags? I'm considering foot-deep shelves (less the backboard) for my new 6 foot wide bookshelf.

    Here's a picture of my attempt to rough-in the new bookcase, using a repurposed bookshelf I got cheap. Shelves are 12 inches deep (less the backboard). These are the cookbooks that were in the old (small) kitchen--unpacked from storage. But I have at least another shelf worth of history-related cookbooks that I want to consolidate into the new bookshelf, plus my library of antiques books and price guides. It's like reacquainting myself with old friends. Now that I have garden produce, I get distracted and inspired by the cookbooks, most recently the ones with eggplant recipes. In less than a week it's become clear that the little temp. table and chair next to the shelf have served me just as I had hoped--it's a browse-and-plan station for meal and party planning. Only thing that is not good is that the dog's nose now has a person closer to his level and not on a stool.

    Here is a link that might be useful: 2/3 of my cookbook collection

  • zelmar
    13 years ago

    We keep our most used cookbooks in a 13" deep base cabinet with doors. Since it can be messy, it is (it wouldn't be too bad if I organized the basket of clippings and loose recipes.) The covers have fallen off a couple of the highly used books.

    The rest of our cookbooks are in a small open bookcase near our table.

    Here's the kitchen storage and the cabinet it's in.

    {{!gwi}} {{!gwi}}