Getting better organized in the kitchen feels like a daunting task. We’re so tempted to just jump right in to cooking that sometimes we forget how important it is to prep. To get better results, we’re taking on the challenge of mise en place.
What Does Mise en Place Mean?
Mise en place means “put in place”—it’s the idea of prepping all ingredients and organizing what you’ll need before you start cooking. Carrots, celery and onions are peeled and chopped. Liquids are poured into measuring cups and spices are measured out. When the work is put in upfront, the process of cooking is smoother and the end results are better.
Professional chefs swear by mise en place—it’s what makes it possible to serve 100 plates at once at a restaurant—and at OXO, we couldn’t agree more. We’re all about properly preparing when we take on a dish so the process is easier and the results are better. Here is our guide to mise en place like the pros:


Start By Reading the Recipe
Read the whole recipe first. Find out what ingredients you need from your cabinets and what you’ll need from the fridge. So many times we’ll catch ourselves skipping this step and then learning the meat was supposed to come to room temperature or a whole sauce is supposed to be made beforehand.
Find the Right Kitchen Tools
Grab the right equipment. Along with laying out ingredients, we like to make sure the right tools are ready to go, so you don’t have to pause to clean a knife or find your peeler.
Chop Your Ingredients
Start chopping. Get a good knife and a big cutting board so there is room to prep. Non-slip edges make this cutting board a stable work space.
Put Chopped Ingredient in a Bowl
Once an ingredient is chopped, add it to a bowl (keeping each ingredient separate). Keep clearing the cutting board so there is space to work.
Measure Out Spices into Bowls
Glass Prep Bowls can be used to hold smaller ingredients like spices, minced garlic and herbs. They’re handy and keep ingredients organized.


Ready Your Liquids
Liquids such as milk, oil and stock go in liquid measuring cups. Have anything that needs to be heated up in the microwave? Use these silicone measuring cups to protect your hands when handling.


Prepare Your Sauces
For mixed sauces and dressings (for dishes like stir fry or grain bowls), we enlist squeeze bottles that have measurement markings. Add ingredients to the squeeze bottle and give it a shake.
Move it to a Sheet Pan for Easy Transportation
Once ingredients are prepped and in bowls and measuring cups, add everything to a sheet pan. This will make it easier to transport to the stove or the counter where you’re working.
Et Voilà, You’re Ready to Cook
When all ingredients and equipment are in the right places, you’re ready to start cooking. Grab each ingredient as needed. We find the cooking process to be less stressful and we get better results—steaks cooked perfectly because you can focus on it and pasta cooked al dente since you can keep track of time.
And who said mise en place is just for fancy dinners? Prepping your ingredients makes cooking a breeze for backyard grilling or weekday meal prep too.
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15 Comments
I am a true believer in mise en place, but I disagree with the advice: “Once an ingredient is chopped, add it to a bowl (keeping each ingredient separate).” If a recipe states to add Ingredient A, Ingredient B, and Ingredient C all in the same step, then I measure them and put them all into the same bowl. This saves on the number of bowls used, and their washing.
Great article! How do you pronounce mise en place? If I’m going to cook like a pro, I need to sound official .
I can’t believe the picture of ‘someone cutting an onion’ is doing it precisely the WRONG WAY. ALWAYS put the flat side down so the item is secure on the cutting board and is not twirling around or balancing in the air. ANY chef or proper home cook will tell you this. I’m really surprised that passed muster and you published that picture. SHAME ON YOU.
Mise en place also makes cooking for a household much more democratic; two (or more, if there’s space) people can get all the relatively tedious prep work done in half the time, spending quality time together,and no one feels burdened by having to do all the cooking.
I’ve done this to a certain extent – more to make sure I don’t run into “surprises” during the cooking process (wait…didn’t I have apple cider vinegar in the back of the cabinet?), but I’ve never gone about it so methodically. I can see how easy it would make things, and it’s a great way to get kids involved in part of the process. A question: where can I get those stand-up tablespoon measures? Because that would be a great way to pre-measure small amounts of liquid ahead of time. Otherwise, the liquid slops out of a traditional tablespoon if you’re trying to do that in advance. Thanks!
yes! I need to do this thank-you . I just run in circle in my kitchen from hell
We learned this in Junior Girl Scouts for our cooking badge, 1964! I wish my kitchen was as big as a test kitchen, but we manage ok with a cramped style. Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you for sharing this. It has been a great learning experience.