It would appear that too much cupboard clutter is driving cooks crazy in the kitchen as they spend precious time hunting through a plethora of cookware and gadgets to find the item they really want to use says research released today.

Commissioned by Le Creuset the survey, which questioned over 1000 men and women nationwide, reveals that 'cupboard rage' is rife. 46% of cooks admit to losing their rag with cupboards bursting at the seams, even though 42% of respondents admit they only use 50% of the contents of their kitchen cupboards and over 25% cannot name all the cookware they own.

Says Zeynep Ucan, Le Creuset's de-clutter expert "Kitchen cupboards often hide a multiple of sins and it is very easy to think out of sight out of mind. However as kitchens get smaller it is key not to hoard items and instead take a ruthless approach to clutter. Streamline cupboards by getting rid of items you never use, or had forgotten you had, and hang onto those which are either multi-functional or those you couldn't live without!"

To help consumers get started Le Creuset has launched two new cookware sets. Designed to cater for a variety of cooking needs each set comprises of items which should be an essential component of any 'capsule kitchen cupboard'. The three piece saucepan set consists of a 16cm, 18cm and 20cm saucepans and the four piece set boasts two round casseroles, a square grillitÒ and a rectangular roasting dish - the perfect answer for competent and novices cooks who just don't have time for clutter.

According to Zeynep Ucan the golden rules of streamlining cupboards include:

Don't put off until tomorrow what you could do today…make a 'clearing out' date with your kitchen cupboards and stick to it. Getting started is the hardest part but once you have you'll never look back!

Identify the winners and losers…colour code your kitchen items according to how often you use them. Red - never, amber - occasionally, green - religiously. All those with a red sticker - banish from the kitchen.

Maximise cupboard space….by adding interior fittings to existing kitchen units - such as corner tower plate rack and multi-tiered stands.

The oven isn't a cupboard…Avoid using the oven as a home for pots and pans. Having to rearrange your kitchen each time you want to use the oven is hard work. Try using reclaimed baggage racks from trains as an effective and stylish storage solution.

Start and finish…make it fun, that way it won't seem like such a major effort. Maybe try baking your favourite dishes with your favourite cookware items.

The survey went onto reveal the UK's top five most useful kitchen items which are:

And the top five least used items are: