Organizing Kitchen Utensils

Cooking utensils are in every kitchen. From a spatula to a pineapple slicer, utensils come in many shapes and sizes. Whether you must have the latest gadget or you go for the vintage wooden spoon handed down from your grandmother, organizing your small kitchen tools will save you time and frustration when you are whipping up your favorite meal.

Chances are you have a lot of cooking utensils, but regularly use only about seven.

The most popular kitchen utensils are:

Knives

Measuring Spoons

Kitchen Shears

Whisks

Peelers

Spatulas

Wooden Spoons

Take a few minutes to go through all your utensils and make 3 piles:

Never Use: Donate or trash – they are just taking up valuable space! Immediately throw away anything that is rusty or broken.

Rarely Use: Store in clear plastic bins in lower or upper cabinets, or in a utensil holder on top of the frig. Keep like with like: make piles of grill items, baking items, wine and bottle openers, measuring cups and spoons, etc. and store each category separately.

Often Use: Store these kitchen tools close to your prepping and cooking area so you don’t have to walk across the kitchen to get what you need.

Note on duplicates: You do NOT need 15 spatulas. You probably don’t even need more than one set of measuring spoons and cups. Be frugal when deciding what to keep. If you can’t part with duplicates, put them in a bin and use this bin as your personal “store” to replace the old utensils when the they wear out.

There are lots of storage options for the utensils you use most often:

On the counter: Use a utensil caddy – just don’t over fill it. Decorative utensil holders come in an infinite array of colors and styles. You can even get creative and use items like an antique pitcher or vase.

In a drawer with a drawer divider or utensil tray: Again – don’t over stuff. Keep it simple and limited to your most-used items. Measure your drawer before purchasing a drawer organizer – especially the height if your drawers are shallow. Wider dividers provide more storage options for larger utensils. If you have deep drawers use tall narrow bins.

Short on counter space? Add a metal bar to the backsplash or put a tension rod in a cabinet and hang utensils with S hooks. Attach a magnetic strip to the wall for items like knives. Use a pegboard with hooks or individual Command Hooks on the inside of a cabinet or pantry door.

Remember to maintain by keeping things orderly. Follow the “one in – one out” rule when you get a new kitchen tool. And think twice before adding to your collection. That new spiral vegetable slicer may be cool – but do you really need it? And will you really use it? Remember: Less is More!

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