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Storing Kitchen Utensils
Drawer or Container?

022709_utensils01.jpgWe enjoyed dinner at a friend's house recently and noticed that she kept all of her kitchen utensils in a drawer next to her sink. She described this as her "easy access" drawer. We mentioned that we used a container for "easy access" in our kitchen for utensils. What about you - where do you store your favorite and most used kitchen utensils?

 
 

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kitchen, organizing, kitchen, organization, container, utensils, drawer

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Comments (39)

Both. Most things with long handles that are used for general cooking (like spatulas, wooden spoons, tongs, skimmers, whisks, etc) go in container on counter.

Smaller and more specialty items like peelers, can openers, little tea strainers, garlic press, etc. go in drawer under butcher block work area. They just end up getting lost in the on counter container and are difficult to fish out.

posted by Lizzy C on February 27th 2009 at 5:16pm
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Same- I use both. However, growing up, my parents kept everything in one huge drawer.

posted by greenmeansgo on February 27th 2009 at 5:18pm
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Store it in a kitchen utensil holder (similar to first photo, but in stainless steel) on the counter right next to the stove. Spatula and soup ladle? They're all right there within easy grasp.

posted by justveggingout on February 27th 2009 at 5:18pm
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Some are in a drawer, some are hung on a rack on the walls of the kitchen, and others are in an old 1 gallon tin Olive Oil can with the lid cut off...

posted by bepsf on February 27th 2009 at 5:18pm
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I grew up with them all in a drawer. I think things tend to get a little dusty when left out. But, in our new home we don't have a lot of drawer space, so some of our bigger things are in a vintage ice bucket. see it here:
http://makemineeclectic.wordpress.com/2009/01/14/vintage-cool/

posted by jessimarie33 on February 27th 2009 at 5:26pm
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DRAWER

posted by parttimedesign on February 27th 2009 at 5:28pm
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If you have the drawer space, it's nice to have them off the counter, but if you are short on drawer space, the counter is fine. Mine are in a drawer except for the knives that are in a block on the counter.

posted by LilyC on February 27th 2009 at 5:33pm
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Both. I have the same strategy as Lizzy C.

posted by KWorld on February 27th 2009 at 5:40pm
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Ditto LizzyC

posted by TrueTex on February 27th 2009 at 5:48pm
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I have one large, shallow drawer next to the stove for frequently used utensils, and another for things like potato masher, kitchen twine, turkey baster, etc. Can't stand looking at utensils on the counter!

posted by farmhousemoderne on February 27th 2009 at 5:48pm
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If I had drawer space, I'd use it. But I don't, so it's on the counter.

posted by sweetchuck on February 27th 2009 at 5:54pm
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Tritto LizzyC.

posted by jazzberry on February 27th 2009 at 6:00pm
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Container and three drawers sorted by frequency of use. I have a lot of gadgets!

posted by nene on February 27th 2009 at 6:10pm
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I love my organized kitchen utensil drawer. But I also like hanging large spoons, spatulas, tongs, etc. on the wall behind the stove for easy access. Unfortunately, I can do that in my current apartment since the wall is an entire stone title backsplash and I rent. :/

posted by sparkle on February 27th 2009 at 6:12pm
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In my old apartment I hung them in an Ikea storage system thingy on the wall (little plastic buckets on a rail). In the new one, they're in two drawers. I haven't quite settled on where to put them, yet.

posted by Mlle Kate on February 27th 2009 at 6:17pm
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I prefer drawers - I don't like having all that stuff on my counter. But my new kitchen only has one drawer, so a container on the counter is a must!

posted by emmaduck on February 27th 2009 at 6:18pm
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Both! My kitchen is white with chrome and green accents. I have rubber spatulas in the same green as my dishtowels in a white crock along with chrome cooking utensils. I keep the every day tools in the crock and occasional tools in the drawer

posted by kimg924 on February 27th 2009 at 6:33pm
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Both. I have too much stuff and not enough drawers. But, if I had enough drawers, they'd all be put away.

posted by quiltmaster on February 27th 2009 at 6:47pm
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drawer... i have adequate drawer space, but precious little counter space

posted by sunan on February 27th 2009 at 7:29pm
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I grew up w/ a crock w/ the long handled utensils on the counter next to the stove and I do that in my place as well.

I'm rather lucky in that in my rented apt kitchen, I have decent storage and a generally decent layout of the entire kitchen so I have the option of both. Anyway, I have a large yellow plant pot from IKEA called the Cylinder (no longer made) that I house all the larger ladels, spatulas etc and a small red Le Crousete crock for the smaller most often used items such as itty spatulas, spreaders, peelers and the garlic press, which I just stradle the side of and in the two shallow drawers to the stove's left I have pot holders and a plastic basket for tasting etc flatware and old ice tea spoons next to the stove and the one by the fridge (counter inbetween the two) houses the can opener, the cork puller, the pizza cutter, the bag clips, measuring spoons etc - and all the fondue forks as well. For all other baking stuff is in 2 deep drawers to the left of the sink behind me.

posted by ciddyguy on February 27th 2009 at 7:35pm
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Cooking utensils (spatulas, wooden spoons, tongs) and large serving pieces (ladles, etc.) go into a nice container next to my oven. Basically anything with a long handle that fits easily into the container goes in there. I used to keep these in a drawer but it wasn't convenient since my kitchen drawers don't have the dimensions that make organizing such things easy.

Oddly-shaped, kitchen doodads like peelers, graters, measuring cups, etc. that don't have long handles go in a drawer.

posted by slowdown on February 27th 2009 at 7:57pm
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DRAWER.

I hate cluttered counters and keep as little on them as possible. I loooaaaathe when people display their appliances (blender, toaster, coffee makers, bread maker, coffee grinder, rice cooker, etc etc etc) all on the counter.

i keep my Bose, a fruit bowl, and a vintage enameled compost pot on the counter and that's about it.

posted by my little apartment on February 27th 2009 at 8:07pm
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As a general rule, I don't lilke things sitting out regardless of whether or not they are in a container or not; just seems like it would get dusty. I feel the same way when I see dishes on open shelving. Love the look, just worry about dust. (I am a clean freak.) I much prefer a drawer. I do hang things inside my kitchen cabinets so it's not seen.

posted by Dream Mom on February 27th 2009 at 8:15pm
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Drawer. Not so much because of dust or clutter but because I use things like kitchen utensils until they literally crumble into tiny pieces. I'm pretty sure no guest wants to look at my old wooden spoon stumps.

posted by bigwavejen on February 27th 2009 at 8:17pm
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Both. I like flaunting my spoon stumps!

posted by mskk on February 27th 2009 at 8:41pm
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Definitely in a drawer. I have very little counter space so I try to keep it clear of excess stuff.

posted by palindrome on February 27th 2009 at 8:48pm
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Ditto the above. Long handled in a funky canister, smaller stuff (and the older, lesser used stuff) in the drawer below our main cutlery.

posted by littleinkpot on February 27th 2009 at 9:34pm
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in stainless steel container on counter next to stove are wooden spoons, spatulas, tongs and ladles. These are what I use 90 pct of the time while cooking and it's so much easier to grab them rather than rummage through a drawer. Having said that the rest of the the stuff in is a drawer next to the stove...In a perfect world I'd have nothing on the counters but with two adults two kids x three meals a day = no way.

posted by Bolder on February 28th 2009 at 12:06am
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Both -- but I dislike keeping things on the counter -- things on the counter get dirty from the cooking, I have limited counterspace and hate clutter.

posted by mschatelaine on February 28th 2009 at 3:16am
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I'm a neat freak - so they are divided into 3 drawers. I also store large whisks, colanders and mixing utensils inside big mixing bowls - in a cabinet right above the range. Not only do I like the countertops uber clean but those dishes of utensils just collect dust and oils? Unless, you're going to clean those holders on a weekly or monthly basis OR wash the utensils thoroughly before EACH use - find a drawer or do as I do with those bowls in cabinets.

posted by Vhision on February 28th 2009 at 9:14am
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We have one of those Ikea hangy thingies. The stuff we use most winds up there.

We also have a countertop mug thing with wooden spoons and stuff in it.

posted by SputnikSpak on February 28th 2009 at 12:25pm
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DRAWER!

posted by theory_27 on February 28th 2009 at 3:36pm
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I keep them in my bed

posted by Brad DeWhat? on March 1st 2009 at 2:09am
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If only I kitchen had this few gadgets.

posted by hrhprincessfiona on March 1st 2009 at 5:38am
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oops! I meant if only I had this few kitchen gadgets!

posted by hrhprincessfiona on March 1st 2009 at 5:39am
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drawer please. things out in the open get dusty.

posted by charlenemcbride on March 1st 2009 at 1:15pm
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We have our "daily use" items in a container beside the stove, purely out of necessity. The only drawers we have in the house are directly across from the stove in our super narrow kitchen. So in order to access it, you have to scoot away from the stove, and it's just a pain in the butt (quite literally, sometimes). So, although I loathe counter clutter, our little container of stove utensils stays out, for now. I long for a kitchen with the space (and storage) to truly allow me to function. ;)

posted by Speakaboo on March 1st 2009 at 1:58pm
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the big things that get used all the time (all used at least once a week; most used daily) are in a tall plant pot on the counter. everything else is in a drawer (or a basket in a cabinet, depending on how often we use them & what they're for).

posted by technicolorsarah on March 1st 2009 at 3:04pm
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I live in a very small apartment, and I have a grand total of ONE drawer in my kitchen, so anything with a long enough handle goes in a stainless steel container on the counter.

posted by azuki_bean on March 2nd 2009 at 12:07am
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