Easy Storage Solutions From A to Z

Utensils

As in: The whisk that’s nowhere to be found when the béarnaise begins to boil.

The fix:
Keep utensils within reach. “Mise en place―a French term they beat into your head in culinary school―means ‘everything in its right place,’ ” says executive chef Jeffrey Elliot. “So all your utensils should be within arm’s reach.” Elliot keeps a ceramic vase next to the stove for his wooden spoons, tongs, and spatulas. He also added hooks to the pot rack: “I store all my ladles and large slotted spoons there.” If you don’t have space for a pot rack, consider attaching a metal paper-towel rod under your cabinets and hanging utensils on it. Megan Reardon, creator of the organizing blog notmartha.org, installed two 11-inch metal kitchen-cabinet handles ($8 for two, ikea.com) to hang implements from.