Kitchen Storage & Organization

Create a professionally equipped kitchen in your own home

If you like to cook, you probably have your fair share of cookbooks hanging around the house. Or, maybe you watch your favorite cooking shows on TV or online every chance you get before trying out new recipes. To cook like the people who wrote those cookbooks and star in those cooking programs, it definitely helps to have the right equipment at your fingertips. Of course, this means the best cookware and bakeware, but it also means the best kitchen storage and organization items. Save money on these items with our Every Day Low Prices as you help your kitchen resemble that of your favorite TV chef.

Food storage

Keeping food fresh including dry goods and the items you keep in your refrigerator and freezer is important. One reason is that your foods stay flavorful and don't dry out, allowing them to last longer before you use them. The other factor is that great food storage saves you money by preserving and protecting your food better than even its original containers can. Plastic storage containers with lids make it easy to take an item from the freezer to the refrigerator to the microwave without having to dirty another dish some foods can go straight from the freezer to the microwave if you use the defrost feature on the appliance. Glass containers with lids help you make foods like casseroles and soups, chill them in your refrigerator and then take them out and reheat them in the same container even in the oven.

Most food storage containers come in sets of varying sizes with different-sized containers in each one to hold varying amounts of food; common sizes include half-cup, 1-cup, 2-cup, quart and 5-cup containers. The lids for the glass containers are often plastic and not meant for oven use. Ceramic dishes usually have ceramic lids and can go from the refrigerator to the oven to the dinner table in the same dish, even if that dinner table is in another home or location.

Counter organizers

The room available on your kitchen counter might be limited, and counter organizers make the most of that valuable space. Here are some kitchen tools that'll help.

• Paper towel holders Either freestanding or hanging on a wall or under a counter, a paper towel holder keeps paper towels easy to grab when you need to clean up spills quickly or drain away excess grease.
• Utensil holders You probably have many cooking utensils, such as wooden spoons, spatulas and tongs, that you need to keep handy while you're cooking. Utensil crocs and racks allow you to keep these on your counter in a decorative container or hanging from slim-profile hooks along the wall.
• Napkin holders Napkin holders can take many forms, including upright or flat, and they keep napkins accessible during messy meals. Some have side trays for salt and pepper shakers. Some are made from metal, and others are plastic.
• Countertop basket Encourage everyone in your family to eat more fruit with a metal countertop basket or fruit tree that you can keep supplied with fresh fruit. Hanging trees allow you to ripen bananas without any mushiness.
• Dish racks Let your dishes air dry by using a dish rack. The drains away to a mat below that channels excess water into your sink. There are also dish racks that you can place directly above a sink to drain. These are great if you don't have a dishwasher or just have a small load of dishes to get done.

Food savers and accessories

Food savers and vacuum sealers make it possible to preserve fresh food longer by removing the excess air from bags that you can place in the freezer. Removing the air keeps ice crystals from forming, which can lead to freezer burn. The bags come in a long roll that a special vacuum machine separates, vacuums and heat seals. You can also find pre-cut individual bags that seal shut. Special plastic containers also work with these food savers, and they're great for freezing soups and other liquids.

Spice racks

Spice racks make it possible to keep the spices and herbs you use most often within easy reach in your kitchen. These racks can be shelf-style or carousel-style. The rack-style spice racks are usually freestanding, but some hang on your wall or pantry door to stay out of the way.

pot racks and hanging baskets

Save valuable counter and cabinet space by installing pot racks and hanging baskets in your kitchen. These hanging storage tools anchor into a beam in your ceiling to hold extra weight from heavy cooking containers. Pot racks have hooks that allow you to hang pots, pans, colanders and long utensils overhead but still within reach. Some of these metal racks have flat open storage areas to place items that you can't hang on a hook, such as metal bowls.