Keeping your kitchen countertops clear is no mean feat. Cluttered surfaces littered with cups, caddies, and catchalls full to the brim with miscellaneous junk are the reality for most of us, but there's also the mess to contend with as you carry out your culinary ventures. If you want to combat your untidy countertops for good, kitchen organizers could be the answer.
Cooking a family meal inevitably leads to an untidy counter, and the clear-up effort can be as energy-zapping as the cooking itself. Polishing off your dinner only to be met with a pile of vegetable peelings, food crumbs, and sticky grease splatters - not to mention the dirty dishes - is enough to make your heart sink. As any professional organizer will tell you, the trick is to tidy up as you go.
To make that easier, there are plenty of nifty organizers out there to help you stay on top of that inevitable mess. From collapsible bins that attach to your cabinets, to clever storage solutions to maximize space on your surfaces, here are nine kitchen organizers you want to buy now for a mess-free modern kitchen.
Price: $16.65
Size: 4.75-quart
Be honest, how many times have you just swept the mess on your surfaces straight onto the floor? To help you keep your kitchen countertop crumb-free, this collapsible bin is a complete game changer, clipping onto a lower cabinet door for easy cleaning as you cook. 'I could see it being a unicorn tool for some kitchens, particularly ones that are very small with a garbage can that doesn't fit close to the work area,' says professional organizer Melissa Gugni.
Price: $13.99
Brand: YouCopia
Eggs are a massive contributor to countertop mess. Balancing them on your surfaces, accidental cracks, stacks of eggshells littering your space - it's easy to see why they generate more mess than any ingredient. To help keep your kitchen in order, this genius two-tiered egg dispenser is a marvelous solution. Not only does it help maximize space in your fridge, but you can take it out while you cook and slot it at the back of your countertop to save any mishaps.
Price: $24.95
Capacity: 1 gallon
If you don't yet have a compost bin on your countertop, it's probably time you did. Besides helping you live more sustainably, they make it super easy to clear up food scraps and vegetable peels during meal prep. This clever contraption from Airnex collapses down to a super small size when not in use so you can store it away neatly, but has a gallon capacity when you pull up the silicone extender. The neutral design makes it inconspicuous, too.
Price: $22.95
Size: 18 inch
Safe to say, you get through a fair amount of cutlery when cooking a meal, but there's nothing more inconvenient (or dangerous) than lining up your dirty knives on your countertop. To keep your knives and other utensils contained, a magnetic strip above your surfaces is a genius idea. Not only will this kitchen organizer mean more space within your drawers, but you can put all your essentials within easy reach.
Price: $8.54
Brand: Joseph Joseph
Vegetable peelings arguably contribute the most mess during cooking. To prevent you from picking up tiny scraps of potato skin that have found their way across your entire space, this genius waste-collecting peeler from Joseph and Joseph will be your new best friend. The built-in container collects your peelings and can easily be emptied into your bin, practically halving the time you spend cleaning up.
Price: $9.97
Brand: The Minimalist Home
Fruit bowls make a great decorative addition to your kitchen countertop, but they can take up a lot of space in a small kitchen. To help you maximize space on your surfaces, hanging your fruit instead is a savvy solution. 'I love to hang bananas from the bottom of a kitchen shelf or cabinet,' says Melissa. 'Not only does it help them ripen evenly, but it's a way to store them without taking up counter space.'
Price: $10.99
Color: Matt Black
It's one of the oldest tricks in the book, but under-cabinet storage is a super reliable way to make more space and reduce countertop mess. This adhesive kitchen towel holder attached to your upper cabinets with a double-sided sticky tab to offer more room on your surface, and having the roll within easy reach without toppling over will make your clear up efforts miles easier.
Price: $30.79
Color: Pink
If space is really at a premium, why not move your typical countertop gadgets onto the wall? This pretty-in-pink wall-mounted utensil holder has compartments for cutlery, serving spoons, and hooks for hanging things too. To keep counters tidy while you cook, you could even use one compartment to hold the utensils you're using for stirring or chopping. The best part? There's no need for any nailing or drilling.
Price: $12.99
Power: Battery powered
We hate to break it to you, but sweeping your countertop crumbs onto the floor really isn't solving any problems. If you don't like to get crumbs caught up in your cloth, this tiny handheld vacuum is a great gadget to incorporate into your clean-up routine. The battery-operated vacuum is super lightweight but with powerful suction, making it one of the smartest ways to clear your surfaces while you cook.
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