How to Organize Kitchen Utensils (Beautifully) — Because Just Throwing Them Into Drawers Is No Fun

When sorting through the kitchen mess, most people begin by thinking big: clearing off the counters, culling large appliances from their collection, and considering what extra storage they can implement to organize their guestware.

However, the smaller details of organizing a kitchen, such as sorting through utensils, can often be forgotten or overlooked, which can greatly impact the space's sense of style and functionality. Who said your forks, spatulas, and spoons must be confined to a drawer? There are many ways to organize them and many methods to incorporate them directly into the space.

I talked to professional organizers to learn about different ways to organize kitchen utensils without sacrificing practicality. From this day forward, you'll see these items as more than just tucked-away, useful tools.

1. Use Drawer Separators

Drawer separators or dividers are a great way of organizing kitchen drawers and keeping everything neat and tidy for aesthetic and practical purposes. This method isn't limited to just cutlery, so you can organize all kinds of utensils in your kitchen. You'll easily know where everything is without second thoughts.

Kimberly Corey, a certified professional organizer, certified virtual organizing professional, and owner of Finely Sorted Organizing, LLC, says, "Kitchen utensils can be organized in a drawer with purchased separators or dividers so that like is with like, and you're aware of your quantities. Many people prefer keeping their utensils organized in a drawer like this to help make countertop cleaning easier, as less is on the surface."

These BAMEOS Drawer Dividers from Amazon in bamboo are a great choice for this. They are neutral but add a touch of the natural world to your home — even if the space is enclosed, it will still greet you.

Kimberly Corey

FSO was founded in 2000 by Kim Corey, CPO®, CVO, and provides mindful, fun, virtual home organizing to those seeking better productivity and visual relief in their home and work environments.  We help ease the anxiety of feeling frozen and immobilized by the things around you.

2. Use a Utensil Tray

A utensil tray is an insert that usually sits in the bottom of a drawer. It has flat-laying designated sections for different tools and cutlery. Using one of these will help you know where to put things in kitchen cabinets and drawers. They're especially handy if you have many different utensils of different sizes, as you can clearly divide them up for swift access.

"Many of these containers can easily be put into a dishwasher or cleaned by hand, too," adds Kimberly, but make sure to read up on your utensil tray's dishwashing instructions before putting it through a cycle. A quick rinse under the tap is better safe than sorry to remove the occasional build-up of debris.

The Lifewit Silverware Drawer Organizer from Amazon is an Amazon's Choice product for your utensil organization, coming in many colors and even boasting the ability to expand at the sides. This expanding element ensures the tool will snugly fit into any drawer and stay in place for the foreseeable.

3. Remove Rarely Used Utensils

Ben Soreff, professional organizer and partner at House to Home Organizing, shared how it can be handy to devote a separate storage space in your home or kitchen run-off area to organize lesser-used utensils and small kitchen gadgets.

"You may find specialty utensils that are used so infrequently (like a melon baller) that they should live in the kitchen-runoff area removed when not in use to reduce visual clutter in the kitchen," says Ben.

Whether you're planning to use your kitchen-runoff area, add to your pantry organization ideas, or use somewhere else entirely to organize and store your utensils, we recommend investing in a simple basket like this plastic storage bin with handles from The Container Store to hold your lesser-used items. It's easy to carry, won't create an eyesore, and will neatly fit a label on the front. The chalkboard appearance of the Avery 12ct Oval Chalkboard Labels from Target will tie in perfectly with your kitchen, bringing a throwback to old chalkboard grocery list days.

4. Keep Everyday Items in a Countertop Container

Do you grab for your spatula and kitchen tongs every day, and opening the utensil drawer seems like an endless cycle? If so, it might be worth looking for a kitchen countertop container you love to store your everyday items. This container can be whatever you like from wherever you like, so long as it's safe to have around food and food prep supplies.

"I recommend organizing your kitchen utensils in a way that makes sense depending on how often you use them," says Ben. "At House to Home Organizing, we typically set up a container on the counter near the stove for everyday items."

I use a container next to my stove that's similar to the DOWAN Utensil Holder from Amazon, but if this kind of style isn't up your street, there are plenty of others out there like the Acacia Wood Utensil Holder for Kitchen Counters.

I picked mine up in a thrift store for only two dollars, and it's one of my favorite home finds. You should definitely check out your local thrift store, too.

Ben Soreff

Ben Soreff is a partner at House to Home Organizing. He is originally from Portland, Maine and used to work in film & TV Production. Ben graduated from Skidmore College and has experience with Level 5 Hoarders.

5. Invest in a Pre-Labeled Countertop Utensil System

If picking a random stylish container and using it for your utensils isn't your cup of tea and you're far more into labeling in your super organized kitchen, a devoted countertop utensil system is perfect for your wants and organizational needs.

"Countertop systems for utensils eliminate the need to open a drawer to access what you need and also reveal exactly how many of what you have as the utensils are in constant sight," says Kimberly.

If you're looking for something extending beyond storing cutlery, the Suli Extra Large Kitchen Utensils Holder from Amazon is again a great choice as it can be split into three sections: utensils for cooking, eating and baking.

6. Hang Your Utensils Up

If you're seeking to organize your utensils while incorporating them as relevant decor in your kitchen's vertical storage, hanging them up is an effective way to do just that, improving functionality and organization simultaneously. Your utensils will always be easy to find if they're hanging up, but, of course, this organizational method relies on someone owning utensils that can be hung.

I like the MyLifeUNIT Mug Holder Tree from Amazon and can envision this being an impactful addition to someone's kitchen space. You're bound to make your space unique if you organize your utensils using something like this!

7. Store Your Utensils With Your Cookware

Everyone's brain and kitchen storage ideas work differently, so if yours works best when used together, and items are placed together, then it may make the most sense to store your utensils with your cooking and baking equipment.

For instance, your whisk could be in your mixing bowl along with a sieve and cookie cutters, and your strainer could be near your pots, ready to make pasta or drain potatoes. It's up to you to decide what organizational system works best for your home, so don't be afraid to think outside the box.

FAQs

How do I arrange utensils in a kitchen?

Kitchen utensils can be arranged in all kinds of ways depending on a person's preference. If you dislike utensils being on show in your kitchen, investing in good drawer organizing systems like dividers or a utensil tray is an effective method to keep everything together as well as within a boundary so you don't own too many utensils.

If you wish to display your utensils, you can arrange them openly in containers, dedicated utensil holders, or even a display case like the Coward Sunglass Organizer Tray from Amazon. This way, everything is available at a glance, and there is no drawer between you and your utensils. You can also keep them on show.

Once your kitchen utensils are neatly organized and, if you wish, beautifully displayed, you'll begin falling in love with the simplicity of your kitchen all over again: there won't be friction between finding what you need and putting items away.

If you've got the organizing bug and wish to keep working on your kitchen, here are three steps to organize it in one day. It may be a challenge, but you'll definitely reap the rewards of your effort.