Want More Room on Your Kitchen Counter? Here Are 7 Ways to Get It

I may not be the best chef — I’m the author of a cookbook titled Basic Bitchen, after all — but I sure know how to organize a kitchen. This need for a neat-and-tidy work area stems from both an innate desire to keep my own life orderly but also an opportunity to create space for tasks like pasta-making, chopping vegetables and anything that requires a bit of breathing room. 

Cooking and baking among chaos doesn’t have to be the norm in any kitchen. There are a handful of helpful tips and easy-to-find products that will help clear your countertops so you can focus on more important things like nailing that 10-minute mac and cheese or 1-minute poached egg. 

If you often find yourself parting fruit bowls, canisters, glasses and appliances like Moses and the Red Sea, keep the following tidbits in mind to maximize your surfaces. 

1. Hide wires

Loose wires not only take up unnecessary space, but they’re also ugly. A simple way to reduce clutter is to invest in a cord hider(similar to what you’d use underneath a mounted television) or bundle them with an adjustable tie to wrap and camouflage them behind larger appliances. The latter will also come in handy if it’s a device that typically needs to be moved at a moment’s notice. 

2. Only display a handful of appliances

Put away anything that isn’t larger than the size of a small watermelon. Your precious countertops can then be reserved for appliances like a stand mixer, coffee machine, toaster oven or blender that is handsome in design and/or used often. Many of these modern gadgets also come in finishes that can match or complement the stone, paint, and wood you’ve selected to enhance your home’s overall look and feel. 

3. Invest in storage jars and bins

Stylish utensil crocks, glass jars and baskets can easily hold and tuck away kitchen tools and bulk food items. Make sure they’re consistent in theme and material so that the eye doesn’t perceive them as a hodgepodge. Glass storage compartments, for example, are great if you want to showcase dry ingredients like pasta, flour, rice and beans. They’re simple, clean and don’t look clunky when displayed among other countertop essentials like soap dispensers and bread bins. 

4. Consider trays and Lazy Susans to group things together

Should you want easy-to-grab and frequently-used jars and cans of supplies like olive oil, cooking spray, salt and pepper to be readily available, group them on a smaller surface like a tray or Lazy Susan. This will not only create more space but will also allow them to be more easily accessible. 

5. Opt for additional shelving

Whether it’s on a backsplash or under a cabinet, there are plenty of clever storage options that don’t require the expertise and installation of a handyman or woman. These stainless steel wall shelves, which should match most contemporary kitchens, can be screwed into any open wall so that tools, jars, bowls, etc. can be relocated from crowded countertops and displayed above. 

6. Add a kitchen cart or island 

If you simply don’t have enough space altogether, there are plenty of portable carts and islands that can bring additional storage and surface areas to your kitchen. Look for models, like this natural wood kitchen cart from Home Depot, that hides practically anything with extra drawers, cabinets and even a paper towel holder. Best of all, the innovative contraption sits on wheels so that it can be rolled around any part of the kitchen while in or not in use. 

7. Suspend pots and pans

Pot racks have been around for literal centuries, but now that cooking vessels have gotten a facelift and emerged — dare we say — attractive with colorful handles and unique shades of tougher-to-scratch aluminum, ceramic and stainless steel, amateur cooks are all about showing off their once embarrassingly battered collections again. This choice makes a bold design statement, but it’s also a nod to kitchens’ past where restaurant and estate chefs took pride in maintaining the quality of their meal-producing possessions.