A cluttered utensil drawer slows you down every single time you cook. The right storage keeps your tools clean, easy to grab and in good shape for years.
The short answer
Store utensils clean, completely dry and where air can move around them. At home, that means drawer dividers, a countertop crock, hooks or a magnetic strip for the tools you use most. In a restaurant, health codes add a few rules, like keeping clean utensils off the floor with handles facing up.
Keep your daily tools (spatulas, spoons, tongs and a whisk) standing upright next to the stove. A crock is especially good for wooden and bamboo utensils, since air reaches them and they dry fully. Don't overstuff it, or you'll be wrestling a spatula out every time.
Dividers or a custom drawer insert give every tool a home, which means no digging. Put long or bulky tools like ladles and tongs in their own section, and store tongs locked to save space.
Getting tools off the counter frees up workspace. Hang utensils from a rail under the cabinets, add S-hooks to a pot rack, or mount hooks inside a cabinet door.
A pegboard isn't just for the garage. Paint it to match your kitchen and you get flexible, easy-to-change storage for utensils, pans and boards.
A wall-mounted magnetic strip holds knives and stainless tools like whisks, ladles and tongs where you can see and grab them.
An old stoneware crock or pitcher makes a great utensil holder and brings a little family history into the kitchen.
If you have to dig for it, you won't use it. Give every tool a home.
More care tips here: how to care for wooden utensils, tongs and cutting boards.
Restaurants and caterers have a few more rules to follow. Most health codes are based on the FDA Food Code, which generally calls for:
For in-use utensils between uses, common options include leaving them in the food with the handle sticking out, on a clean and sanitized surface, in running water, or in a container of water held at 135°F or hotter. Rules vary, so check with your local health department.
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How should utensils be stored?
Clean, completely dry and where air can circulate. In commercial kitchens, off the floor, covered or inverted, with handles up.
How do you store wooden spoons?
Upright in a crock or hanging, only after they're fully dry.
Where should in-use utensils be stored in a restaurant?
Common options are in the food with the handle out, on a clean sanitized surface, in running water or in water held at 135°F or hotter. Check your local health code.
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