Your Countertops Will Thank You For This Under-$10 Ikea Storage Solution

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Kitchen organization is no small feat when you consider the seemingly never-ending stream of food, spices, condiments, cookware, utensils, tools, and more to contend with. You want kitchen items grouped according to where you use them. You want them easy to see and grab, yet out of your way. You want things to remain in their best condition, both for ease of use and for a nice, stress-free look. Luckily, Ikea consistently produces items to facilitate organization hacks that create more kitchen countertop space. Our latest favorites are cheap, durable, effective, and stylish to boot: the 365+ metal food storage baskets, and it's just $7.99 for two of them.

At about 5½ x 5½ x 4 inches, these baskets can hold plenty, but are compact enough to sit seamlessly on counters, in cabinets, or on pantry shelves, solo or stacked. This makes them versatile; they're perfect for organizing your spices, teas, coffee pods, cookie cutters, granola bars, or snack packs — you get the idea. In green or yellow metal mesh, they're modern and cheery, and you can easily see what's inside each one, so you're not rooting around for things. Keeping kitchen items in these baskets prevents a cluttered, messy appearance. The baskets can also prevent perishable items from getting jammed in the back of a cabinet and forgotten about before they expire. Plus, all the items stored inside stay contained, so it takes a half-second to move them if you need that counter space.

Ikea's metal food storage baskets are great for categorizing your kitchen essentials. You can put all your baking sugars in one basket and your leftover flours in another (just make sure items like this are placed in airtight containers before going into the baskets). With their breathable mesh, they're also great for food storage. When you learn how to organize your fridge for fresher produce, you discover that some items like potatoes and onions actually thrive at room temperature, away from sunlight. The mesh is key because air circulation prevents moisture build-up, which would invite bacteria and hasten spoilage.

Similarly, Ikea's Pålycke clip-on basket is a must-have for cluttered kitchens because it's versatile and can hold a lot within a small space. Place a couple of them inside a cabinet with the 365+ food storage baskets for peak cleanliness and organization. You could also line one countertop with a few food storage baskets in an alternating pattern of green and yellow for a cheerful look. Or, pick one color for countertop items like spices and use the other in your pantry for storing snacks. 

These baskets will brighten your café area, too. Place coffee pods in one, teas in another, sugar packets in a third, stirrers, syrups, or other accessories in a fourth, and you've got a fun station for yourself and guests. You can also really clear those countertops by thinking vertically. Grab some Adiil Q hanger hooks and hang some of these storage baskets in a neat row or column.