Chef Ina Garten is all about simplicity over style. "One of the things I do in my kitchen to make everything really simple is I don't have a lot of fancy equipment," she says.

Garten always keeps the tools she uses on her countertop, and organizes them with two crocks. One holds her metal cooking tools, and the other holds wooden utensils.

Having all your spoons, whisks, and spatulas stored together may be easy to do, but separating your tools and gadgets based on their material is best.

Using two crocks prevents overcrowding and keeps your utensils in good condition for longer. Metal and wooden utensils are also suited for different applications.

With Garten's organization system, you won't grab the wrong kind of utensil in a hurry and end up damaging your cookware or improperly cooking your food.

If you don't have the counter space for more than one crock, organize your kitchen drawers by hanging a magnetic strip on the wall for metal items, or use wall hooks.