Ina Garten's Double Crock Method For Organizing Kitchen Tools

Organizing your kitchen like a chef and ensuring your tools of the trade are always where they need to be when you need them is sometimes easier said than done, but Ina Garten has an organizational hack that will help you accomplish your culinary goals. The Barefoot Contessa is definitely a fan of ease — and in a New York Times video tour of her kitchen in East Hamptons, New York, Garten explained, "One of the things I do in my kitchen to make everything really simple is I don't have a lot of fancy equipment."

And in the name of simplicity, she always keeps what she uses set out on her countertop, including two crocks. One is filled with all things metal while the other contains her wooden cooking tools. It's a no-brainer that having spoons, whisks, and spatulas conveniently located near the stove is a kitchen best practice. However, separating your tools and gadgets based on the material they are made of may be less intuitive. But it's a practice worth adopting, as it helps prevent overcrowding, and can help keep your utensils in good condition for longer. 

Using two crocks is a clever organizational strategy for multiple reasons. For one, some pans don't fare well when a metal tool is used to stir or scrap and can cause more harm than good, scratching up your nonstick cookware. Having a designated crock for metal gadgets and one for wooden tools as Garten does will help eliminate grabbing the wrong type of utensil when cooking.

Furthermore, having separate crocks also makes it easier to reach for what you need with ease. If your crock contains too many items, you are bound to grab a kitchen tool you didn't mean to grab from time to time. 

If you find you don't have the counter space for more than one crock, don't be discouraged. You can easily organize your kitchen drawers in a similar manner or try hanging a magnetic strip (great for all things metal), or even hooks, on a wall or the side of a cabinet for easy and organized access.