ModernGear Kitchen: Standing straight and tall in the kitchen

What do you think the percentage of people who are happy with their kitchen organization would be? 5% maybe, is my guess. Others (like me), not only run out of time but out of solutions. I am sure there are a ton of inventions out there that could make things a little easier to find and life a little smoother as a result, but finding them requires some detective work. Lucky for you...that's what I (don't) get paid for!

There really isn't an absolute ton of new products on the market for kitchen organization but there are simple and stylish solutions for those little space hogs like piles of bags and pot lids, that can be considered the foundation of a well-organized kitchen. Here are my favourites.

has some products that are just great.

To start, I really like the Mundial In-Drawer Knife Tray, $44.99 for a 15-slot, and $42.99 for an 11-slot.
I don't always want my knives out on the counter in a block, but in the drawer they are not protected, and neither are our fingers when we're reaching in and grabbing for something. This insert will extend the life of our nice knives, and our fingertips.

Though we are not getting near as many plastic bags as we used to, there are still days when I forget to grab a reusable shopping bag, and end up coming away with one of these. I always like to keep them for wet towels at the beach, puppy poop picker-er-uppers, and other potentially wet and sticky things. Instead of shoving into a cupboard, I'd like to stuff them into this little unit, the simplehuman Plastic Bag Holder, $9.99. I'd probably have ModernGear TV hubby install it inside a cupboard, though it certainly is stylish enough to hang on a wall.

I would also use this next solution inside a cupboard, but it's handy and attractive enough that you could, if you wanted to, leave it out as part of a hot beverage station. The Acrylic Tea Box organizer is $14.99 and come to think of it, would be handy for a bed-and-breakfast operator...which is something on my (long) list of things to do one day!
Now, I don't know if this product qualifies as a space saver but I suppose it might. It does solve another problem of mine - GUCKY potholders. It's a personal pet peeve. Maybe you're in between laundry days, maybe you don't have enough kitchen towels to justify a whole load...whatever the reason, potholders are often the last thing to get washed in a kitchen. And why can I never FIND the darn things? Don't get me started, I'm telling you.

So that's why I think these are cool. They're $9 from KlinQ.com, and I'm going to get all three of them...and hope they come out with a black, so I can match all of my dining chairs.

Red Silicone Pot Handle Cover By Trudeau




Green Silicone Pot Handle Cover By Trudeau




Blue Silicone Pot Handle Cover By Trudeau



Perhaps the bane of my existence in the kitchen is pots and pot lids. I don't think Duane the pooch can take much more of the banging and clanging (and swearing) as I root through them every night. This could help...
White Wire Lid Rack, $3.78 from
That pot lid holder, in concert with this next solution, might just be the best partnership in the kitchen since PB&J. Maybe it doesn't look so impressive before you load it up...but the Pantree™ cookware organizer is like a barroom brawler - it packs a powerful punch when fully loaded (I just made that up, do you like it?!)...see for yourself.

The Pantree™ is $24.95 plus $7.95 shipping and handling, and is available only at pantree.com.

That's about all I can find right now for kitchen organizing products. I'd love some suggestions if you come across any in your own travels. I dream of one day being able to spend as much time on cooking and baking as I do on finding my tools!