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Nov 21, 2023

11 Magnetic Storage Ideas to Make More Space in the Kitchen

By Emily Farris All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected

By Emily Farris

All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

I’m not the pearl-clutching type. For starters, I don't wear pearls. Also, very few things shock me. But when a friend told me she used Command Strips to mount the curtain rods in her baby's nursery, I most definitely clutched my proverbial pearls. That's because I don't trust supposedly damage-free adhesive strips to support anything heavier than a potholder or calendar. No, I wouldn't even use one to hang a ceramic coffee mug, which Command suggests on its website (well, unless I wanted said mug to be involved in an "accident").

But magnets? Magnets I trust—much more than I trust a thin strip of double-sided tape. Yet, from my observation, magnets are generally underutilized in most kitchens.

Yes, we all know magnets are great for displaying kids’ artwork on the fridge, and even having a handy place to jot down notes or grocery lists. But the strongest magnets can also be used to create extra kitchen storage out of thin air—or at least on a magnet-friendly surface. Beyond the fridge, you can put magnetic storage on a stove, a dishwasher, a metal door, or even a regular-old wall if you coat it with magnetic paint.

Here are 11 ways to use magnetic storage in the kitchen.

As much as I trust magnets, I was skeptical of whether or not Yamazaki Home's Tosca organizer—with its multiple shelves, hooks, and rails—would stay put on the metal exterior door in my kitchen. But since I slapped it up there nearly a year ago, it hasn't budged—not even when I’ve loaded it with heavy jars and bottles and added some not-quite-empty tote bags to the built-in hooks. Because the magnets are strong and their surface area is so large, these shelves and caddies are definitely sturdy enough for kitchen storage.

If you don't have a big, flat surface for a caddy or shelf, consider magnetic hooks. They can be used in tighter spaces to hang towels, mugs, and cooking utensils. My colleague Wilder Davies even uses these superstrong hooks to store a heavy cast-iron skillet.

There's no need to give paper towels valuable counter space. Get them up and out of the way while still keeping them handy with a magnetic paper towel holder.

Knife blocks are bulky and also kind of gross (seriously, when was the last time you turned yours upside down and knocked out all the dust and debris?). Keep your knives up and away, but still super handy with a magnetic knife strip mounted near your primary work area.

Keep your most frequently used spices handy with magnetic spice tins. They can be stored on the fridge or on any magnetic surface in your kitchen that's convenient. And if you’ve run out of magnetic surfaces, a magnetic wall plate is an easy fix.