The 11 Kitchen Organization Tips Ina Garten Swears By

We're all happily rocking our stainless steel water bottles and glass bento lunch boxes (#sustainable), and yet we still end up with the pint-sized plastic container from the Whole Foods deli full of our favorite chicken curry salad. But before you sneak out to throw it in your neighbor's recycling bin in the middle of the night, hang on to that thing! Ina uses these containers for everything.

"Pint, half-pint, and quart containers. And I just use them over and over again, and they go in the dishwasher, and they're great," Ina explained to Domino's podcast "Design Time." And as she's shared on Instagram, deli storage even works in the freezer for soup and chicken stock. She also stores pantry items in these containers, effortlessly organizing staples like dried beans, different types of flour, nuts, chocolate chips, or piping tips into delightfully tidy order.

While the plastic material can survive the microwave, many culinary pros think that the heat may break down the plastic and release the chemicals that make it so durable. So you might want to skip the nuking. A rule of thumb on how long to reuse your containers: If they crack, start to feel sticky even when they're clean, cling to food smells, or it's been several months, it's time to love and let go. If you don't do deli or takeout, they're also available on Amazon. Because, as Ina famously puts it, "Store bought is fine."

Take a break from alphabetizing your cupboard from allspice to za'atar, and focus on the fruit in your fridge. Maybe you grew up leaving citrus in the cold so it lasts longer, but when we're talking about lemons and limes, putting them out on the counter not only adds a pop of vibrant color, it also happens to be the best way to juice those sucka's.

As Ina explained it on Instagram, "Some pretty lemons and limes on the counter not only make the kitchen feel good but you get more juice from room temperature citrus." Told ya so. Second bonus, have you smelled a perfectly ripe, freshly-zested lemon? Come on! It's like an instant trip to the Amalfi Coast. And yes, those are gentle lapping waves at your feet and not your Roomba bumping into your toes.

Of course this storage method is all about the visual appeal. But it's also a strategic move to trick yourself into using more fresh citrus. Pretending for just a moment that we aren't forensically glued to exact amounts in recipes, we imagine ourselves as Ina, freely adding that impromptu finishing touch. She told the podcast Domino's Design Time, "I always have things that can stay at room temperature, in bowls, in front of my butcher block. Because I might be working on a recipe and there's an orange there, and I go, 'You know what? I'm looking for something a little bitter in this. Maybe I'll try some orange.'" Still waiting to find out exactly how many ounces there are in "some."

Storing vegetables isn't just one-berry-container-fits-all. You can try throwing all your produce in the crisper drawer, but don't be too shocked when you discover that your fresh basil has turned into something brown, soggy, and not of this world. Better call 1-800-INA-HELP (really hoping that's her cell number) so we can get our veggies in order once and for all.

First, not everything needs to go in the fridge. Basil is one that you can trim and store like fresh daisies in water, out on the counter. Also whole tomatoes, avocados, onions, potatoes, apples, and fruit that has yet to ripen; all that stuff can sit pretty outside the fridge, or on a butcher block like you're lowkey living in Williams Sonoma.

But as for veggies that do like it nice 'n chilly, Ina has thoughts. She keeps her carrots wrapped in a moist paper towel and zipped up in an airtight bag to stay crunchy for days. And she has her cut asparagus soaking up all the moisture it needs while perched in a cup of water. With a little TLC (Turnips Lettuce Carrots), and placement of your produce in its ultimate spot in your kitchen, your veggies will last even longer than it takes for you to Google a recipe that specifically calls for the Velvet Pioppini mushrooms in your fridge.

If your kitchen looks like a Category 5 hurricane blew through after you baked a few cupcakes, this one's for you. Meal prep with Ina is all about doing the messy work ahead of time, so you can keep it easy breezy (and clean!) on the day of. That way you're not scouring pots and pans — and scrubbing spaghetti sauce off the walls — until 3 a.m.

Ina was so inspired to save us from ourselves, that she even wrote about it in "Go-To Dinners." As she explained to People of her 13th(!) cookbook, "I found easier ways to make delicious dinners with make-ahead, prep-ahead, freeze-ahead recipes plus 'two-fers' — cooking one dish that becomes something totally different the next night." A thousand times, yes. We have to flip through the pages again, but was there something in there about magically turning Top Ramen into filet mignon for dinner #2?

She also simplifies recipes by using just one pot for the entire meal, resulting in much less kitchen clutter to deal with later. We have eyes on her Chicken in a Pot with Orzo, Orange Marmalade-glazed Ham with ruby port, dijon, and brown sugar, and the effortless do-ahead Overnite Mac & Cheese. While you're conked out and dreaming of sugarplums, the pasta sponges up the rich cream, providing a luxurious base for a cheesy, buttery, toasty, bread crumb topping. We're not drooling, you are. (And we are.)

Here's a kitchen organization hack for your head. If you've witnessed the number of timers beeping during the Showstopper round of the "Great British Bake Off," you already know how important it is to time your bakes. But when you've got multiple things cooking at once, each with its own temperature and timeline, you can keep the mental frazzle at bay by busting out several kitchen timers — just like Ina.

During a kitchen tour for "New York Times Cooking," Ina showed off her timer collection (of course, they coordinate with each other), sharing, "These are really important ... I have lots of timers. I don't want to put something in the oven and forget about it, which I can do." Yes, all of her high end appliances probably feature their own state of the art timing technology. But it's way more fun (and easy to keep track of) to turn the dial on a hand-held version — and then hear it ding when the food is ready.

If you want to go full Ina, pick up a couple of white Lux Minute Minder timers. With a clearly visible tilted clock face, a glorious 60 different minute settings to choose from, and a long, loud ring, you'll never burn your cookies and overcook your roast at the same time, ever again. Even if you're at the neighbor's house down the street. Hear that? That's the sound of no stress.

We know Ina Garten loves a good cocktail (Especially an XXL cosmopolitan, per her Instagram). She's clearly got a full bar's worth of top shelf booze on hand at all times. But she doesn't just serve up the goods willy-nilly on a rando bar cart, letting guests go nuts on the Fabbri Amarena Cherries. Nope! Garten keeps her booze cleverly organized in her pantry — and brings out just what she needs, when she's ready to party.

We've all seen the Pinterest bar cart with the mini tonic and ginger ale bottles, and oddly twee booze collection. (So, where should we put the margarita machine again?) But Garten skips the hassle and stocks her hard alcohol and multitudinous liqueurs in her pantry. If she's serving guests, she mixes an easy pitcher-friendly cocktail ahead of time, or puts out just what's needed for the event — maybe vodka, sliced lemons and limes, and a little snack ... you get the picture. 

Just like everything else in her kitchen, we were curious about which alcohol makes the cut for the famous cook. Garten shared with fans, "I usually have Scotch, vodka, bourbon and gin, and it's always good to have a red and white wine on hand. For mixed drinks, I would stock tonic, club soda and ginger ale." From what we can tell from Garten's photos and recipes, she prefers brands like Grey Goose, Knob Creek, Johnny Walker, Maker's Mark, Tanqueray, and Casamigos. We'll take one of each, with a twist! (Making a note to also check her medicine cabinet for a couple Advil.)