Trade In Your Kitchen Fruit Bowl: There's A Space-Saving Alternative To Use Instead

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If you have limited counter space but like to keep your kitchen stocked with fresh produce, a traditional fruit bowl probably isn't the best storage option for you. After all, that big basket of apples, bananas, and oranges probably just gets in the way when you're trying to prepare food or cook. Instead, a wall-mounted or hanging basket is the perfect fruit storage upgrade to free up countertop space in your kitchen.

There are plenty of these products available on Amazon or from other online retailers. For example, check out the GGIU Hanging Fruit Basket, which comes in a pack of three and costs $36.99 at the time of writing. Depending on your kitchen's layout, you could either mount these wire baskets on your wall or a pantry door. (If you're on a budget, you can thrift some baskets or use ones you already have at home.) Alternatively, you could go with something like the Simple Houseware Modern 3-Tier Hanging Fruit Basket. These are the ultimate space-saving pieces, since they hang from a hook on your ceiling and don't require any wall or counter space. And at just over $21, they're relatively affordable, too.

Aside from taking up less space in your kitchen, there are a couple of other benefits to using a wall-mounted or hanging basket instead of a fruit bowl. For starters, since they have multiple compartments, they're great for keeping different types of produce separate. That's important because some types of fruit (including bananas and avocados) release larger amounts of ethylene, which can cause other food items to ripen — and rot — faster. Plus, wire and mesh baskets promote better airflow than solid bowls — and that can help your food stay fresh for longer.

Good news: If you want to switch to one of these space-saving storage solutions, you don't need any special skills or expensive tools to set it up. Keep in mind, though, that every product is different, so you should check your user manual before installation. For wire baskets like the ones above, you'll connect the pieces together, attach the hardware to the wall, and mount the basket. You could also secure the baskets to the underside of a shelf (if you have enough clearance).

To install a ceiling hook for a hanging basket, you'll want to attach it to a wall stud or exposed beam. Otherwise, you should use a hook with a drywall anchor so it's strong enough to hold all of your produce. On a related note, don't forget to check the basket's weight limit, so it doesn't come out of the wall or ceiling when you load it up.

With all of that said, we know that mounting or hanging a fruit basket isn't feasible for everyone — especially if you're a renter or feel uncomfortable drilling holes into your walls. In that case, there are alternative ways to ditch the countertop produce bowl in favor of a more clever storage solution. Specifically, you could empty out a deep drawer in your kitchen and insert dividers to keep your produce organized (and out of sight).