I Tested 11 Utensil Crocks to Find the Best Ones for Stashing Spoons and Spatulas of All Sorts
Our favorites come from Williams Sonoma and OXO.
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
Straight to the Point
Our favorite utensil crock is the Williams Sonoma Pantry Porcelain Utensil Holder. It has a generous size, allowing you to fit a large amount of kitchen tools, and is reasonably priced. For smaller kitchens, the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Utensil Holder has a slimmer oval profile that’s still spacious.
If you’re like me, you have a kitchen drawer crammed full of utensils, gadgets, and random tools that are used infrequently. The popular kids, a.k.a the utensils I use most often—like my silicone spatula and wooden spoon—are all resting in a utensil crock next to my stove. That way, I don’t have to dig through that drawer, excavating a spatula from underneath a potato masher.
Of course, not all utensil holders are the same…or equally useful. Some are too tall, making it hard to find and grab shorter tools. Others are too short, toppling over if you put something long and heavy (like a French rolling pin) in it. And some only hold a few tools at a time, useless if you are a serious cook who wants a bevy of tools easily accessible.
I tested 11 popular utensil crocks to find the best, most spacious, and sturdiest models. In the end, three came out on top.
The Winners, at a Glance
The Best Utensil Crock: Williams Sonoma Pantry Porcelain Utensil Holder
The Williams Sonoma crock is no-frills and holds a remarkably large number of tools. Even taller items, like a French rolling pin, didn’t topple it. It was also short enough that smaller tools (such as an itty bitty spatula) weren't hidden by the crock's walls. The heavy porcelain material was solid and sturdy, too.
The Best Metal Utensil Crock: Oggi Stainless Steel Jumbo Utensil Holder
The Oggi Stainless Steel Jumbo Utensil Holder is an excellent alternative for those who prefer unbreakable metal over ceramic. It’s large enough to accommodate a large amount of tools and utensils, and just the right height to keep taller items upright. It also features a weighted bottom, making it more stable than other stainless steel utensil crocks I tested.
The Best Utensil Crock for Smaller Kitchens: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Utensil Holder
The OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Utensil Holder is oval-shaped and has a thinner profile that tucks against a wall and fits on narrower counters. The internal dividers create three sections, which is handy for organization.
The Tests
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
Capacity Test: I placed a variety of utensils and tools in each crock, making sure to place the utensils in the same order and taking note of the capacity. I then removed each utensil, noting how easy or difficult it was to do so.
Cleanup Test: I flicked oil onto each of the holders with a toothbrush, simulating cooking spatters. I then cleaned the holder per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Daily Use Test: I picked my favorite six utensil crocks and used them for two days in a row, to see how they held up during real-world use.
What We Learned
A Utensil Crock Should Be Tall, But Not Overly So
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
Too tall walls? Say goodbye to your smaller tools!My favorite utensil holders were tall enough to support heavy, long items like rolling pins, but short enough that they didn’t swallow smaller kitchen tools. These fit into that goldilocks range of roughly 6.5 to 7.5 inches tall.
Crocks should also be proportionally wide. Short, squat holders resulted in tools awkwardly leaning over, making the holder unstable. Narrow, tall holders tightly packed tools vertically, making it harder to find and remove them.
Utensil Holder | Number of Utensils That Fit |
24 | |
33 | |
12 | |
18 | |
Farmhouse Pottery Handmade Ceramic Vintage-Style Utensil Crock | 35 |
24 | |
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Rotating Utensil Holder (round) | 22 |
26 | |
26 | |
16 | |
26 |
Dividers Were Nice, Though Not Necessary
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
Some crocks came with dividers and inserts for organization. I found that dividers were great at holding tall items, like a rolling pin, upright, as they had something to rest against. (This was true even if the crock was stout.)
If you’re the type of person who wants to organize their spatulas, spoons, and turners into separate slots and are devoted to maintaining the organization, then go for the dividers. But for a lot of folks (myself included), this type of dedicated sorting won’t last. What might look like organization on day one will soon turn into a chaotic jumble of tools, like any other utensil holder.
Rotating Utensil Crocks? Eh!
Some utensil crocks, like the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Rotating Utensil Holder and FineDine Rotating Utensil Caddy, had rotating bases. In theory, this allowed you to find tools easily. But the reality is, it’s not hard to spy what you’re looking for at a glance. Plus cleaning rotating crocks was a pain—water snuck into the gap between the holder and the non-removable base, taking days to dry.
Ceramic vs. Stainless Steel Utensil Crocks
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
Honestly, either a stainless steel or ceramic crock will work fine. It's a matter of personal preference.I tested ceramic and stainless steel utensil holders and found both had pros and cons. The ceramic holders I tested were heavier, requiring effort to lift but feeling more stable.
Stainless steel utensil holders are lighter, less fragile, and often cheaper. However, these crocks aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing and can show fingerprints or oil stains readily. In summary: If you care about looks and can spend a bit more, ceramic might be a better choice. If not, stainless steel will work great.
The Criteria: What to Look for in a Utensil Crock
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin.
A utensil crock should be large enough to accommodate something weighty, like a rolling pin, but short enough to avoid fishing for smaller tools. You should also consider whether or not you want a ceramic or stainless steel model. Each has its advantages. Ceramic is great if you plan on keeping your crock in one place on the countertop, and stainless steel is easier to move about the kitchen and is more durable.
Our Favorite Utensil Holders
The Best Utensil Crock: Williams Sonoma Pantry Porcelain Utensil Holder
What we liked: The Williams Sonoma utensil crock can accommodate 33 tools of various sizes (trust me, I tried it!). It’s a sturdy holder, without being bulky.
It was just the right height so taller items didn’t fall over, and short ones were still locatable. The smooth porcelain surface wiped clean quickly, too.
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
The Williams Sonoma crock was tall enough to hold any utensil, but short enough smaller pastry brushes and spatulas didn't get lost.What we didn’t like: The porcelain holder became slippery when hand-washing it. Though its material is inherently more prone to chipping, still, porcelain is a dense and sturdy ceramic, and the thick walls and bottom of this holder make it feel built to last—even in a busy kitchen.
Key Specs
Material: Porcelain ceramic
Dimensions: 7.25 x 7.25 inches
Weight: 4 lbs, 11.625 ounces
Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe, but hand washing is recommended
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
The Best Metal Utensil Crock: Oggi Stainless Steel Jumbo Utensil Holder
What we liked: The Oggi had a weighted bottom and held 26 utensils in my tests. Made of stainless steel, the crock has a brushed finish, which minimizes the visibility of fingerprints and oil stains.
The utensil holder is slightly shorter and narrower, but it still accommodated the heaviest tool in my arsenal: the rolling pin. Its weighted bottom made it more stable than other stainless steel models. It was also easy to hand wash, though it’s dishwasher-safe.
What we didn’t like: Even with the weighted base, the Oggi slid around more than ceramic crocks.
Key Specs
Material: Stainless Steel
Dimensions: 6.75 x 7 inches
Weight: 2 lbs, 2.75 ounces
Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
The Best Utensil Crock for Smaller Kitchens: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Utensil Holder
What we liked: If you have a smaller kitchen or minimal tools to stash, the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Utensil Holder is a good pick. Its oval shape was slimmer, allowing you to tuck it beside appliances, nestle it against a wall, or put it on a small countertop. Still, it held upwards of 24 tools.
The utensil holder is shorter, but the two internal dividers break up the space, allowing for taller items, like rolling pins, to stand up vertically. The bottom of the holder also has indentations, which helps keep utensils standing up. A removable bottom means it’s fairly easy to rinse out and clean the holder.
What we didn’t like: Because of the built-in dividers and indentations, there were more pieces and nooks and crannies to wash.
Key Specs
Material: Brushed stainless steel and plastic
Dimensions: 6.125 x 8.25 x 4.5 inches
Weight: 1 lb, 6.875 ounces
Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe
Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
The Competition
Year & Day Utensil Crock: This ceramic utensil crock is dishwasher-safe and comes in a satin glaze finish. I loved the way it looked, but it held a smaller amount of utensils and cost twice as much as my top pick.
Le Creuset Stoneware Utensil Crock: The Le Creuset crock had a slight hourglass shape which meant tools flared out and were easier to locate. But it was smaller and cost more than the winners.
Tablecraft Round Brushed Stainless Steel Utensil Holder: Tablecraft’s stainless steel holder was the least expensive of the bunch, but the thin metal made it feel cheap. It was also narrow and didn’t hold as many tools.
Farmhouse Pottery Handmade Ceramic Vintage-Style Utensil Crock: The Farmhouse Pottery crock was the largest and heaviest I tested. This made it cumbersome and difficult to clean.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Rotating Utensil Holder: This round, rotating utensil holder features an internal divider. The bottom held onto water after cleaning, though.
FineDine Rotating Utensil Caddy: This rotating crock comes with a removable divider and weighted base. However, it wasn’t as stable as the Oggi and had the same water retention issue as the above OXO.
Dowan Utensil Holder: This ceramic crock looked great and featured an anti-slip cork base. However, this made cleanup tougher, as cork cannot be submerged in water.
SZUAH Ceramic Utensil Holder: This smaller ceramic crock looked nice, but the ice crack glaze (technically a ceramic flaw due to a poorly fitting glaze and the ceramic clay body) allowed the oil splatters to migrate and stain the crock.
FAQs
What is a utensil holder called?
A utensil holder is a cylindrical vessel with an open top which you place utensils and kitchen tools into. It is often called a utensil holder, a utensil crock, or a tool bucket.
What do you store in a crock?
You can place any commonly used kitchen tool or utensil in the utensil crock. Frequently used items like turners, fish spatulas, silicone spatulas, wooden spoons, tongs, and whisks are all great things to place in the crock.
What can I use as a utensil crock?
You can buy a dedicated utensil crock to place all your frequently used tools and utensils. But you can also use any other tall cylinder with a top opening as a utensil crock. A vase, an old coffee can, or even a large cleaned used #10 can (like the restaurant-size canned vegetables) can all be used in place of a utensil crock. Just make sure whatever you are using is durable and clean. I don’t recommend glass vessels, as they are more fragile and will potentially crack and break if you are constantly dropping hard and heavy utensils into them.
Why We’re the Experts
Irvin Lin is a cookbook author, recipe developer, food writer, photographer, and ceramicist. He wrote the cookbook Marbled, Swirled, and Layered, which was picked by The New York Times as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016. Irvin also runs a blog called Eat the Love, where he’s developed, photographed, and written recipes since 2010.
He’s product tested and reviewed hundreds of kitchen items including, stand mixers and digital thermometers.
For this review, Irvin tested 11 utensil crocks, placing and removing kitchen utensils and tools from each of them, washing them, and using them daily.
Read More: I Stirred, Scraped, and Scooped to Test 13 Wooden Spoons
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