Maximize Your Storage Space With These Magnetic Hooks

By Wilder Davies

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Recently, I pushed the adhesive wall hooks plastered on the side of my fridge to their breaking point. When I attempted to hang a bag of dirty dish towels, the beleaguered hook unstuck itself and dropped my bag onto the floor, making it clear that the weight limit on the packaging is not just there for show. In forlorn defeat I stared at the birth announcement of my roommate's nephew stuck to the fridge with a fruit magnet, sleeping so sweetly in a nest of blankets. That's when it hit me: magnetic hooks.

Most kitchens have an abundance of metal surfaces—refrigerators, dishwasher doors, etc.—and for that reason super-strong magnetic hooks make a much better storage solution than adhesive wall hooks. I bought a pack of heavy-duty Neodymium magnetic hooks. It may not seem like a mere magnet could hold something as heavy as a skillet, or even your ladles and towels, but trust me: These aren't your typical fridge magnets. These hooks are much, much stronger. They advertise a 33-pound weight limit when hung on the side of a fridge, and while I didn't try to max them out, they’re capable of holding that basket of dirty dish towels without incident. Still, while they are definitely not something that will slide around freely on your fridge like magnetic poetry pieces, compared to adhesive hooks they are much easier to move around without causing damage or leaving residue on your fridge should you want to change your hanging arrangement at any point.

Because I got a pack of 12, I now use them to hang up my main kitchen utensils and my favorite cast-iron skillet. If you have a metal kitchen island like me, you can place two hooks facing away from each other on the side and wind unruly appliance cords around them. Using the hooks and a taut piece of twine, you can rig up an improvised pasta dryer. The longer I have them, the more I find new ways to use them.

Remember that with strong magnets, there are some precautions you must take. First, mind your fingers when sticking them somewhere; they can give you quite a nasty pinch if you aren't careful. The best way to remove them is to pull downward. Also, make sure they don't scratch your surfaces when you move them around—some people suggest sticking a piece of paper underneath them to make them easier to slide. Keep these things in mind and you’re in for a whole new world of kitchen-storage opportunities.