Food storage containers are, if not exactly a hot topic, one that comes up often when people talk about kitchen storage or kitchen organization problems. You may have made a switch from plastic to glass, or have added to your collection as you began to cook more at home.

What all this means is not only more food storage containers to keep organized , but also dealing with the real nemesis: food storage container lids. Doesn’t the very thought make you groan?

The other thing about food storage container lids is how shifty they are. They’re like the socks of the kitchen with how they disappear into thin air. Some of mine are also lost due to being stretched out or cracking, especially my older lids that aren’t the snapping kind.

So on top of various sizes and shapes of food storage containers and their lids to store and organize, you have rogue containers without lids. Instead of giving them semi-function with a foil-wrap lid that’s sure to fall off (and render the whole thing un-stackable), try this: Use your lid-less storage containers as organizers in the kitchen.

Yep, just take that lid-less container out of the mix and use it as an organizer. Rectangular containers work well as dividers in drawers, especially for items, such as small notebooks, that are too large for traditional dividers. Round containers can be used to separate items on a turntable. I have my liquid smoke and peppermint and almond extracts in one in my pantry. Having them in their own container keeps them visible and prevents them from falling over.

By putting lidless food storage containers in their new place, you’ll repurpose a half-useful kitchen item into a bonus super organizer.