We spend a lot of time in our kitchens — about 400 hours a year, according to one study — which equates to more than an hour a day. That’s more than just preparing meals — it’s making coffee, it’s grabbing snacks, it’s hanging out and chatting with friends and family. Because we spend so much time in our kitchens, it’s no surprise that we clutter them with stuff; while you don’t need much to have a basic, functioning kitchen space, we love our gadgets (even the casual ones). As a result, countertops get cluttered with stuff, sometimes forcing us to prep food in some unusual places.

There are basic things we all do to free up some counter space, like utilizing the extra space above our cabinets or even remodeling our kitchen for storage. But there are some really smart, simple ways to reclaim a lot of that counter space without doing a full-scale remodel or renovation, while still maintaining the functionality and efficiency of your kitchen. Here are eight ways to create more counter space that will make your kitchen better, too.

America gave the world jazz, but Finland gave us astiankuivauskaappi. These dish racks remove the dish rack from your countertop, allowing you to store wet dishes in a cabinet above the sink (or a bowl or towel, although that decreases the efficiency level since it still takes up counter space). An open bottom allows the dishes to drain there, meaning you can skip all the towel drying and reclaim valuable counter space. It’s hard to find ready-made dish racks in the US, but you can make your own from your existing cabinets if you’re feeling adventurous. You can also try some similar solutions, like this over-the-sink dish rack , which will at least free up your counter space.

Your backsplash is an unused resource for storing items that would otherwise sit on your countertop. This could be as simple as a magnetic strip for knives and other cutlery, adhesive hooks for temporary (and renter-friendly) hanging, or a more sturdy and permanent solution like this kitchen pinboard . Any wall storage you choose will free up some counter space.