We've talked about tools for organizing a silverware drawer. But not everyone has a drawer that can be used for the cutlery. In some cases the kitchen drawers are too narrow to store the silverware; in other cases, drawers got removed to add a dishwasher. Some people even wind up in apartments where the kitchens have no drawers at all. So other products are needed, such as cutlery caddies.

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This caddy from Core Bamboo is rectangular, so it makes better use of space than a series of round containers would. And since the handle goes down, it might even fit in a cabinet. But the back section is designed to hold napkins; some end users might have liked it better with more silverware compartments. 

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Other caddies have removable storage cylinders, which makes for easier cleaning. If there are multiple cylinder colors or styles to choose from (as is the case with this caddy from Cal-Mil) the owners can easily adjust if they move to new places with different  color schemes. The revolving base can make it easier for end users to reach the silverware they want.

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Since kitchens without adequate drawers often lack counter space, too, a caddy with a vertical orientation (such as this one from Pottery Barn) can be useful. 

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Many caddies have three compartments, which won't work for those who want a finer degree of separation than forks, knives and spoons. This revolving-base six-ring caddy from Cal-Mil is the type of design that might work for such end users. Because it has three rings on each level and no handle, it's only 15 1/4" tall, which is shorter than the Pottery Barn caddy above. Height can be critical if the end user wants to place the caddy toward the back of a countertop, under the top cabinets.

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Other designs that can work when there are no drawers are flatware sets that come with their own countertop racks. This requires the end user to be satisfied with the flatware style and selection of pieces, as well as the rack, so it's a more complex design challenge.

There are a variety of ways the flatware can hang from its rack. The 16-piece Tanja set from Essmeyer uses cut-outs in the handles to hang the pieces.

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The Victoria cutlery set from FNS has the end user put the pieces through slots. This design will lead to the pieces being picked up by the tines or the bowls rather than the handles, which some end users won't like.

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The pieces in the Carnival set from Cambridge Silversmiths hang by the handles, which thread onto the rack. 

All three of these designs might be challenging for end users who have problems with fine motor movements; some might be easier to use than others.

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I'm always interested in wall-mounted designs, as they are often helpful in small spaces, but there don't seem to be many wall-mounted silverware storage products. There's the basic cutlery holder that hangs from a rail, and a similar product that can be wall-mounted with no rail system required.

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Mixzone's 3-cylinder storage rack is a wall-mounted option for cutlery, but it sure seems like a complex design. Those cylinders are made of a frosted acrylic rather than the more common stainless steel. 

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Another way to save counter space would be an under-cabinet option. These flatware cylinder holders from Steril-Sil are designed for commercial use, under a bar, but a similar design might work in some homes, too. 

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This domed design from Godinger would work for those who like the idea of a cutlery caddy but don't like the idea of the flatware sitting out and getting dusty. However, it's very fussy, with each piece of silverware fitting into a set of notches—another design that will be too physically challenging for some to use.