Glazed Ceramic Utensil Crock

A crock of utensils beside the hob is the oldest kitchen storage idea there is, and it still beats a drawer for anything you reach for while cooking. This one is thrown in stoneware and glazed in one of eight colours — aqua, brown, lilac, orange, red, yellow, pink and blue — so it can either disappear against a wall or supply the only colour on the worktop.

The glaze is applied by hand and fired to a soft satin rather than a high gloss, which means small variations in tone and the occasional pooling at the base: the mark of a glazed piece rather than a printed one. The walls are thick and the base is heavy, so a fistful of wooden spoons will not tip it, and the mouth is wide enough to take a balloon whisk and a fish slice without jamming.

The interior is fully glazed and easy to rinse out. Hand wash rather than putting it through a dishwasher, which will dull the satin surface over time, and dry it before refilling. Not suitable for oven or hob use. Two crocks in different colours, one for cooking tools and one for serving pieces, is a simple way to keep a busy worktop organised without adding another drawer.

• Hand-glazed stoneware, satin finish
• Colours: aqua, brown, lilac, orange, red, yellow, pink, blue
• Thick walls and weighted base
• Wide mouth for whisks and large utensils
• Fully glazed interior
• Hand wash; not for oven or hob use
• Slight colour variation between pieces