How can I keep my kitchen countertop free of clutter?

I keep a square basket on corner about 2" tall. Throw everything in there.

It all boils down to discipline and training your household members. Put an items away after using them. Have a designated place for mail. Also a designated space to pay bills and do your paperwork. Make sure the house is picked up every night before you go to bed. After dinner, when the dishes are done, before tv or other activities, everyone must put away all the items left about the house. It's not that hard and within a few months you will notice a difference. If you have teenagers, some work better on the reward system, others you can get into shape by taking away privileges until they get their act together.

Establish a rule: no paper in the kitchen, unless it's wax paper, parchment, or freezer paper.

Create a drop off bin for each household member near the entry door. Same for mail. One slot for bills, one for letters. Junk mail/unnecessary paperwork can be immediately trashed. Keep a trash can near by so there's no excuse.

If items aren't secured within 4 hours, they get tossed in the trash or onto that household member's bed.

Making clear cut rules with no allowances will insure rapid adherance.

It shouldn't only be about finding a new way to put your clutter some where. This should also be about changing your thought processes and learning to deal with stuff immediately.

Organizers are great to keep my stuff where it belongs so I can find it easily.

Drawer dividers keep things in place and allow me to stack taller rather than spilled out on the drawer bottom.

A mail organizer can be great as a temporary holding zone for papers and bills but I still need to go through it...minimum of once a month to pay those bills. Whatever is left should be recycled, shredded or moved to my long term files.

I don't like junk drawers but the idea has merit. I have a tool drawer that also holds items that don't belong anywhere else.

I think the hardest thing about clutter is to not let it build up. The easy way is to drop it and tell myself I'll get to it soon. Instead I need to be mindful...is it trash?...toss it now. Is it the crockpot that needs to go back to the top shelf of the pantry?...well, I don't have a maid so I grab the step stool and go for it.

Good luck