Kitchen Cabinet Organization

There are endless cabinet organization tips to give you ideas on how to improve the space inside drawers and cabinets. In this article we’ll provide practical ways you can store common kitchen items within your existing cabinet and pantry space. If you’re terrible at keeping cabinet clutter under control, this article will help you create a functional and orderly kitchen.

Today, the kitchen is the heart of the home, but as with any central location, things can get a little chaotic from time to time. Kitchen cabinets play a significant role in maintaining an orderly kitchen. They hold everything from dishware and cutlery to food staples and spices. Without some type of organization, cabinets and counter space quickly become cluttered, unorganized, and problematic.

Nothing’s worst than fumbling around in cabinets and kitchen drawers looking for the spice or cooking tool you need during a crucial time in the cooking process.

Speaking of drawers – those utensil drawers always lead to a quagmire of randomness. You’ll find spoons intertwined with pasta claws, ladles lounging with whisks, and before you know it, it’s a mad scramble every time you need to find the right tool. It’s like they’re having their own party, a chaotic dance of culinary implements, and you’re not invited. And let’s not forget about those frustrating moments when you pull open the drawer and it’s stuck because a rogue spatula decided to shift out of place.

Now, I can’t promise this article will save you from the fate of ending up with a random junk drawer full of kitchen utensils ever again, but we will outline some of the most common ways to introduce organization into your kitchen and the best ways to integrate them.

6 Organizers for Kitchen Cabinets

Ideas for Better Kitchen Organization

One of the best parts about these cabinet and kitchen organization ideas is that you can easily find most of the fixtures and items needed for these hacks at popular retailers. Whether it’s Amazon, Wayfair, Home Depot, Lowes, or specialty stores like Rev-A-Shelf, you can find a wide range of products designed for kitchen cabinet organization. These stores have an extensive selection of items, from pull-out bins, Lazy Susans, to door-mounted racks and vertical dividers.

1. Open Shelving

Open shelving is a practical and stylish approach to add more storage space to your kitchen. It takes the traditional concept of kitchen cabinets and inverts it, so to speak. Instead of having your dishes and items tucked away behind closed cabinet doors, they’re displayed openly, making it easy to see and grab whatever you need. This approach not only adds a visually appealing element to your kitchen, but also contributes to organization; It’s hard to ignore clutter when it’s in plain sight. From storing dishware, pots and pans, spices, liquor, or whatever it may be, open shelves provide a practical and easily accessible kitchen storage solution. Open cabinet shelves are not just for farmhouse kitchens, they can be incorporated into any kitchen style, from modern to rustic.

Basics of Integrating Open Shelving

• Choose a style: open shelves come in a variety of materials, such as wood, metal, or glass, each offering a different vibe; be sure to take your current décor style into consideration.
• Take accurate measurements of your kitchen wall where you plan to install the open shelves. Don’t forget to consider the height and depth of items you plan to store.
• When it comes to organizing, store frequently used items at an easily accessible height, and the lesser-used ones higher up.

Where to Buy Open Shelving

• IKEA: IKEA offers a variety of open shelving options that are easy to install.
• Home Depot: If you’re looking for more robust or industrial-styled shelves
• Wayfair: For those looking for unique and stylish open shelves, Wayfair provides numerous designs that can suit all types of kitchen decor.
• Etsy: If you’re interested in supporting small businesses and looking for handmade or vintage shelves, Etsy is a great platform to explore.

2. Vertical Dividers

Vertical dividers provide perfect spaces for lower or upper cabinets when it comes to storing baking sheets, cutting boards, or large flat dishes. This efficient use of vertical space keeps your items neatly arranged and within easy reach. Vertical dividers can significantly improve your cabinet’s functionality.

Basics of Integrating Dividers

• Assess Your Needs: Take a look at the items you intend to store vertically (baking sheets, cutting boards, etc.) and evaluate the amount of space they will need.
• Choose a type that fits your kitchen style and the weight of the items you intend to store. Vertical dividers come in different materials like wood, metal, or plastic.
• Some dividers will slide into place, while others require screws or adhesive be sure to purchase dividers that best fit your current cabinets or make modifications as necessary.

Where to Buy

• Amazon: An extensive collection of vertical dividers of all types, styles, and sizes.
• Esty: Esty has vertical dividers that are both functional and stylish.
• Rev-A-Shelf: The ultimate superstore for kitchen organization. Read more
• DIY: Constructing your own dividers is fairly straight-forward and worth a shot if you can’t find a premade set of dividers you like.

3. Pull-out Bins

Pull-out garbage and food containers are amazing kitchen advancements that should have become standard before now. Pull-out bins keep trash hidden but easily accessible. With pull-out bins, maintaining a clean and organized kitchen becomes easier.

Basics of Installing Slide-out Trash Bins

• Determine how many bins you need – one for trash, another for recycling, or even a third for compost. Also, consider the size of the bins based on your household’s waste output.
• Measure the cabinet space where you plan to install the pull-out bins. Be sure to consider the width, depth, and height.
• Most of these slide-out cabinets or bins come with rails that can be screwed into the cabinet floor.

Where to Buy Slid-out Trash Bins

• Rev-A-Shelf: Offers a variety of affordable pull-out waste sorting solutions that are easy to install.
• Amazon: Provides a wide selection of pull-out bins in different materials and sizes, suitable for every kitchen need.
• Lowe’s & Home Depot: Both of these hardware stores offer pull-out bins that are both robust and sleek, blending into your cabinet design while providing functionality. You’ll want to check their online store as they have a larger inventory of slide-out shelving and cabinets there than in-store.

4. Pull-out Spice Racks

Similar to pull-out bins, having a pull-out rack for your spices keeps them carefully lined up and easy to find. There’s no question that spices are absolute essentials in any well-stocked kitchen. Spices, due to their small size and numerous varieties, are easily one of the most challenging items to keep organized in a kitchen. This is where sidekick pullouts for your spices becomes a game changer. They provide a simple and effective solution to the spice chaos. These handy tools allow for neat, row-by-row storage, making each spice easily identifiable and accessible. With a single pull, all your spices are presented in a well-organized manner, saving you from the frustrating spice hunt during your cooking sessions.

Slide-out spice racks are not just a convenience, they are a game-changer.

Basics of Installing Slide-out Spice Racks

• Determine the number of spices you usually keep on hand to ensure the rack can accommodate.
• Be sure to measure the width, depth, and height of the cabinet where you plan to install the pull-out spice rack.

Where To Buy Slide-out Spice Racks

• Rev-A-Shelf: has sidekick spice racks that will display your spices or even food storage containers either vertical or laying flat for added functionality .
• Amazon: has the largest selection online  of pull-out spice racks

5. Lazy Susans

Implementing Lazy Susans, especially in corner cabinets, brings items from the back of the cabinet to the front with a simple spin. It’s a simple solution for maximizing cabinet space.

Basics of Installing a Lazy Susan

• Measure Your Cabinet: Before purchasing a Lazy Susan, measure the width, depth, and height of the space where you plan to install it. This will help you find the right fit.
• Most Lazy Susans come with a mounting bracket and installation instructions. Ensure the Lazy Susan is securely mounted and spins smoothly.

Where To Buy a Lazy Susan

• Amazon
• Home Depot & Lowes

6. Door-mounted Racks

Door-mounted racks are essentially storage racks that are installed on the inside of cabinet doors. They utilize the often neglected space on the doors, providing room for extra storage. These racks are excellent for organizing smaller items like spices, condiments, or dish towels that can get lost in larger cabinets or drawers.

This may be one of the best organization idea you can implement. However, the benefit of these racks can also be a pitfall; their flexibility, stemming from the availability in varied shapes and sizes, allows for diverse storage options; the flip side, however, is this very versatility can lead to a random accumulation of stuff, resulting in a chaotic mix if not managed properly.

Basics of Installing a Door-mounted Rack

• Before purchasing a rack, measure the width and height of your cabinet door to ensure the rack will fit. Don’t forget to account for the depth of any items you plan to store on the rack to ensure the door will still close properly.
• Most racks come with mounting hardware and instructions. Install the rack according to the instructions, ensuring it’s securely attached and evenly balanced.

Where To Buy a Door-mounted Rack

• Rev-A-Shelf
• Amazon

Organization Tips

Make the most of your kitchen space with proper maintenance and intentional organization.

Organizing the Pantry

The best way to organize your pantry is to have multi-level shelves that can be adjusted when you want to reorganize things. Premade shelves are good but sometimes they lack the ability for customization. It’s best to implement shelves that are adjustable. Think of the shelves at your local supermarket; racks can easily be adjusted within a 1/2 inch of the desired height. This style of hanging racks rest on rails with slots. They allow you to set the height and add-on shelves as you need. They are also lightweight and can support heavy items. And, since the pantry is typically concealed behind closed doors, aesthetics can take a back seat to functionality.

When it comes to organizing your pantry, it’s not enough to have a storage system inside a cabinet or within a drawer unless you memorize where everything is going. Some storage items will actually need their own dedicated storage space too. And knowing for sure what’s inside plastic containers might be bothersome if you don’t know the difference between flour and baking powder.

Labeling containers is super helpful. You can even take things a step further and alphabetize them, its great for a kitchen that sees several different cooks, but it may be a little much if you’re always the one doing the cooking.

Even if you don’t put things in alphabetical order, a label on the side of plastic or glass containers immediately tells you what’s inside.

Another great tip is to be sure and position items that are used more often in hand’s reach. This way, you’ll have easy access to items that you always use instead of sifting through things you only use once every few months.

Countertop Tips

Maintaining kitchen countertops is always a challenge. They are large flat surfaces that become quickly cluttered with randomness. Since countertops account for a substantial amount of your kitchen’s square footage they can significantly increase or decrease the aesthetics and functionality of your kitchen. Here are some effective strategies for tackling the countertop clutter problem:

1. Use Appliances Wisely: Keep only frequently used appliances on the countertops. Less frequently used items should be stored in cabinets or in the pantry.
2. Utilize Wall Space: Install a wall-mounted rack for utensils. Consider a magnetic knife strip.
3. Maximize Vertical Storage: Use tiered baskets or open shelving units to store items vertically. This is particularly effective for organizing fruits, vegetables, or other pantry items.
4. Dedicate Zones: Assign specific areas on your countertop for different tasks like cooking, meal preparation, and cleaning. This helps streamline your kitchen tasks while keeping spaces looking neat.
5. Daily Clean-up: Make it a habit to clean your countertops often, if you have several people in you home, you may need to make a point to address your countertops daily. Getting in the habit of putting things back in their assigned places immediately after use helps prevent clutter from building up.Two things I have implemented, that was a game changer in the battle against cluttered countertops, are; 1) Keep everyone from using the countertops as place to set items down onto it when they walk into the house – I made sure that the most common items that get carried into the house have a place near the front door. 2) Clean-as-you-go; I even make sure to teach this to my kiddos as I work with them in the kitchen.

A clutter-free kitchen countertop not only looks good but also makes your cooking experience more enjoyable and efficient.

Utensils

Since silverware and utensils make up the majority of your kitchen items, their arrangement plays a significant role in the overall organization and aesthetics of your kitchen. Here a few ways to bring some organization to all these items:

• Utensil Drawer Dividers: These are perfect for organizing cutlery and keeping each type in its own dedicated slot. This not only speeds up food preparation and setting the table but also makes cleaning and tidying easier.
• Pegboard Wall Storage: This is a versatile and customizable option for keeping both small and large utensils well-organized and easy to reach. With hooks and baskets, you can design the storage to fit your needs.
• Magnetic Strips: We mentioned this earlier, utilize magnetic strips for knives and other metallic utensils. It keeps them out of drawers, where they can damage other tools, become damaged themselves, or damaging you.
• Over-the-door Racks: These can be installed inside cabinet doors to store utensils, freeing up drawer and countertop space.

Baskets, Bins, & Jars

With most items that you keep inside a cabinet, it’s sometimes easier to place smaller items inside bin boxes and baskets so they’re all in one easy-to-find container. When you have several flavor packets and instant-ready mix powders, a bin box is the best place to keep them. Baskets and bins are perfect for keeping cake decorations, sprinkles, and baking accessories. Bin boxes are great if they have locking lids for moisture-sensitive powders.

Another great reason to use bin boxes is to separate all of the odds and ends of your kitchen accessories that don’t fit into a standard drawer. Think about cookie cutters that are perfect for going into a box of basket whereas items like teabags can stack neatly into a covered bin box.

Don’t Forget to Update Packaging

Cereal boxes, baking ingredients, and anything that comes in a package is always a bad idea to store in your cabinet. Not only are these items all different sizes, but they also take up space with all of their conventional plastic or paper packages. By using plastic containers that are all the same size, you can empty the contents of each into their own separate container with a sealing top. Some of these containers can be vacuum sealed so contents stay fresher for longer.

These containers are great for storing breakfast cereal all the way through baking supplies like flour and many other milled powders. Not only does this help keep out bugs, but it also prevents them from migrating to other open packages that could cause you to throw out everything if you get an infestation. These plastic containers are also very easy to label so you can immediately see what’s inside the container right away.

Final Organized Thoughts…

When it comes to choosing organization products for your cabinets, it’s crucial to select items that are durable and efficient. All the organization solutions we recommended are very cost effective, so don’t skimp by purchasing the lowest price stock solution. If you’re not sure what the right price-point is, I’d say start with Rev-A-Shelf; their quality is constant across all of their product lines. Even if you don’t purchase a Rev-A-Shelf storage solution, you can at least get an idea for about how much you should be spending. If purchasing form Amazon, IKEA or Home Depot, do your research and read product reviews before making your purchase.

Depending on your kitchen’s current design and cabinets you may not be able to find a stock cabinet organization solution that will work out-of-the-box. If a small modification is needed, you may be able to handle it on your own, but if you need to modify your current cabinets or the structure of your kitchen island, it may be a good idea to hire a professional to provide some support. Here’s a comprehensive DIY resource for constructing several of the ideas we’ve discussed to maximize valuable cabinet space. You can also check out this article for more best practice tips on designing and layout as it relates to cabinetry.

¡Salud!; to a future of no more rummaging through drawers and cabinets during cooking sessions. Imagine a world where every spice, utensil, pot, and even that pesky lid that always goes missing, has its own dedicated kitchen cabinet space. Let your kitchen become a joyful space that complements your culinary adventures instead of hindering them. A well-organized kitchen isn’t just about saving time or space—it’s about creating a harmonious space that makes every meal feel like a celebration.