Kitchen organization - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Off Topic

Kitchen organization

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Hi all!

I know we have some amazing cooks and bakers here. As our new kitchen nears completion, I’ll be planning the organization of our storage space. We will have lots of storage — much more than we used to — and I want to make good use of it.

Some of our cabinetry comes with built-in storage tools — LeMans corner cabinets to use those blind corners, roll out drawers inside cabinets for easy access, and a cabinet next to the oven that’s already outfitted with vertical compartments for storage of baking sheets, cutting boards and other large flat items. The pantry cabinet has shelves built in the door, and on a connected frame that swings forward when you open the door — no more digging in a deep, dark back corner for that can of tomato sauce!

I’ve been cruising the aisles at Container Store and Home Goods, getting ideas, and of course there are whole blogs dedicated to this stuff but sometimes it feels like they’re just trying to sell you their sponsors’ items.

Are there any ingenious or unexpected solutions you’ve found for organizing your kitchen storage spaces? I’m looking at everything from storage for tea bags to bins to help control clutter in the refrigerator. Part of our goal is to have most things stored out of sight when we are not using them. The new vibe is very clean and contemporary with no clutter!

I welcome your suggestions!

Off Topic

41 replies

Latest reply was from April

SarahD8

Veteran

I really love my Cambro storage containers for dry goods. Ngl the utilitarian/restaurant kitchen aesthetic appeals to me and they really are hard working — I’ve had some for almost 10 years and they are still going strong. Yes they are plastic but I’m not a purist (particularly when it comes to room temperature foods) and I like that they are lightweight and easy to move around (a concern I imagine will become even more prominent as I age; I already have the beginnings of arthritis in my hands).

I also use a lot of IKEA variera (open) and kuggis (lidded) containers in the pantry and throughout the house really. (I even have a couple variera bins in the fridge - to corral cheeses and onions/potatoes, respectively.) They are both really functional and versatile (and affordable!) and I like being able to add and subtract and rearrange storage around the house as necessary and still end up with a fairly unified look.

For small items, I’m ride or die for Bonne Maman jars.

Also i love my label maker lol!

SarahD8

Veteran

Also I have a lazy Susan on the (not very visible/accessible to shorty me) top shelf of our fridge and it’s great. In general unless your space is very limited I think the functionality of a lazy Susan far outweighs the inefficient use of space.

L'Abeille

Veteran

These are all built-in features of the kitchen when we built our house, so might not work for you, but:

Little tippy drawer in front of the kitchen sink that fits brushes, sponges etc.

Appliance garage, countertop level under a corner cupboard. Fits blender, slow cooker/Instant Pot, rice cooker, popcorn popper, all out of sight behind a roll-down door.

Coffee station in its own corner, with teakettle, coffee grinder and French press on the counter; mugs and coffees and teas above; out of the way if the main action.

rachylou

Veteran

I’m definitely into clear organising bins for the fridge and I like the green lidded ‘cambros’ from Ikea - light weight and easy to open. Mine have lasted a long time.

I do have one thing maybe of note - I don’t store spices next to the stove because of the heat. I also do most of my prep away from the stove; I don’t find myself throwing spices into pots heating on the stove by and large. Except for maybe blooming curry.

Anonymous

After I had my kitchen cabinets painted, I installed these pull-out organizers in them:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod.....#038;psc=1

I just love them. Now I don’t have to dive headfirst into my cabinets looking for things. They were easy to install, too. I’m constantly congratulating myself for getting them, heh!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Oh, these are great! Keep it coming!

RobinF

Veteran

One of my favorite things is our built in trash and recycle drawer, love having the bin out of sight.

I also got a spice organizer like the one below - I couldn't find the exact one but something like this. Fits our cabinet perfectly and uses the space well.

Artibear Spice Rack Organizer with Mesh Drawer for Kitchen Cabinet, 3-Tier Seasoning Storage Holder for Pantry Countertop, Matte Black (Jars Not Included)

View Info

Top Pick

1

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, Robin, that looks useful! We have two spinning spice racks-- one we keep on the counter and one we keep in a cupboard nearby. But I got these labels from Etsy which have been a godsend because we use and reuse clear jars and buy from a no-waste spice purveyor (bring the jars in or use little paper bags in store to fill to avoid plastic.).

Rack similar to this one: https://www.amazon.ca/Rotating.....sr_1_4_ssp

We are fortunate in our current home to have lots of storage space -- more than we have ever had in the past. We also like to keep a fairly clean look on the counter since our kitchen is open to living and dining areas. All appliances live in cupboards except the kettle (which we use a lot). One spice rack and the knife block stay out. That's about it. We use one of our corner cupboards for food processor, blender, etc. The other holds pots.

For storage of dry foods (e.g. legumes, etc.) we have a lot of the Ikea containers. We also have some older non-matching ones for flour etc. -- eventually I will replace those, but for now they work. And we have some older glass containers as well and save small jars for odds and ends.

I have a lazy Susan, too, for a pantry cupboard that is a bit high for me to reach without a stool -- it helps me see what's there.

We love our pull out pantry cupboards!

unfrumped

Veteran

I know a lot of pantry eye- candy features uniform containers for dry foodstuffs. But I find it troublesome to have some containers with just an inch of dry stuff or not able to put all of a new purchase in a container.

We cook a fair amount of grains such as rice- brown and white, different types— and farro, other grains.

Instead of decanting each of theses into separate containers , I use a couple of tight- lidded containers (about size of a bread loaf container, but YMMV depending on shelf depths& heights)
and then store several small bags of grains inside— opened bags are rubber- banded to keep from spilling. Bulk stuff I might get from Whole Foods ( in modest amounts of “ bulk”) I put in a ziplock bag.
I use that kind of loaf size because it fits on shelf length front to back, can stack a couple, can label the front. Whereas canisters waste a lot of space & mix fresh + old etc.

I always carry a small tape measure in my purse to measure things in any store— leave no stone unturned for storage containers.

Also you can do searches by your exact dimensions of a place— shelf, drawer- & will get some hits that are at least close. But the devil’s in the details for exact measurements.

Also, I culled utensils severely as I did not want to keep USA counter crock, but wanted them in drawers beside or near stove, and I used various drawer dividers and laid things out rather sparingly, so no jumbled mess. Yes, I could cram more in, but I love the serene look and everything has a place.
And stopped randomly picking up other utensils unless it was to replace or upgrade.
Same for pots & pans.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Such great ideas and solutions! I’m on my phone so it’s hard to respond individually right now, but I’m taking notes…

Here are some of the solutions already in place:

1 - pull out “cabinet” for trash and recycling (plus maybe that little container on the side can be used for waste to compost??)

2 - storage for baking sheets etc

3 - the corner cabinets have these swing-out shelves — could be used for large cooking pots, mixing bowls, colander, small appliances…

4 - I found this utensil holder at Container Store on deep discount and it fits just right

5 - this cabinet has a touch-to-open motorized lift-up front — it’s next to the built-in coffee maker (very fancy, my husband insisted on it, and we now call it the Jay-Z and Beyoncé coffee maker), so it will hold coffee supplies — cups, sugar, beans…

6 - these cabinets are above the coffee maker and speed oven, so a little high. For easy access to stuff up there, I am trying some clear bins to hold items so they don’t get shoved back to the invisible dark corners

7 - these lower cabinets below the coffee maker and speed oven all are equipped with drawers — yay!

8 - the pantry cabinet with storage that pulls out for east access when the door is opened

This post has 8 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Runcarla

Veteran

I have deep drawers for my pots and pans - which I love. Rubbermaid containers for things I like to decant like flour, sugar, grains. Ancient Rubbermaid containers I got for baby food 30 years ago now hold spices. I like being able to get a measuring spoon inside!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

WOW, Janet! SOOOOO Exciting, and looking KILLER AWESOME! Loving your storage spaces.

Great storage ideas everyone!

Our loft DESPERATELY needs a remodel - and hopefully it will be done within a year. There have been many setbacks . So our kitchen looks awful - literally falling apart! - but it's functional, organized, and uncluttered. I am very passionate about food, cooking, nutrition, zero-food-waste, and serving friends! I spend hours a day in the kitchen.

So FWIW, here are some things that are very important to me in my kitchen. I do all the cooking, food management, and meal planning:

I don't decant anything except for the doggie kibble. I need to see the expiry date and info of the food on the original packaging. I have special closures for open packets that work very well.

A pantry is a MUST! You will love yours. There is a lot more space than you expect.

Lazy Susans are my favourite way of storing spices. I have three.

The food processor is NEXT TO the range because I use it a lot. It is not stored away.

Utensil holder in next to the range because those are the utensils that I cook with. So is course Himalayan salt.

The toaster is used daily and on the counter. Not stored away.

The kettle is used MANY TIMES a day for making tea and not stored away. We have a very important tea making station!!!

Two very important and nostalgic fruit bowls are on the counter. One is for tomatoes only. The other for fresh seasonal fruit we eat daily. (My late Mum gave the big one to me. She saw it 30 years ago, and said - that reminds me of you! Precious. I need to see it every day).

For the rest, our counters are empty! We don't have many gadgets because an oven and a range is sufficient - and of course, I CANNOT store them in our small loft kitchen!

Think of a way to keep the sink cleaning stuff out of site. You need a little hidden pocket by the sink. We had one in our old house, and I loved it.

This post has 2 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Angie, your display is charming! I love it.

Yes to so many of those things! We will have two upper cabinets in the corners, that sit on the countertop, and each one has an electric outlet inside. My husband was like, whyyyy? But I explained that they can serve as a bit of an appliance garage. The toaster will be tucked into one, and there is space on the other side for, say, a food processor or blender if we start using those a lot. I expect we will become more frequent and more adventurous cooks than we have been up to now because we will be working with a beautifully outfitted kitchen for the first time in our lives!

Sink cleaning stuff is going to be a little challenge. I didn’t plan for one of those little flip-down compartments in front of the sink. We had one in our old sink and it was broken so it used to flip down randomly, surprising us from time to time. I’ll figure something out. I do like that we are getting a built in soap dispenser, so that’s one less thing sitting on the counter. I ordered a drain rack from Dorai that is supposed to be very fast-drying and it’s modern looking so we’ll see how that works!

Our new coffee maker also dispenses hot water for tea, so I think we’ll be able to give away our Zojirushi dispenser, and won’t need a tea kettle. But I am going to get myself a nice organizer for my various choices of tea!

I’m not a fan of decanting a lot of things either because I like to see expiration dates too.

We have a drawer near the cooktop that I expect will be used for spices. Another thing I don’t want to decant — I like keeping the original containers. I’m hoping to store them lying down so I can see the labels.

Thinking about a few things:

- good way to store wraps, foil, ziplock bags, wax paper — not sure yet if there will be drawer space or in a cabinet

- considering knife storage in drawer instead of a knife block, getting one more thing off the counter

- bins for inside the new fridge to help keep it more organized

-stacking plates in corner cabinets or getting a rack for them to sit side-by-side

So many little decisions! We need to shop for new dishes, glassware, and silverware too!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thanks, Janet! I CAN'T WAIT FOR OUR NEW KITCHEN! It's going to be Scandinavian. Light wood, lots of white, and splashes of saturated pastel turquoise and citron.

You will LOVE working in your new kitchen

- "good way to store wraps, foil, ziplock bags, wax paper — not sure yet if there will be drawer space or in a cabinet" - I use a shelf in a cabinet.

- "considering knife storage in drawer instead of a knife block, getting one more thing off the counter" - We have a special knife drawer. It's has a magnetic strip for the knives. Very handy! No knives displayed on the counter either.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Janet, your storage space looks amazing! It's going to work really well for you.

Angie, I LOVE your displays -- so pretty!

I'm an undersink expert. This house does NOT have a built in soap dispenser and putting one in would have been a nightmare because the sink is in an island and the countertop is one massive piece of granite. Very risky -- cracks a potential if we tried to install (which I dearly wanted).

Our solution was simple! We got a little undersink organizer -- not expensive -- but it holds our soap dispenser, our washing up brushes and sponge and various cleaners. It doesn't feel like too deep a reach to bend down and get them and it has worked a charm and kept the cleaning stuff off the counter and out of the sink except when in use.

Our wraps and bags are in a drawer near the fridge.

April

Veteran

My kitchen is spacious and lovely and was clearly designed by a non-cook.

I would say the most useful things I've learned are:

If there are storage areas you can only reach on tiptoe, dedicate those to your Tupperware, paper towels, etc. - things that won't harm you or break if they fall out.
Deniece Schofield taught me the useful concepts of "one, two, or three-motion storage" and "As, Bs, and Cs." She says if you use it daily, it's an A and should get one-motion storage: it's not behind anything else, or nested under something. If you use it once a week (the Bs), it's okay if you have to move one thing to access it. Anything used less frequently (the Cs) should ideally be stored elsewhere but if stored in the kitchen, can be in an inconvenient place.
Keep the storage nearest the dishwasher for things you dishwash every day. When I re-organized my mother's kitchen 10 years ago, the single cabinet directly above her dishwasher was full of - I kid you not - seasonal dried flower arrangements that came out for like two weeks per year, while the daily dishes, glasses, and flatware were stored across the kitchen. <eye roll>
Sometimes office supplies are good kitchen organizers. I have an extremely sturdy metal "letter sorter" - like 4 vertical tiers - that holds Pyrex pans in a bottom cabinet.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

April, those are great points, thank you!

LOLing at the upper storage points. My husband is very tall and loves that this kitchen (the new doorway and the height of the range hood in particular) feel tall enough for him — it’s hard for those of us who don’t share that height to imagine how crowded a space must feel when your head is always in danger of bumping into things. Consequently he tends to go higher with everything than I would, as an average-sized person. Upper storage will likely be for exactly what you mention — paper towels, bulky but light bags of chips, linens, etc.

It’s interesting how much we can be creatures of habit. Just because certain items have always lived in a certain spot in our homes, we tend not to see other possibilities! Like your mom’s dried flowers! There is something so satisfying about realizing the potential of a space. Our former kitchen was built around the needs of another couple who clearly did not cook much — two burners?? And a layout that dedicated half the floor space to an eating area, even though the dining room is wide open to the kitchen and the same number of steps away. We are quite surprised that the space actually feels *bigger* now, when we expected just the opposite. I think the dormer we added, and the new wide windows, are a big part of that. I suspect that perception may adjust a bit once countertops and the light fixture over the island is installed, but it’s still interesting how an efficient use of space makes it feel less cluttered and broken up, and more cohesive. It’s been quite the experience— the most intense renovation I’ve ever been part of!

RobinF

Veteran

Love the storage you have already added! Honestly, the trash cupboard might be our favorite thing from our kitchen remodel Now I want a diagonal utensil insert...

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Robin, those are from the Marie Kondo line at Container Store — discontinued so they’re only like $23 each!

We are a little worried about our resident trash monsters trying to get into that trash cabinet. Our dogs are bad that way sometimes. I don’t want them scratching at the wood door to try to get into it. I think Sunny is the real culprit. She’s gotten into lower cabinets in our old kitchen, and one time she ate a package of chocolate chips, a package of peanut butter chips, and a package of sugar. Let’s just say the resulting disaster was part of why I ended up replacing the carpet in the basement storage room with LVP flooring! So we will be storing any food items that can be torn into up high above dog reach. Still, we don’t want them clawing at the cabinets, so we may have to do a training session with their training collars from when they were working at the ranch.

Indigoprint

Veteran

I have a drawer for spices next to my stove, that works really well for me so I hope you like it too. My spices lie down so the labels are visible and I have learned over the years to either line the drawer or use some kind of tray that contains the bottles but is easily removed to wash. Celery and poppy seeds and tumeric always seem to leave a tell-tale trail.
I also like bins in the fridge, especially for salad veggies. They keep the bits of broccoli.cailiflower etc contianed and also make it easier to prepare a salad as we can just pull out the salad bin. Works for clean up to as I can empty the tray into the compost while others help put the salad together.

April

Veteran

I have learned that labeling the shelves, drawers, door racks, and organizing bins inside the fridge is amazingly helpful - when one actually reads the labels and puts things away accordingly.

Guess which "one" does that, and which one shoves whatever wherever he can see an opening.

The good thing about the labels is that it takes me three or four seconds to move the aioli back where it belongs (surprise - not in the chocolate syrup zone!) with zero thought or decision-making on my part.

Another tip from Deniece Schofield: whoever does the cooking can use the "red dot method" to flag any refrigerated item that is needed for an upcoming meal/recipe. The red dot (office supply stickers) means hands off, all you snackers, lunchers, munchers, and grab-and-go types.

ChristelJ

Veteran

This is delightful to read! Vicarious thrills! Our kitchen is a small relic that will someday have an overhaul. Right now, I depend on those clear plastic bins like you have, Janet. A Lazy Susan, and a magnetic wall-mounted knife strip holder are indispensable. Our cabinets are dark, narrow and let's say not built for aging in place, so I'm looking for ideas here. Love the corner cabinet pull-outs. Your kitchen looks dreamy already!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

April, I love labeling things and will incorporate that into our new kitchen!

I even taught this to my husband, who implemented labeling at the ranch, where all sorts of tools and feed and chemical routinely got shoved into random empty spaces on the shelves in the shop (the closed workspace, like a giant garage). He got organized one day and labeled the shelves with what should get stored in each section, and it really helped!

MsMary

Veteran

The best thing I have done is follow the advice of a Tik Tok-er and put the condiments in the produce drawers of my fridge, and put the produce (and pretty much everything else) in clear bins where I can see it. https://www.tiktok.com/@domest.....20blisters https://www.tiktok.com/@mischa.....8361066757 We get Blue Apron meal kits so when I unpack the Blue Apron box it goes in one or to clear bins so I know right where to look. And meat goes in the door where I can see it easily.

This post has 1 photo. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Indigoprint

Veteran

MsMary interesting bits, thanks for sharing always fun to see how others do things!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Mary, that’s such a great tip for those who forget things in drawers! We’ve joked about the drawer being where produce goes to die. My BFF keeps canned beverages in hers!

We get Blue Apron kits too. I always bag up the ingredients for each meal in a separate storage bag in the fridge, and they get their own shelf.

In our new kitchen we will have a wine fridge and a beverage fridge, and the freezer is separate from the fridge — it will be in the island with the wine/beverage fridges and is two freezer drawers. I’ll be curious to see how that works for organization, but I’m sure it will be better than our old tall side-by-side freezer, which always felt like things got easily lost in there.

anchie

Veteran

We have very similar trash recycling drawer but I ended up using it in different way (it is under the sink and next to dishwasher so it made more sense) and we created recycling station outside the kitchen. We also have one pull out shelf that is useful for spices and I am thinking of adding more for other shelves.

This post has 3 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Anchie, I love seeing my local speciality in your spice cabinet! I live in the home of Old Bay seasoning and had no idea it was available in Europe.

This post has 1 photo. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

anchie

Veteran

Janet - one of the benefits of working for UN is that we have commissary at work stocked with american groceries (for colleagues that can’t live without familiar products;) ) and I shop there regularly because it is convenient. I haven’t seen it outside.

12