How to Organise Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers for Good
First, empty your cabinets and lose what you don’t use. Then follow these steps to keep your kitchen organised
Annie Thornton
1 November 2018
Houzz Editorial Staff
Getting your kitchen storage organised and working well is very satisfying, but it can be hard to know where to begin – especially if you’ve been using your kitchen for awhile and are used to its quirks. To help, here’s a quick guide to the best ways to organise your kitchen cabinets and drawers by grouping items by type, storing them near where you use them and getting rid of what you’re not using.
These are the basic steps to organising your kitchen storage. We’ll go into each one in more detail:
- Empty cabinets and drawers, including pantry food items.
- Sort the cabinet contents by what you want to keep, what to throw away or recycle and what to donate.
- Thoroughly clean all the surfaces of your cabinets and drawers.
- Group all the items you’re going to store in your kitchen by category.
- Plan to place items near where they’ll be used.
- Add baskets, shelf inserts, cabinet racks and any new storage solutions you want to use to keep your kitchen cabinets organised.
- Return everything to cabinets and drawers, prioritising items by use.
- Enjoy your clean, organised kitchen.
1. Empty kitchen cabinets and drawers
Take everything out of your cabinets at once, or go cabinet by cabinet, and place the contents on a table or countertop.
“Physically handling each item forces you to make decisions about keeping, donating or discarding,” says Karen Duncan, a certified professional organiser out of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Take everything out of your cabinets at once, or go cabinet by cabinet, and place the contents on a table or countertop.
“Physically handling each item forces you to make decisions about keeping, donating or discarding,” says Karen Duncan, a certified professional organiser out of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
2. Decide what to keep and what to part with
The contents of your kitchen cabinets, like many storage cabinets around the house, are likely filled with items that you use often, but they’re also likely filled with even more items that you use rarely, if ever.
Give yourself permission to let go of those unused items. Donate or give away what you can, recycling or throwing out anything you can’t, such as expired pantry items.
The contents of your kitchen cabinets, like many storage cabinets around the house, are likely filled with items that you use often, but they’re also likely filled with even more items that you use rarely, if ever.
Give yourself permission to let go of those unused items. Donate or give away what you can, recycling or throwing out anything you can’t, such as expired pantry items.
3. Clean cabinets and drawers
Now that your cabinets are empty, spend some time getting them really clean before you fill them back up. Wash all surfaces thoroughly with gentle soap and water and allow them to dry completely before restocking. For an extra level of polish, and to make future cleaning easier, you can also add shelf or drawer liners, or replace old ones.
How to clean your kitchen cabinets
Now that your cabinets are empty, spend some time getting them really clean before you fill them back up. Wash all surfaces thoroughly with gentle soap and water and allow them to dry completely before restocking. For an extra level of polish, and to make future cleaning easier, you can also add shelf or drawer liners, or replace old ones.
How to clean your kitchen cabinets
4. Group items by use
“Think of your kitchen as functional zones: washing, prepping, cooking on stovetop and baking,” Duncan says.
Group the items or tools you use for each of those tasks together for efficiency. In the pantry, this means grouping food types by category: cooking, baking, snacks and breakfast, or whichever grouping technique works best for your lifestyle.
Know the 3 zones of kitchen storage
“Think of your kitchen as functional zones: washing, prepping, cooking on stovetop and baking,” Duncan says.
Group the items or tools you use for each of those tasks together for efficiency. In the pantry, this means grouping food types by category: cooking, baking, snacks and breakfast, or whichever grouping technique works best for your lifestyle.
Know the 3 zones of kitchen storage
5. Place things near where they’re used
Once you’ve grouped your items, plan to place them in cabinets or drawers close to where their function is performed.
In the panty, place the foods that you use most often in the easiest-to-reach places. (One possible exception: “If you think you eat too many snacks, put those up high so you don’t see them as often, and it’s more of a to-do to get them,” says Tori Cohen, an organising and decluttering specialist in New York City.)
While you’re working out what to store in each cabinet or drawer, Duncan suggests placing temporary labels made of blue painters tape on the cabinet or drawer where each group is going. This will help you get a sense of how your storage plan is shaping up and simplify making adjustments as you go.
Once you’ve grouped your items, plan to place them in cabinets or drawers close to where their function is performed.
In the panty, place the foods that you use most often in the easiest-to-reach places. (One possible exception: “If you think you eat too many snacks, put those up high so you don’t see them as often, and it’s more of a to-do to get them,” says Tori Cohen, an organising and decluttering specialist in New York City.)
While you’re working out what to store in each cabinet or drawer, Duncan suggests placing temporary labels made of blue painters tape on the cabinet or drawer where each group is going. This will help you get a sense of how your storage plan is shaping up and simplify making adjustments as you go.
6. Consider new kitchen cabinet organisers
Once you have determined where you’d like to store everything, look for places where your kitchen cabinets and drawers could benefit from additional organisation and storage tools. Some ideas to consider:
Roll-out shelves
Extra-deep lower cabinets benefit from roll-out shelves, either custom-made or purchased from a kitchen or organising store. The shelves will allow you to easily see the cabinet’s entire contents – even what’s at the very back.
Once you have determined where you’d like to store everything, look for places where your kitchen cabinets and drawers could benefit from additional organisation and storage tools. Some ideas to consider:
Roll-out shelves
Extra-deep lower cabinets benefit from roll-out shelves, either custom-made or purchased from a kitchen or organising store. The shelves will allow you to easily see the cabinet’s entire contents – even what’s at the very back.
Baskets and storage containers
Storage containers and open-topped baskets can be a great way to group like items, especially food.
Storage containers and open-topped baskets can be a great way to group like items, especially food.
Drawer pegboard
Pegboard systems, which feature adjustable screw-in dowels to keep plates in place, can be purchased for existing drawers.
The dowels can be moved to accommodate the size of whatever you want to store in the drawer. (Depending on your drawer’s construction, the bottom may need to be reinforced for heavy dishes.)
Pegboards are perfect for boosting storage
Pegboard systems, which feature adjustable screw-in dowels to keep plates in place, can be purchased for existing drawers.
The dowels can be moved to accommodate the size of whatever you want to store in the drawer. (Depending on your drawer’s construction, the bottom may need to be reinforced for heavy dishes.)
Pegboards are perfect for boosting storage
Cabinet risers and drop-downs
Freestanding cabinet shelves can double your storage by adding another shelf for storage without losing any accessibility.
Freestanding cabinet shelves can double your storage by adding another shelf for storage without losing any accessibility.
Drawer dividers for kitchen tools
Standard drawer tray inserts work great for silverware, but kitchen tools can be a little more challenging to corral; they’re not uniform in size and not everyone has the same kind. “My best suggestion is [a set of] drawer dividers, and not a tray. That way you can create the sizes of spaces you need,” Cohen says.
Look for adjustable dividers, which can be expanded to fit your kitchen drawers. As you have done with the rest of your organising, group kitchen tools by type before placing them in drawers.
Standard drawer tray inserts work great for silverware, but kitchen tools can be a little more challenging to corral; they’re not uniform in size and not everyone has the same kind. “My best suggestion is [a set of] drawer dividers, and not a tray. That way you can create the sizes of spaces you need,” Cohen says.
Look for adjustable dividers, which can be expanded to fit your kitchen drawers. As you have done with the rest of your organising, group kitchen tools by type before placing them in drawers.
Pan organiser racks
Consider a pan organiser rack, which can be added into an existing cabinet. “That way none of the pans need to sit in one another, and they’re easily accessible,” Cohen says.
Consider a pan organiser rack, which can be added into an existing cabinet. “That way none of the pans need to sit in one another, and they’re easily accessible,” Cohen says.
7. Put everything away
Put the contents of your kitchen cabinets and drawers in their new homes, prioritising what you plan to use most in the most accessible spots and placing rarely used items, such as seasonal platters, out of the way. “This is what the top shelves are for,” Cohen says.
How to spot hidden storage opportunities in your kitchen
Put the contents of your kitchen cabinets and drawers in their new homes, prioritising what you plan to use most in the most accessible spots and placing rarely used items, such as seasonal platters, out of the way. “This is what the top shelves are for,” Cohen says.
How to spot hidden storage opportunities in your kitchen
8. Maintain organised cabinets
To maintain the organising system, and to help you or guests quickly identify what is stored where, consider putting a label on the inside of each cabinet indicating the cabinet’s contents. “When you’re running around the kitchen trying to figure out where your roasting pan is, all you should need to do is read these labels,” Cohen says.
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To maintain the organising system, and to help you or guests quickly identify what is stored where, consider putting a label on the inside of each cabinet indicating the cabinet’s contents. “When you’re running around the kitchen trying to figure out where your roasting pan is, all you should need to do is read these labels,” Cohen says.
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Other considerations
Cabinets versus drawers
“Shelves are great for taller and odd-shaped items, since shelves tend to be adjustable,” Duncan says. Drawers can be useful for everyday items, including kitchen tools and cutlery. Deep drawers can also be used for baking supplies and pots and pans.
Cabinets versus drawers
“Shelves are great for taller and odd-shaped items, since shelves tend to be adjustable,” Duncan says. Drawers can be useful for everyday items, including kitchen tools and cutlery. Deep drawers can also be used for baking supplies and pots and pans.
Glass-front cabinets and open shelves
Glass-front cabinets and open shelves provide an opportunity to create an attractive kitchen display. Store your most attractive plates, cups and pots where they can be seen, and try not to stuff the cabinets too full.
If you’d rather not display your kitchenware, peel-and-stick window film can turn transparent cabinet doors translucent. Decorative bins can sit on open shelves, with items stored inside.
Glass-front cabinets and open shelves provide an opportunity to create an attractive kitchen display. Store your most attractive plates, cups and pots where they can be seen, and try not to stuff the cabinets too full.
If you’d rather not display your kitchenware, peel-and-stick window film can turn transparent cabinet doors translucent. Decorative bins can sit on open shelves, with items stored inside.
Corner cabinets
In areas where items always get pushed to the back and are hard to reach, install turntables, which make it easier to see and access the cabinet’s entire contents.
Alternatively, Cohen suggests using these blind corners for rarely used items or for storing bulk items, like kitchen paper towels, that you don’t necessarily need to see in order to grab.
In areas where items always get pushed to the back and are hard to reach, install turntables, which make it easier to see and access the cabinet’s entire contents.
Alternatively, Cohen suggests using these blind corners for rarely used items or for storing bulk items, like kitchen paper towels, that you don’t necessarily need to see in order to grab.
Small kitchens
Duncan and Cohen shared their tips for keeping a small kitchen organised:
TELL US
What have you found to be the best way to organise kitchen cabinets? Share your tips and photos in the Comments.
Duncan and Cohen shared their tips for keeping a small kitchen organised:
- Buy only what you really need.
- Declutter frequently.
- Purchase multi-use items, rather than specialty tools.
- Designate an alternate closet for overflow items.
- Consider a portable prep cart with storage underneath.
TELL US
What have you found to be the best way to organise kitchen cabinets? Share your tips and photos in the Comments.
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I love my organized drawers.
My spices are stored in magnetic cannisters. I had my cabinet maker insert a thin steel plate on the backs of the cabinet doors and shorten the shelves the thickness of the cannisters. They are alphabetized and I snap them back when done so they are always where I look for them.
Way too much stuff is needed in the prep area than I have room for. 😭 Now what?Some of my best pots are too big for the cabinets near the stove. 😭 Now what?
I live with a little inefficiency. I have way too many drawers near the range for the few things I need there, so some of the prep things go in the cooking area.
What do you do with things that are used in two activities? The microwave gets used in the prep area (onions), and also to reheat food for the eat-in kitchen. I guess that's prep, so prep area, but now I just lost counter space I don't have enough of. Plan for a microwave drawer? How hard are those to replace when they go, or lift things out of when my arthritis acts up? I'm asking...
But this is a good article. It makes a lot of sense. It's my kitchen that doesn't make sense for me.
I'm not throwing away my meat grinder, but it doesn't have to go in the kitchen, does it? I can put a few things in the garage, right? My canning goods?