The Organizational Tool That Transforms Deep Kitchen Drawers

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Space is a commodity in many modern kitchens, especially those in small apartments. Without extra shelf space, drawers become primary storage for cookware, food containers, and other small items. However, stuffing everything into a drawer can get messy, which makes organization methods like stacking crucial. Depending on what you're storing, open or closed stacking organizers can maximize limited kitchen space. Infrequently used items like niche spices, for example, can go beneath those used daily, like salt and pepper.

Using stacking organizers is one of the most valuable steps you can take toward an organized pantry. These can be open bins or trays that rest evenly on top of one another, like these Akro-Mils AkroBins on Amazon; these can be stacked while still allowing you to reach inside without separating them. You can also use closed containers for dry ingredients like flour or sugar, which you can then stack with other baking supplies.

Clear organizers like these Vtopmart Clear Stackable Storage Bins allow you to see through them and find what you need quickly, though you can also look for options that match your kitchen's color scheme. Some organizers, like these ReadySpace Plastic Containers, even lock together so they don't slide around in the drawer when it opens or closes. Measure your drawers first to ensure the organizers fit properly; then, once you find the right size, you won't have to dig through mounds of utensils or snacks to find what you're looking for.

Adding the right organizers to your drawers can be just as impactful as using the right containers in your refrigerator. Color coding can help you keep track of certain items (especially if you're using closed bins) so you don't open the drawer only to find cluttered organizers. For example, use red bins for metal utensils, green bins for wooden ones, and black bins for plastic in the same stack; that way, your eye is drawn directly to the spot you want to pull from. Different people associate different colors with specific categories, so keeping a cheat sheet nearby can make everyone's life easier.

If you don't feel like deciphering which color corresponds to, say, spices or utensils, labeling might be a better option. Whether you use a label maker or a dry-erase marker, quickly annotating the contents of each stack can streamline the cooking process.

Regardless of how you label things, keeping like items together will also make life much simpler. For example, try storing food containers in the same drawer as their lids and stacking them all together neatly. Top-tier organization can also help keep cleaning materials away from food, so having separate organizers in different drawers can help protect your household and make life less cluttered.