We spend so much time in the kitchen that we’ve all been frustrated with our kitchens before, so here are my 10 best ideas for your kitchen. Whether it’s that deep narrow lower cabinet or that awkward shallow over-the-fridge cabinet. There are often places in the kitchen that are overstuffed, while at the same time, there are under-utilized spaces! It’s so frustrating!
I’m so excited to create this summary of my favorite solutions for awkward spaces in the kitchen! If you haven’t already read my posts on what you can store in a deep drawer or the over-the-microwave cabinet, make sure to check those out for more details.
Drawer Dishwasher:
This thing is MAGIC! It’s at exactly the right height for easy loading and doesn’t have a door to get stuck. It’s the size of the lower drawer of your standard dishwasher and has all kinds of cleaning modes. This is my favorite thing I added to my kitchen!
Store Pans in the narrow deep lower cabinet:
You know those annoying narrow cabinets that seem to end up beside sinks or ovens? They are super deep and usually 8-10″ wide with a very narrow door. Ever wonder, where you should keep that annoyingly sized pizza pan? Add a pan divider to the narrow shelf and put all those weird-sized pans in there. Space them easily so you can pull them out quickly.
Use a Rev-A-Shelf inside your blind corner cabinet:
If you have a tiny kitchen like me, you have a small blind corner cabinet shoved between your sink and oven. Digging through that is a nightmare! If the countertop were in place when I installed the Rev-A-Shelf I would have had a panic attack! It’s so dark and you have to contort your body to get anywhere close to the back. Have you ever imagined that you’ll swipe a mouse trap when you reach back there where you can’t see what you’re doing? I have.
Rev-A-Shelf solves this issue. You will lose the use of 1/3 of the depth, but you can have up to 3 tiers on this divider, and for many of them you can change the height of the baskets. It’s such a great solution for appliances. It’s easier for the body to lift from about 8″ above the floor to a counter so put those heavier items toward the top!
Kitchen Tip-out Trays:
Here’s the gross truth, we never want to face. We always have a dirty washcloth! Always. Rink it out and set it in the tray. They do have holes but the entire thing can be put in the dishwasher and you can wipe down the inside of your door. These trays are FANTASTIC! They give you an easy-to-reach place for all those scrubbers or scrapers.
Knife Blocks for Drawers:
There are really three different options for knives. The classic is the knife block wasting a square foot of your counter just to store more knives than you ever use! The slightly more recent option is the magnet strip on the backsplash. This is great for chefs that are not only using but also cleaning knives all the time. It also works for people with high display shelves instead of upper cabinets.
For the rest of us, there are in-drawer knife blocks! It took some searching but I was able to find one that was narrow enough to fit beside my cutlery divider. They come in several widths and with layers if you have a taller drawer. Mine is narrow and holds both of my chef’s knives and paring knife as well as a set of four steak knives. This is all I need on hand!
Command Hooks for Oven Mitts:
Do you have a cabinet door with clearance on the inside or a cabinet front that you won’t brush against? Use command hooks to utilize some of that dead space! I put mine way up high where I need to use a bit of extra motion to hook the mitts. Now my wide open over-the-microwave/oven cabinet space is better utilized and they are right there for me to grab when using the oven!
Hanging-door lined trash-can
I’ve used this bin for many years for wet recycling, check out my video on how I use this bin for wet recycling! I don’t have to have a recycling center out in my space and it’s still perfectly handy.
Collapsible step stool next to the fridge:
This is the secret to utilizing the top shelves and the over-the-fridge cabinet. I have been able to find things that can be barely reached from the side or with the doors open in that cabinet. However, it’s a great place to put things you don’t use often and with a step stool, it’s reasonably accessible. In nearly every kitchen, there has been a side of the fridge with a gap that is usually the perfect size for a collapsible step stool!
Keep a spray bottle of vinegar on hand:
This is a tidy-up trick. As long as you don’t have granite counters, It will help you sanitize spaces as you cook as well as tidy up after you clear a counter. Grab a spray bottle and spray it down!
Let me know if there’s a specific space you have difficulty organizing or utilizing.