The 15 Most Popular Kitchen Storage Ideas

Kitchen organization is key to keeping your cooking space tidy and functional. With so many kitchen tools, appliances, pantry items, and dishes to store, it can be tricky to find storage solutions that work for your available space. These 15 popular kitchen storage ideas can help maximize your storage potential so you can keep your kitchen clutter-free.

Utilize Cabinet Organizers

Kitchen cabinets provide plenty of storage space, but all that space doesn’t do much good if everything is jumbled together in a mess. Cabinet organizers are one of the most useful kitchen storage ideas for creating order within those cabinets.

There are many types of cabinet organizers to consider:

• Lazy susans – These round trays spin within a cabinet so you can easily see and access everything. Great for corner cabinets or spice storage.
• Tiered shelves – Stackable shelves help you optimize vertical storage space in cabinets. Great for canned goods, bakeware, or anything else you need to stack.
• Drawer organizers – Customizable drawer inserts with compartments for utensils, cooking tools, foil, and more. Keep your drawers from becoming jumbled messes.
• Adjustable shelves – Shelves that can be moved up and down or side to side to accommodate items of different sizes. Adjust as needed.

Take measurements of your cabinet spaces and purchase organizers sized specifically for them. This prevents wasted space or items not fitting properly. Investing in high quality organizers can really transform your kitchen storage.

Install Pull-Out Pantry Shelving

Maximize the storage potential of your existing pantry space with pull-out pantry shelves. These allow you to fully see and access all pantry items. various pull-out designs are available:

• Full extension shelves – Shelves that pull all the way out so you can easily see and reach every item in the back.
• Tiered pull-outs – Vertical pull-outs with two or more shelving levels, great for organizing canned goods and larger items.
• Corner units – Pull-out systems specifically designed to fit in corner spaces that typically go unused.
• Narrow storage – Pull-out shelves sized for narrow pantry closets.

Pull-out pantry storage is one of the most convenient kitchen storage solutions. No more crawling to reach items at the back of shelf! Install sliding shelves at multiple levels to double or triple your pantry’s storage capacity.

Keep Frequently Used Items Accessible

Storing items you use every day within easy reach is an obvious but important kitchen storage tip. Keeping go-to items accessible saves you time and hassle.

Pot lids, cooking utensils, spices, and dishware are some examples of items to keep front and center in your storage setup.

Pot lids – Install racks or pegs on the wall or inside cabinet doors to store lids upright and visible.

Utensils – Use countertop crock, a drawer organizer, or wall-mounted mason jars to keep spatulas, serving spoons, and other oft-used tools handy.

Spices – Mount a spice rack on the wall or inside a cabinet door for easy seasoning access while cooking.

Dishes – Designate cabinets closest to the dishwasher or sink for storing everyday dishes and glasses.

Take time to think about your kitchen work triangle and how you move through your space. Frequently accessed items should be along your kitchen work path.

Use Wall Space for Open Storage

Wall space is prime real estate for open storage of many kitchen items, getting them up and out of the way without hiding them in cabinets. Take advantage of vertical wall space with these storage solutions:

• Floating shelves – Perfect for displaying pretty dishware, cookbooks, or baskets with UTENSILS. Stagger floating shelves at different heights for interest.
• Rail systems – Metal rails with S-hooks that allow you to hang everything from pans and ladles to paper towel rolls. Super versatile!
• Spice racks – Keep spices visible and within arm’s reach. Mount to the wall or inside a cabinet door.
• Pot racks – Create extra space in cabinets by storing pots, pans, and lids from ceiling mounted racks.
• Knife strips – Magnetized strips affix right to the wall to store knives safely and attractively.
• Wall-mounted utensil crock – Keep cooking tools handy in plain sight.

Get creative mixing and matching different wall storage systems that suit your cooking needs. The options are endless with this effective storage technique.

Designate “Zones” for Like Items

Think about dividing your kitchen into zones designated for similar types of items when organizing your storage. Keep like items together in labeled zones for efficiency. Some zone examples:

• Baking zone – Flour, sugars, baking pans, and spices kept in upper cabinets or pantry area.
• Breakfast zone – Breakfast cereals, oatmeal, coffee, mugs, and plates grouped together.
• Beverage zone – Area just for drinks – glasses, mugs, wine, soda, etc.
• Snack zone – Designate a space for healthy snacks within kids’ reach.
• Cooking zone – Oils, vinegars, sauces, pasta, canned goods for cooking meals.
• Cleaning zone – All dish and hand soaps, sponges, towels, and cleaning products.

You likely prepare and access certain items together. Storing them as zones saves you from running around fetching everything from separate spaces.

Take Advantage of Under-Cabinet Storage

The space between your countertops and cabinets doesn’t have to go unused. This narrow but long space is perfect for specialized under-cabinet storage products.

• Shelf organizers – Great for cookbooks, baking pans, or small appliances. Can be mounted with or without a hanging rail.
• Vertical storage – Metal or plastic units with slots to neatly file cookie sheets, cutting boards, etc upright.
• Basket organizers – Woven baskets slid onto racks underneath cabinets for a decorative look.
• Tiered hanging baskets – Stackable wire baskets suspended from undercabinet mounts.
• Spice racks – Horizontal spice racks keep spices visible and accessible.
• Stemware storage – Racks with hooks to hang stemmed glassware upside down.
• Knife blocks – Mounted sideways under cabinets to save counter space.

Check under your wall cabinets for gaps that could benefit from these unique storage solutions. You can find many under cabinet organizers that require no installation.

Repurpose Household Items as Storage

Don’t overlook everyday household items that can be repurposed into functional kitchen storage with a little creativity. Things like:

• Canning jars – Reuse glass jars to hold cooking utensils, pasta, oils – the possibilities are endless!
• Plates – Stack plates upright in a cabinet to create improvised shelving for bowls and pans.
• Dish and pot lids – Flip lids upside down to use as holders for sponges, scrub brushes, staple items on the counter.
• Cooling racks – These can be hung or leaned vertically to store rolled up pans and trays.
• Cutlery organizers – Repurpose plastic cutlery trays from takeout or purchased food as drawer organizers.
• Bookends – Use a pair of heavy bookends propped upright to corral tall canned goods, pasta boxes, or baking supplies.

Take a look around your home and be creative about giving retired housewares new life as practical kitchen storage helpers. The options are virtually endless with a little ingenuity.

Add a Kitchen Cart or Island

Free standing kitchen carts or islands provide storage and countertop space anywhere you have room. They come in handy for storing frequently used items while expanding work space.

Carts offer storage a few ways:

• Cabinetry – Enclosed cabinets and shelves add storage space above and below the countertop.
• Shelving – Open shelving is great for cookbooks or displaying pretty dishes and accents.
• Drawers – Large and small drawers store anything from utensils to linens.
• Wine racks – Bottom racks allow vertical wine storage.
• Towel bars – Handy for hanging dish towels or pot holders within arm’s reach.
• Spice racks – Incorporate rails or shelves to store spices.

Kitchen carts now come in many styles – with butcher block, stainless steel, or solid wood tops. Choose one that matches your kitchen decor. Islands can provide additional countertop workspace in the center of a kitchen. Take your storage possibilities mobile.

Optimize Drawer Organization

Drawers seem to become disorganized black holes over time. But drawers offer excellent storage real estate in the kitchen. Maximize drawer space using these tips:

• Categorize each drawer – Have separate drawers for utensils, linens, food storage, baking tools, etc.
• Use drawer organizers – Customizable dividers keep drawer contents neatly separated.
• Optimize drawer height – Use the rear of deep drawers for tall tools like immersion blenders.
• Divide deep drawers – Insert pieces of wood to create compartments in very deep drawers.
• Use drawer verticals – Store aluminum foil, wax paper, and cutting boards vertically in thin, upright spaces.
• Install drawer tier sets – Stackable plastic trays double your organizational options.
• Add drawer liners – Non-slip liners keep contents in place during use.

Take a little time to think about the contents of each drawer and how to configure dividers and inserts to keep things tidy. It’s worth it to conquer messy drawers.

Hang Pots and Pans

Get cumbersome pots, pans, and lids out of your cabinets by storing them from ceiling mounted racks and hangers instead. There are a few space saving ways to hang cookware:

• Ceiling mounted pot racks – Racks securely screwed into ceiling studs hold multiple pots. Position them above your stove or island.
• Wall mounted pan racks – Racks that affix to the wall vertically hold pans by their handles.
• Cup hooks – Install cup hooks along the wall and hang pans from them by their holes or handles.
• S hooks – S hook racks allow you to hang pots from a mounted rail. Easily reposition cookware as desired.

Hanging pots and pans frees up cabinet space for other items. The cookware you use most can be kept within arm’s reach for convenience. For safety, make sure racks are securely anchored and rated for the weight of your pots and pans.

Use Lids as Storage

You can transform pot lids from annoying clutter into handy kitchen storage tools. Flip lids upside down to use them for:

• Utensil holders – The center divot becomes the perfect spot for slotted spoons, spatulas, tongs, and other utensils.
• Knife rests – Keep messy knives off your countertops by resting them in a lid when cooking.
• Condiment caddies – Flip over a lid to hold oil, vinegar, soy sauce, or other cooking condiments you need access to.
• Sponge holders – Lids make dandy holders for by-the-sink cleaning sponges to dry.
• Small appliance stands – Turn a lid into a stand for your immersion blender or hand mixer.
• Tray Underliner – Use a lid as an elevated, nonslip base for cutting boards, serving trays, or cooling racks.

A simple kitchen item like a pot lid proves its versatility. Repurpose a few to help tame kitchen clutter.

Optimize Pantry Organization

An organized pantry feels like a gift every time you open the door. Make the most of your shelving using these tips:

• Categorize shelves – Assign shelves by type of food like canned goods, snacks, grains, or baking items.
• Use shelf risers – Risers double your vertical storage real estate.
• Label categories – Post category labels on shelves and storage bins so everyone knows where items belong.
• Use storage caddies – Designate small plastic caddies for frequent items like spices, oil, etc.
• Store bulk items smartly – Use dispensers to hold bulk items like rice, flour, and sugar.
• Rotate stock – Use expiration dates to rotate older food to the front and put new items in back.
• Limit interior shelving – Avoid wasting space with interior shelves that are too deep or tall to access.
• Purge regularly – Get rid of expired foods and donate excess inventory you won’t use.

A few simple storage principles make a big impact on pantry organization. Spend a little time every week keeping it orderly.

Utilize Blind Corner Storage Solutions

The awkward blind corner spaces in kitchens are notorious storage trouble spots. Luckily, there are some excellent storage solutions made specifically for tricky blind corners.

• Lazy susans – The classic lazy susan remains a great blind corner problem solver. Spin to access everything.
• Two tier pull out shelves – Use dual shelves that slide out for visibility and access to back corners.
• Sliding drawers – Blind corner drawers on smooth tracks fully extend so you can see all contents.
• Floor to ceiling racks – Tall narrow racks with adjustable shelves utilize all usable vertical space in blind corners.
• Vertical storage – Use the vertical space for upright storage of pans, cookie sheets, and cutting boards.

Don’t let odd blind corners in your kitchen become wasted dumping grounds. Use specialized organizers to transform them into accessible storage space.

Utilize Magnetic Storage

The ever-useful magnets are a handy kitchen storage hack for keeping knives, utensils, and small items organized. Some magnetic storage solutions include:

• Magnetic knife strips – Adhere strips to the wall and simply stick on knives. Safer than loose knives in drawers.
• Magnetic pan racks – Bars with magnetic surfaces hold pans horizontally or vertically.
• Magnetic spice tins – Spice containers or wall racks use magnets to store spices neatly.
• Magnetic tool bars – Horizontal bars equipped with magnets become handy tool holders. Great inside cabinet doors.
• Magnetic clip strips – Use clips on magnetic strips to hold papers like recipes and shopping lists.
• Magnetic utensil bars – Handy for sticking up knives, spatulas, tongs and other kitchen tools.

Look for magnetic storage options made of stainless steel for kitchen use. Make sure they are strongly magnetic to securely hold items, even heavy pots and pans.

Get Creative with Household Items

Don’t overlook ordinary household items that could solve kitchen storage problems with a little creativity. Here are some inspiring ideas:

• Use clothespins to clip bags of opened chips, cookies, cereal, etc. so they stay fresh.
• Store plastic wrap, foil, and parchment rolls vertically in empty paper towel tubes.
• Stash small bottles like soy sauce, fish sauce, and hot sauces in an old school pencil box.
• Screw metal cup hooks to the underside of cabinets for hanging colanders, graters, or pot lids.
• Repurpose old toolboxes or tackle boxes to corral and transport cleaning supplies.
• Use shower caddies or over-the-door racks to hang frequently used hand towels.
• Keep shopping bags handy by clipping them to drawer pulls with binder clips.

Everyday items offer inexpensive, functional storage solutions with a little imagination. Look at ordinary household objects in a different light.

Take Advantage of Desk Storage Products

Office supply stores are packed with desk storage items that double as excellent solutions for kitchen storage.

• Drawer organizers – Perfect for optimizing kitchen drawers to store utensils, foil, plastic wrap, spices, etc.
• File sorters – Use to neatly store rolled up plastic bags and foil. Can be stacked or hung.
• Letter trays – Shallow trays become handy holders for cookbooks, mail, or fresh produce.
• Desktop organizational sets – Modular vertical sorters hold everything from spices to snacks.
• Pen cups/desk tidy caddies – Ideal for corralling loose items like keys, thermomters, timers.
• Interlocking shelves – Stackable plastic or metal cubes allow you to build vertical shelving anywhere.
• Note sorters – Use sticky-note sorters inside cabinet doors to hold torn recipes, coupons, or reminders.

Just about any desk storage item translates seamlessly to kitchen use. Browse office supply sections or dollar stores for budget-friendly organizational finds.

Incorporate Baskets and Bins

Don’t underestimate the organizational power of simple baskets and bins for stashing kitchen items. Some smart uses:

• Under-shelf baskets – Woven baskets on mounted rails keep items hidden but accessible. Use for linens, cookbooks, or small appliances.
• Countertop storage bins – Square bins corral fruits and veggies or serve as in-counter recycling bins.
• Pantry bins – Clear or stackable bins to sort and see pantry goods. Label with contents.
• Utensil bins – Separate cooking utensils into divided countertop bins for easy access.
• Deep utility baskets – Use to store bulky items like dish soap, cleaning supplies, or extra food.
• Wire stacking baskets – Banded wire baskets stack vertically to optimize shelf or cabinet space.
• Hanging wire baskets – Hang these from overhead pot racks for a rustic look and extra storage.

Simple, inexpensive bins and baskets are storage superheroes. Use them everywhere to organize kitchen items neatly.

Frequently Asked Questions About The 15 Most Popular Kitchen Storage Ideas

Kitchen storage solutions inspire lots of questions. Here are some common FAQs:

How do I choose the best cabinet organizers for my space?

Measure inside your cabinets so you select organizers that fit properly without wasted space. Also note the shelf configuration and choose organizers suited for those dimensions. For example, a cabinet with just vertical space would benefit most from tiered shelving rather than a spinning lazy susan.

What are the best places to use open shelving in the kitchen?

Open shelving works best for items you use frequently that don’t need to be hidden away. Keep them within easy reach near countertops. For example, mount open spice racks near cooking areas or glass shelving for pretty serving dishes near the dining space.

What are some ways to