Tired of digging through the kitchen cabinets to find a casserole dish? Looking for a special place to store those oversized stock pots or showcase a collection of antique tea pots?

 

The solution is in the storage. In today's kitchens, that can mean:

 

·         roll out bins

·         wall pantries

·         extra deep drawers

·         lazy Susan's

·         wire baskets

 

Items should be stored in a convenient location, near the appropriate work area of the kitchen. Think about how your kitchen will be used, then divide the list into categories:

 

·         canned goods and pantry items

·         baking supplies

·         large pots and pans

·         cutlery

·         cleaning supplies

·         recycling

 

Canned Goods and Pantry Items

Wall pantries often are the best solution for organizing canned products, large containers of spices, and paper goods. Depending upon the size of the kitchen, the pantry could be 84 to 96-inches high with adjustable shelves and drawers that pull out.

 

Home owners often pay $1,200 to $3,500 for a wall pantry, depending upon the size and design, said John Dalbis, owner of Showcase Kitchens and Design in Geneva, IL. Look for pantries with four to six trays that can be pulled out individually, as these allow for easy access to items throughout the pantry.

 

Other options are:

• free-standing storage units available through home improvement stores
• antique and second-hand hutches that will add a little history to your kitchen
• A base cabinet with tall slide-out drawers for large pots and pans
• a sink base cabinets with trays in the front that will hold scouring pads or sponges. The tray top is pulled down to access the storage area. These are priced at $60 to $100.
• A recycling center  -- with two or three bins that roll out from a cabinet. These can range from $150 to $800, depending on how fancy they are.

 

Another Storage Tip

When storing pots and pans and heavy baking equipment, such as mixers, it is important to distribute the weight evenly throughout the cabinet. Don't put the heaviest things on the bottom, as you're going to be reaching and bending to pull them out.

 

Baking Supplies

Those who like to bake should set aside a cabinet under the baking area for all those supplies. The cabinet can have:

 

• vertical dividers for trays
• baskets that pull out for storing baking ingredients
• a lazy Susan design, with shelves that rotate in a circle

 

Items that are used infrequently, such as holiday cookie cutters, can be stored in the back of a base cabinet or wall pantry with pull out drawers. This will allow for quick access when needed, but save the front of the cabinet for items that are used more regularly.

 

Cutlery

Cutting boards and knives should be stored near the sink for easy access. There are cabinets designed with cutting boards built into the drawer area. A cover over the drawer flips down and the cutting board can be removed. Other cabinets are made with drawers that pull out and contain dividers for cutlery.

 

Cleaning Supplies

Many people store cleaning supplies in the cabinet under the sink, particularly if they do not have a laundry room or pantry nearby. While that location is convenient, the space quickly becomes crowded.

 

One solution is to move the garbage can to a cabinet next to the sink. Such a cabinet has one or two sections for garbage and a drawer that rolls out or tilts forward at an angle. The cleaning supplies then would be organized under the sink by using wire baskets to group the various containers and sponges.

 

Or, keep the garbage can under the sink along with garbage bags, sandwich bags and lunch bags. Then put the cleaning supplies in a 9-inch wide base cabinet next to the sink. The cabinet has shelves that pull out and are large enough to hold dish washing liquid and those old cleaning rags.  This design also helps keep the cleaning supplies out of the reach of small children and pets.