Let’s be honest. Most of us open our kitchen cabinets and get greeted by a chaotic jungle of Tupperware avalanches, rogue lids, and spice jars that haven’t seen sunlight since 2014. But hey, you’re not alone.
The real kicker? Most kitchens don’t need more space they just need smarter organization. It’s not about more shelves or fancier gadgets (although sometimes, yes please). It’s about using what you’ve got and making every square inch earn its keep.
Alright, let’s roll up our sleeves. Here are 20 ways to organize your kitchen cabinets like a pro but with that human touch. Some are weird. Some are clever. All of them work.
1. Vertical Pan Storage, Because Piles Are Evil
Stacking pans is like playing Jenga with metal. One wrong move and BAM kitchen crash heard three blocks over.
Instead, go vertical.
Use file organizers or install slim dividers in deep cabinets. Slide pans and lids in sideways like books. Now everything’s easy to grab without wrestling a teetering pile of cookware.
2. The Lazy Susan Revolution
If you’ve never used a Lazy Susan inside a cabinet, you’ve never lived. It spins, it shows you what’s hiding in the back, it’s basically magic. Especially good for condiments, sauces, or tiny things you forgot you bought.
Get a double-decker one if you’re feeling extra. Even the deepest corner cabinets bow down to it. Plus, it’s kinda fun spinning it like a wheel of flavor.
3. Tiered Shelf Inserts, Like Stadium Seating for Spices
If your spices are flat on a shelf, half of ‘em are invisible. You reach for cinnamon, grab cumin. Tragedy.
Tiered risers fix that. They lift jars in the back up where you can see ‘em. Like a spice parade, and every jar’s the grand marshal.
4. Use the Inside of Cabinet Doors
Why is that space just… empty? That’s like wasting the back of your phone case it’s begging for function.
Stick on adhesive hooks for pot lids, measuring spoons, or tiny baskets. Even better install a small corkboard or whiteboard for grocery lists. Your cabinet just got a secret life.
5. File Folder Racks for Cutting Boards
This one’s so simple, it hurts. Stick a metal file folder rack in your lower cabinet. Boom cutting boards, baking sheets, even thin pans are suddenly… upright and chillin’.
No more sliding stacks. No more pulling one and having five follow it out like lemmings. You’ll thank yourself every single time.
6. Drawer Inserts That Actually Make Sense
Don’t just shove all the utensils into one chaotic drawer. You end up digging through three whisks to find a single fork.
Use adjustable drawer organizers. Even better? Buy a bamboo one that expands to fit snug like it was made just for your drawer (because it sorta was).
Now everything has a cozy lil’ home. Even the weird potato peeler.
7. Appliance Garage, Hide the Chaos
If your cabinets go down to the counter, convert a section into an “appliance garage.” Hide your toaster, blender, and that juicer you swear you’ll use someday.
Use sliding or tambour-style doors if possible. It keeps clutter off your counter but still easy to grab. And it just sounds cool. “Appliance garage.” Like a cozy hangar for your kitchen tech.
8. Clear Bins for Grouping Like Items
You know those Pinterest kitchens with beautiful labeled bins? They’re not just for show. Clear bins make you feel weirdly in control.
Group snacks, baking supplies, or breakfast items in separate bins. Label them if you’re feeling fancy or don’t. Just having stuff contained already makes a massive difference.
9. Toe-Kick Drawers, The Sneakiest Storage
This one’s next-level. That empty space under your lower cabinets? It’s a goldmine.
Install shallow toe-kick drawers. Perfect for baking sheets, rarely-used tools, or spare dish towels. It’s like discovering a secret room in your house, but for spatulas.
10. Tension Rods as Dividers
Who knew a curtain rod could sort your kitchen chaos? Place a tension rod vertically in a cabinet to keep baking trays and platters upright.
Or go horizontal under the sink and hang spray bottles. Seriously, they cost like 3 bucks and they do wonders. Martha Stewart would be proud.
11. Hanging Baskets for Upper Cabinets
If there’s space between your cabinet shelves and you’re not using it… oof. You’re basically giving up real estate.
Clip-on hanging baskets create an extra mini-shelf. Use them for napkins, wraps, small snacks anything light. It’s like your cabinets just had babies. Storage babies.
12. Label Everything (But Not Like a Maniac)
Labels aren’t just for Type A folks. They genuinely help when your brain is too tired to remember where pasta goes.
Use chalkboard labels for a rustic vibe, or clear tape if you’re subtle. Just don’t go overboard label the essentials and keep it practical. (Your spoon drawer doesn’t need an identity crisis.)
13. Pull-Out Shelves for the Deep Abyss
Deep cabinets are basically Bermuda Triangles. You toss stuff in and it disappears into the void.
Install pull-out shelves. Suddenly, the back row of cans is no longer Narnia. Even your grandma will be impressed.
14. Stackable Shelf Risers, Double the Storage
Got tall shelves? Don’t waste the air. Use risers to double up on levels.
Now mugs don’t have to sit on top of each other like a risky game of ceramic Jenga. Plates, bowls, dry goods everything stacks like a dream. It’s like your cabinet just got a second story.
15. The One In, One Out Rule
Okay, not a product more of a mindset. But maybe the most important one. Every time you buy a new kitchen thing, get rid of one. Old tongs? Gone. Duplicated garlic press? Byeee.
It keeps clutter from creeping back like it always tries to. Think of it as cabinet karma.
16. Pegboard Pull-Outs Inside Cabinets
Imagine opening a cabinet and sliding out a pegboard instead of just a boring shelf. Now hang your measuring cups, whisks, mini sieves, or even small colanders. It’s like a tool wall, but tucked inside secret weapon style.
Plus, it looks so satisfying. And you can move the hooks around anytime your kitchen habits evolve (or devolve).
17. Magnetic Strips, Not Just for Knives
Knives get all the magnetic love. But why not stick magnetic strips inside cabinet doors to hold metal spice jars or measuring spoons?
Attach lightweight containers with metal bottoms. It’s clean, futuristic, and honestly kinda fun to use. Feels like cooking inside a sci-fi movie.
18. DIY Pocket Panels for Lids or Placemats
This one’s oddly charming. Take some thick fabric or stiff plastic, sew or glue into pockets, and mount it inside a lower cabinet door.
Slide in pot lids, trivets, or even baking mats. You’re basically turning your cabinet door into a little organizer backpack. No lid left behind.
19. Stackable Lazy Susans (Yes, Stacked!)
Alright, so we talked Lazy Susans before but now, imagine a two-tiered one inside a tall cabinet. Spin the bottom. Then spin the top. Like a spicey merry-go-round with levels.
Genius for medicine bottles, tea bags, small sauces, or snack cups. Bonus points if you color-code the levels. Red = spicy, yellow = sweet, green = herbal chaos.
20. Secret Sliding Side Pantry in a Cabinet Gap
Ever seen that awkward 4-6 inch space next to your fridge or stove? Turn it into a custom, vertical pull-out pantry. It’s tall. Slim. Rolls out like a drawer.
Store canned goods, baking spices, or long stuff like foil and cling film. It’s basically the Batman of cabinet hacks hidden, sleek, and super useful.
Final Words
Your cabinets aren’t just boxes on a wall. They’ve got quirks. Some are deep, some are shallow. Some sit over the fridge and judge you. Don’t fight their weirdness work with it. Put rarely-used stuff up high, everyday gear at eye level, and heavy things down low. It’s like Feng Shui but for spatulas and soup cans.
No organizing system is perfect. Life gets messy. Kids invade cabinets. You get lazy sometimes. That’s fine.
Just build a setup that makes the mess easier to fix. Because when your kitchen works with you not against you you cook more. You breathe easier. And your Wednesday night grilled cheese suddenly feels like a victory.
FAQs
What’s the best way to organize deep kitchen cabinets?
Pull-out shelves or tiered risers work best so nothing hides in the back.
How do I keep Tupperware from becoming a disaster?
Store lids vertically in a bin and stack containers by size—no random mixing.
Are clear bins really worth it?
Yes. They make groupings visible and stop items from floating all over the cabinet.
How do I organize cabinets without spending money?
Repurpose file racks, tension rods, shoe boxes, or old containers. Creativity is free.
How often should I declutter my cabinets?
Once every 3–6 months is ideal. If you haven’t used it by then… toss it.
