We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.
These clever storage solutions make cookware, snacks, spices, and other kitchen essentials easily accessible and aesthetically pleasing. High Cabinet Pull Basket
Most days, all you have time for is getting dinner on the table and the plates in the dishwasher. But when you get the chance to deep clean, declutter, and organize, tackling your kitchen cabinets should be at the top of your list.
“Organizing your kitchen cabinets can help you make the most of the storage space,” says Joanna Wirick, a professional organizer at Joanna Organize. “When you know exactly where everything is, you can utilize the full height and depth of your cabinets. This can help you avoid wasted space and make room for more items. Plus, you won't waste time searching for items or moving things around to get to what you need.”
From cookware to spices to cleaning supplies, there’s a storage solution for everything in your kitchen cabinets. Keep scrolling to shop the best organizers for tidying up cupboards.
If you share your household with anyone, you probably have a lot of water bottles. And we'd bet they take over whichever cabinet or shelf they live in because water bottles multiply. Getting a water bottle from crowded cabinets is maddening if you have the metal type that clangs, so organization is key. We love this 4-tier water bottle organizer that fits 16 bottles or cups. It's clear acrylic, which fits seamlessly into any decor scheme. Assembly takes minutes, and it fits most water bottle sizes, even those fat-bodied camping ones. You can also use it for a more modern wine rack if you like the all-acrylic storage look.
Dimensions: 17.5 x 14.9 x 13.8 inches | Material: Plastic
“If you have a small kitchen, look to see where adding a shelf to any of the cabinets can increase the amount of space you have,” says Michele Vig, the founder and chief organizer of Neat Little Nest. An excellent option is this set of two sturdy metal shelves, which earn the best overall slot on our list. With one slightly smaller than the other, these can stack vertically, overlap slightly for narrower cabinets, or stand on their own to create a large second level in your cabinet. The metal frames can support up to 30 pounds, so you can confidently use these shelves to house anything from spices to coffee mugs to dishes. And at just $20 for two shelves, the price is hard to beat.
Dimensions: 11.25 x 7.9 x 5.4 inches; 2.7 x 9 x 5.9 inches | Material: Alloy steel
Wirick agrees that one of the most efficient ways to organize your cabinets is to make use of empty vertical space. To do so, “install pull-out shelves or use risers to take advantage of the full height of your cabinets,” she suggests. For a system built to last — and to hold anything you want to store — splurge on this two-tier pull-out basket system from Rev-A-Shelf. After mounting it inside your cabinet, the metal wire shelves extend out and support up to 50 pounds each so you can easily retrieve and stow pots, dishes, and other kitchen tools. There are seven different sizes to choose from to suit your cabinet size.
Dimensions: 14.75 x 22 x 19 inches | Material: Steel
Pots and pans are big and bulky — and with different designs and handles on each one, they can seem almost impossible to store efficiently. If you don't have a stackable set, this five-tier organizing rack will allow you to easily store pots and pans vertically. With five shelves of varying heights and widths, you can store skillets, sauté pans, griddles, and even shallow saucepans. And at just over one foot tall, it will fit in almost any cabinet, though you can also use it horizontally if that better suits your space. Finally, with a 50-pound capacity, bring on your cast iron, ceramic, and carbon steel cookware; this organizer can handle it.
Dimensions: 10.5 x 8 x 12.2 inches | Material: Steel
Many home cooks are savvy enough to store their cutting boards, cookie sheets, cooling racks, and muffin tins vertically, but that doesn’t help with accessibility when small pans get hidden in the mix. This YouCopia bakeware rack is the solution, featuring seven adjustable dividers you can place as close together or as far apart as you’d like to accommodate different sizes and styles of pans for easy removal. Plus, the non-slip feet on the bottom of the rack ensure it won’t slide around in the cupboard, and you won’t risk pulling the whole thing out.
Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.25 x 6.38 inches | Material: Plastic base and coated steel dividers
Out of all the kitchen cabinets, one of those most prone to clutter and disorganization is the spice cabinet. While Vig recommends storing your spices in drawers if possible, not everyone has the drawer space to do so. We love this spice rack organizer, which contains a set of mini shelves designed to prevent you from having to remove every jar to the counter whenever you can’t find the coriander. Three shelves accommodate up to 24 spice jars or bottles total, and adjustable dividers ensure you can fit the tallest and shortest in your arsenal. It also comes with printed and blank labels, so you know where each spice lives and can access it quickly (plus return it to its proper place when you’re done).
Dimensions: 10.5 x 11 x 8.3 inches | Material: Plastic
If the two-tier wire shelf above is too big or pricey, consider this single pull-out shelf from Lynk Professional. When mounted on the bottom of your cabinet, this commercial-quality steel and chrome shelf effortlessly slides in and out. As a single shelf, it’s perfect for tall bottles of oil or liquor or small kitchen appliances, such as a food processor, that require more effort to reach from the back of the cupboard. It comes in various sizes to suit your needs.
Dimensions: 18 x 11 x 4 inches | Material: Chrome and steel
Those oddly shaped cabinets tucked into the corners of your kitchen offer some of the largest storage spaces, but they are also some of the most difficult to access — and hard-to-reach places are breeding grounds for disarray. “When your cabinets are disorganized, you may end up buying items you already have or letting food expire because you didn't see it buried in the back of a cabinet,” says Wirick. “Organizing your cabinets can help you keep track of what you have, reducing waste and saving you money.” One timeless organizing trick: Utilizing lazy Susans, like this non-slip one with three clear, removable bins, to make it easy to see what you have and restock when you’re out. You can also get it with six bins if you have more snacks to organize.
Dimensions: 10.8 x 10.8 x 4.3 inches | Material: Plastic
“Clear containers are one of the best ways to keep your pantry organized,” says Wirick. “Use them to store items like cereal, grains, legumes, and snacks. This makes it easy to see what you have on hand and when it's time to restock.” We love this inexpensive set of large bins, which have handles for easy access and ample space to fit bottles of water, boxes of crackers, or bags of chips.
Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 6 inches | Material: Plastic
For large pantries or cabinets with space between the door and the shelves, consider adding this over-the-door hanging holder. The steel basket is ideal for small cutting boards, cookie sheets, baking pans, or even long rectangular boxes of plastic wrap and aluminum foil, creating additional storage space where there wasn’t any before. The ultra-thin hooks fit over most cabinet doors, but you can also remove them and mount the basket on a wall or inside a door if you’d prefer.
Dimensions: 13.5 x 3.62 x 18.5 inches | Material: Alloy steel
Sliding shelves are great for items that stand on their own, but what about those that don’t or that easily topple over? In these cases, skip the sliding shelves and opt for sliding baskets. This two-tier organizer from Simple Houseware features two white metal baskets great for corralling small items such as spices, canned foods, and condiments. Plus, the freestanding unit doesn’t need to be mounted, allowing for easy removal if you decide its services are needed elsewhere.
Dimensions: 14 x 8 x 12.75 inches | Material: Metal
Whether you’re trying to maximize the space in your cabinets or the corner of your countertop, this stylish bamboo corner shelf unit is an excellent pick for spaces both visible and behind closed doors. The thick slats on the wooden shelves ensure they can hold various food items and kitchen tools, while the snug corner fit eliminates the risk of small items falling behind the shelves. And as a bonus, if you’re entertaining and need extra space to display food, you can pop it out of the cabinet to do double duty — it’s certainly attractive enough.
Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 9.5 inches | Material: Bamboo
Don’t be thrown off by the name of this item: We love using this drying rack as an organizer because storing your dishes upright offers easier access, is safer and gentler on them than stacking them in a pile, and will also help you cycle through them (as opposed to using the same four plates every day). The rack is sturdy, fits in most cabinets, and has 19 slots to fit all your dinner plates and then some. It fits snugly inside the drainboard but you can also use the rack on its own if you’d prefer to ditch the plastic base and stand the rack on a shelf liner instead.
Dimensions: 16.6 x 9.2 x 2 inches | Material: Steel and plastic
Let’s be honest: Our food storage containers would be much better organized if it weren’t for all those lids floating around and cluttering up the cabinet. Fortunately, this lid organizer provides the solution we’ve needed for years. With six adjustable dividers, you can separate it to accommodate all the different sizes and shapes of lids you have. The base itself is expandable, so you can adjust its footprint based on the number of lids you need it to hold and how much space you have in your cabinet. Finally, the included labels allow you to take your organization a step further by categorizing each section by lid size.
Dimensions: 17.3 x 10.8 x 3.8 inches | Material: Plastic
How many times have you bought canned foods thinking you were out, but they were really just hidden in the back? If you can relate, opt for this rack organizer, which holds up to 36 cans (the average 14–15 ounce size) lying on their sides. The slightly angled shelves make it easy to see all the cans in your cabinet, while moveable dividers help you categorize your cans. And despite its large capacity, the unit will fit in most cabinets. By removing the dividers, you can fit 28-ounce cans on the top shelf and soda cans on any of them.
Dimensions: 17.37 x 13 x 13.75 inches | Material: Metal and plastic
The first and most obvious thing to ask yourself when shopping for kitchen cabinet organizers is what items you want to organize. While some organizing systems, like shelves, can be used for many different types of items, others are specific to one thing, such as spices or cookware. We suggest getting a few extra versatile storage solutions to have on hand because odds are you’ll end up needing them in the kitchen or another room.
The things you are organizing will help you determine the style of organizer that works best, but the location of those items also plays a role. For example, pull-out shelves and baskets are typically best for under-the-counter cabinets, while lazy Susans and shelves tend to be easier to access from above-the-counter cabinets. Others still may work best in a large pantry as opposed to the standard-size cabinets above or below your countertop.
Whether they are made from metal, plastic, or wood, all the organizers on this list are sturdy and well-constructed. The color of the material may come into play more if you intend for the organizer to be in a highly visible part of your kitchen, such as on an open shelf or in a cabinet with glass doors. If you’re going to see it every time you walk through the kitchen, you’ll want to choose one that’s equally functional and attractive.
Carefully measure your cabinet space before investing in an organizer, noting the width, depth, and height of every shelf. Also, check to see if your existing cabinet shelves are adjustable and if that may be a worthy change before your organizer arrives.
The kitchen is one of the most high-traffic areas in the home, which is why it is crucial to keep it organized. The first and most important step is making sure everything has a logical place based on where your kitchen cabinets are located.
“Assigning kitchen cabinets to hold specific items is a great way to keep your kitchen organized and make it easier to find what you need,” Wirick says. “When you assign specific cabinets to certain items, you can create a logical flow that makes sense for your cooking and meal prep needs.” She recommends grouping items by function. “Kitchen items are either for prepping, cooking, baking, or serving. Group similar items together based on how they’re used.” This will prevent mad dashes across the kitchen in the middle of cooking to find the right spice or spoon and save the time you would have spent before a party searching for your favorite cheese board.
Pull Out Functional Storage Basket Alyssa Sybertz is an experienced food and cooking writer and recipe developer who covers anything and everything you may find in your kitchen for Food & Wine. For this article, she spoke with professional organizers and scoured the market to find the best cabinet organizers for every kitchen.