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Kitchen cabinets are essential elements in your kitchen, not only for providing storage but also in creating a focal point for your overall design. Choose good quality ones from a reputable supplier and your investment will last for a very long time. In most cases, however, your kitchen cabinets are not enough to keep everything stored in the most efficient way possible.
Fortunately, reputable cabinet suppliers can offer you options for accessories you can include in your design for kitchen remodeling, or as an addition to your existing design. The suggestions below will show you why you must have these accessories in your kitchen.
Dividers
Cabinets come in various sizes, and you can choose to have one or two shelves to maximize the space. However, these shelves are horizontal, which doesn’t always work so well if you must store anything thin. You can pile up cookie sheets, chopping boards, and pot lids. But they don’t look organized, and it can be a pain (and noisy) to get the ones at the bottom of the pile.
A good way to solve this problem is to put in vertical dividers. So, you can store these items in an upright position. You can put these dividers in any cabinet you want, but they are especially useful for base cabinets that are standard in height, but only between 9 to 12 inches in width.
Drawers
Kitchen cabinets do not automatically include drawers. You must tell your cabinet suppliers how many you want, and if you want a bank of drawers instead of some base cabinets. This is part of your kitchen design, so be sure to consult with a design professional before deciding. Drawers are great. They are flexible and accessible for smaller kitchen things, and you need at least a few top drawers to hold cutlery and small kitchen implements. They are at good height for easy visibility without having to bend down.
The standard three-drawer stack is particularly useful. It consists of a shallow top drawer, typically 6 inches deep, and two deeper drawers under with a depth of 12 inches each. The lower drawers are handy for keeping baking stuff, small pots and pans, lids, and even food. Drawers are an accessory that is a must-have in the kitchen. It streamlines your storage and makes you more efficient because it is versatile and accessible.
Spice units
Most kitchens have a quantity of spices that often go into small bottles, and they can be hard to organize in a standard drawer, cabinet, or shelf. Either they waste space because they are small, or they get stacked and jumbled about so it is hard to find anything. You need a special type of storage to keep your spice bottles organized and accessible, and a spice pullout is an excellent solution.
There are two general types of spice pullouts: wire racks or special base drawers. You can install spice rack pullouts in a wall cabinet, and you can slide each section out to find what you need. If you are replacing your base cabinets, you can add a special spice drawer. It is the same height as standard base cabinets, wide enough to accommodate standard spice bottles in one or two layers and has several levels. It is very similar to a pantry pullout, but narrower.
You should place the spice pullouts near the cook area, so you can easily get what you need when you need it. You might want to put two pullouts on either side of the cook area if you have a lot of spice bottles. It makes your kitchen look more symmetrical.
Corner cabinet accessories
Base and wall cabinets usually leave dead space at the corners, especially in L-shaped and U-shaped kitchen layouts. You can make use of these wasted spaces by specifying accessories that will make a typical corner cabinet more accessible.
Ask your cabinet supplier about Lazy Susans, pullouts, blind corner cabinets, and corner drawers. They will be able to give you some advice on what you need. You will have quite a few options for these, so consult with the designer for the most efficient ones for your layout.
Trash pullouts
Another must-have in the kitchen is trash receptacles, and they must be accessible. However, most people want to keep those out of sight. You can have your cabinet supplier provide you with a trash pullout, also known as a trash cabinet, which keeps your trash hidden, yet easy to access either through a swinging door or by pulling it out.
Most people segregate their trash, so you will probably want a double unit pullout built into the kitchen cabinets. This type of trash cabinet is about 18 inches wide, and often run the depth of the standard base cabinet. Get one with a soft close feature if you can.
Conclusion
These must-have storage accessories are extremely useful and desirable in any kitchen. So, any additional cost you might incur will be worth it in the end. Your kitchen requires many kinds of storage solutions, and these accessories help you become more space and work efficient.
To make sure you get the best advice and prices on your kitchen remodeling and upgrade needs, look through the design options from Cabinets City. We carry some of the best brands in the country, from RTA to custom cabinets, and at the best prices compared to Cabinets to Go and Advance Cabinets. These include Schrock, Fabuwood, J and K, Forevermark, and Wolf Cabinets, each of which come with manufacturer warranties. We always deliver on time, so you will not have to worry about keeping your schedule to stay in budget.
We can advise you on the best cabinets and storage accessories for your kitchen. Give us a call for a free consultation and quote, or visit our showroom in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. We service cities such as Chicago, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Hoffman Estate, Elk Grove Village, and surrounding areas.
