Guest Post: Steve’s Favorite Kitchen Cabinet Features
Hey y’all, it’s Steve again. I’m taking over for Sarah this week. She had me do a kitchen-related blog thing last year and apparently it was a success. So here we are again. “Fool me once” and all that.
Last year, you may have seen my favorite kitchen essentials, along with my Mix and Match Meatloaf recipe. (If you know me, you know that when I’m not working, I’m cooking in the kitchen.) Although I’m not sharing another recipe this year — seriously, try the meatloaf — I’ve picked a topic that is right in my wheelhouse:
Kitchen cabinetry.
Before I became a general contractor (I won’t say how long ago), I specialized in cabinets. And if you think they’re just boxes with doors, think again. You have the box, the frame, the frame type, the door, the door style, and under each of these categories, dozens (if not hundreds) of options for materials, style, and construction.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to know this stuff.
When we work on your kitchen renovation, we usually spend one of our appointments at a cabinet showroom. I call it Cabinetry 101. We help you learn about the options and get our guidance before you make that investment. (Cabinets are always a major line item in a renovation.) You’ll feel confident in a choice that fits your budget, lifestyle, and home design.
But that’s for another day. Today, let’s keep it fun with my favorite kitchen cabinet features, the ones that make cooking, entertaining, and cleanup easy.
1. Deep Drawers
Deep drawers are the best alternative for lower cabinet storage. Hands down. Things get lost and meet their expiration dates back there. That feeling of stooping down (and tempting fate with a back injury) to peer into the recesses of the cabinet isn’t convenient either. Instead, deep drawers let you see all the contents in one glance.
This is what the deep drawer under my cooktop looks like. Thanks to the depth, these drawers can handle stock pots and a few stacked smaller pots. Now, my saucepans are right there and ready for making a mean marinara. (You can read more about our personal home renovation here.)
2. Pull-Out Trash Can
If you’re like many of our clients, your trash can is loitering in the corner of your kitchen and thwarting traffic patterns. With a pull-out trash can, you can hide it under the counter. No more walking around it or tripping over it.
Whenever possible, I design every kitchen with a pull-out trash can to the left of the sink. Especially when prepping for a crowd, it’s easy to stand at the sink, scrape to the left, rinse in the sink, and then load the dishwasher to the right. It’s all about efficiency… and not trailing spills across the kitchen.
3. Lower Cabinet Roll Out Trays
Lower cabinet roll-out trays are the perfect solution for maximizing storage space in your kitchen. You can pull the tray forward and see all the contents without hunching over like traditional lower kitchen cabinets. The roll-out tray feature is a fantastic way to store platters, mixers, glass casserole dishes, and other items that you don’t want to be stacked so high that they might come crashing down.
We placed these cabinets between our oven and stove, for quickly moving cooked items onto a serving dish. I plate the dish, make a 180° turn, and drop it on the kitchen island for Sarah to take to the dining table. Teamwork.
4. Spice Racks
I’m always reaching for infused olive oils and spices when I’m cooking. Spices are what make the dish. This is why spice racks need to be strategically placed and right at hand. I personally recommend putting them in the cabinets next to the cooktop.
Here’s a look at my trusty spice rack. I’m right-handed so I keep my spices to the right of my cooktop. If you’re left-handed, we would install it to the left of the cooktop. We love customizing kitchen layouts for clients.
The racks themselves are just deep enough to fit the jars, and I also appreciate that they are in a single row so I can see them all at once. I also installed the cabinet’s shelves at the right height to accommodate the oils and bottles of vinegar. If you have ever struggled to fit your olive oil into any cabinet, you know what I’m talking about.
5. Tray Dividers
Tray dividers are one of my favorite items to install in clients’ homes. We generally install these in deep cabinets where things can get lost in the back easily. These dividers enable you to vertically slide your cookie sheets, broiling pans, pizza pans, muffin tins, and other flat-ish items. For example...
You know that awkward space above the fridge that you can barely reach, much less see to the back of? Perfect place for these items. Install a cabinet that is the same depth as the fridge so there is enough room to slide the trays all the way into the space. Done.
I’ll stop here, but if you’re planning a kitchen renovation, we’d be happy to help. Creating spaces for family, good food, and ease is what we do. Contact us here and let’s start the conversation.
Until next time,
Steve (& Sarah)