Cupboards or Drawers: Which Work Best in the Kitchen?
If you're renovating a kitchen, is it better to install cupboards or drawers below your benchtop? Find out here
Amy Revell
18 June 2018
Houzz Australia Contributor. Declutter Coach and Founder at The Art of Decluttering. I'm based in the leafy suburbs of Melbourne, Australia and work with women to help them create the beautiful homes they've always dreamed of. As an author, speaker and podcaster, I love all things decluttering and embrace the freedom that minimalism brings.
Houzz Australia Contributor. Declutter Coach and Founder at The Art of Decluttering.... More
Kitchens are one of the busiest rooms in a home, and having them set up properly will make meal preparation and entertaining easier. This guide will tell you all you need to know about kitchen cupboards versus kitchen drawers below your bench so you can decide which will work best for your home.
Before you place your cupboard or drawer cabinetry order or make changes to your current layout, here are some things to consider in order to make meal preparation, entertaining and kitchen storage easier and more efficient for your family.
What works best for you?
Most older kitchens have only cupboards, both below the benchtop and above it, and while this is the easiest way create kitchen storage on a budget, it’s not always the best choice for modern living. But before you throw out all your shelving and replace it with drawers, it’s best to think about your needs, preferences and the way you use your kitchen.
Most older kitchens have only cupboards, both below the benchtop and above it, and while this is the easiest way create kitchen storage on a budget, it’s not always the best choice for modern living. But before you throw out all your shelving and replace it with drawers, it’s best to think about your needs, preferences and the way you use your kitchen.
Drawers
My personal preference is to have drawers below benchtops. The reason for this is you can maximise both depth and height while being able to see and access everything you store inside them.
Need professional advice on the best joinery for your kitchen? Find a local kitchen designer near you on Houzz to discuss your options
My personal preference is to have drawers below benchtops. The reason for this is you can maximise both depth and height while being able to see and access everything you store inside them.
Need professional advice on the best joinery for your kitchen? Find a local kitchen designer near you on Houzz to discuss your options
Many times while decluttering older kitchens for my business, I’ve crouched on the floor trying to reach into the back of a corner cupboard to retrieve items long forgotten. If you have space you can’t easily see or reach, it’s wasted storage potential.
Also consider the ergonomic features of having drawers below benches. No longer do you have to crouch down to fossick around in the dark, reaching behind stacks of bowls and having to move the things at the front to reach those at the back.
When I’m helping a client organise their kitchen, there are some items that just make sense to store in drawers. Pots and pans are so much more accessible in kitchen drawers than if you had to stack them in cupboards. The reason is simple: you can see what you have at a glance.
Browse more beautiful kitchens on Houzz
When I’m helping a client organise their kitchen, there are some items that just make sense to store in drawers. Pots and pans are so much more accessible in kitchen drawers than if you had to stack them in cupboards. The reason is simple: you can see what you have at a glance.
Browse more beautiful kitchens on Houzz
Some of the most frustrating cupboards I’ve seen in my time are the ‘plastic cupboards’ that house a chaotic mess of containers, where finding a matching base and lid is a near impossibility, and you risk a container avalanche each time you try to put the dishes away.
Plastic containers are best kept in drawers as they have greater capacity and it’s easier to stack items or use drawer dividers to keep like with like.
The other question you may have as you consider kitchen drawers is how deep to make them. I’d avoid making drawers too deep as you’ll find you end up piling everything in there and, instead of making finding things easier, you’ll have to rummage to find what you’re looking for.
Measure the height of items such as your largest saucepan (with the lid on) to ensure you have at least one or two drawers large enough for your bigger items in your design.
Cupboards
Not everything is best kept in drawers though. I find that open shelving (say, in a walk-in pantry) or cabinets are excellent for storing kitchen appliances.
Not everything is best kept in drawers though. I find that open shelving (say, in a walk-in pantry) or cabinets are excellent for storing kitchen appliances.
If you have a food processor, sandwich press, slow cooker or stand mixer, these are heavy items that are easier to store on shelving than in drawers. You may choose to keep just one or two cupboards for these larger appliances.
Convenience Store: 7 Decluttering Tips for Pantry Success
Convenience Store: 7 Decluttering Tips for Pantry Success
What about the dreaded corner cupboard?
The most frustrating and often under-utilised storage area in any kitchen is the corner cupboard. If you can avoid having this space purely as a cupboard I would encourage you to do so.
The most frustrating and often under-utilised storage area in any kitchen is the corner cupboard. If you can avoid having this space purely as a cupboard I would encourage you to do so.
Some options are to have the hardware installed so when you open the cupboard, shelves slide out into the space to become visible and accessible. These create great usable space, but often have weight restrictions to be aware of.
Push and Pull: Kitchen Hardware That’s as Practical as It Is Pretty
Push and Pull: Kitchen Hardware That’s as Practical as It Is Pretty
The other option, as seen here, is to have cabinetry custom made so you can instead insert drawers in this space. They have great capacity, are easier to use and are a good place to keep items you don’t use on a regular basis.
Your kitchen is a high-traffic area and making it as easy to use as possible will make cooking and entertaining a pleasure.
Your kitchen is a high-traffic area and making it as easy to use as possible will make cooking and entertaining a pleasure.
Your turn
Do you prefer cupboards or drawers – or a combination of the two – below your kitchen benchtop? Share your experiences in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Ready to consider your joinery options for your kitchen’s upper cabinets? Read Kitchen Conundrum: Upper Cabinets, Open Shelves or Space?
Do you prefer cupboards or drawers – or a combination of the two – below your kitchen benchtop? Share your experiences in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Ready to consider your joinery options for your kitchen’s upper cabinets? Read Kitchen Conundrum: Upper Cabinets, Open Shelves or Space?
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I recently renovated my kitchen. We extended our old galley kitchen to include the dining room. Mostly drawers down one side and floor-to-ceiling cupboards down the other. I'm loving the drawers.
Omg, no competition. Drawer win. i gave had all drawers in my kitchen for over 10 years and will NEVER have shelves again. Other than pantry ect , cupboards are inconvenient in more ways than i care to mention. Just choose wisely as we are about to build a new house and some of the drawers hardware and corner drawers were flimsy and clunky. Dont get the corner ones that kind of move when you pull them so that they slit into corner, get solid 2 pak style with the corners mitred to slide back perfectly to fit in with the adjoining drawers. Ours are atleast 13 years old and needed no repairs. QUALITY first.
The rack holding the frying pans came from Aldi. Just a little wider than regular. You should be able to find them in a few places.