Avoid This Kitchen Cabinet Storage Mistake If You Don't Want To Waste Space

If you're limited on space in your food pantry or kitchen cabinets, and you want to maximize it, plastic storage bins can definitely come in handy. They can help you take advantage of vertical space while giving you the option to categorize your food items to make them easier to find. But, as @lifewith.marisa on TikTok pointed out, some bin options are better than others when it comes to space maximization. When choosing between bins with slanted walls and straight walls, choose the straight walls, which can help you better organize your pantry or cabinet.

Most people focus primarily on the size, overall appearance, and price when selecting a storage bin for their kitchen, but the shape should also be considered if you want to prevent wasting space. With the slanted-edge design, you'll get more storage space at the top of the bin, but less at the bottom. You'll also have less room between adjacent bins since the slanted edges of each will create a gap (AKA wasted space). With the straight-edge option, you'll be able to take advantage of more space within and outside of the bins.

The TikToker purchased the iDesign Cabinet Bins for her comparison video. Although she doesn't mention the price or store, the sticker on the label shows $9.99 for an 8-by-10-by-5-inch bin. A Google search for the item reveals that the bins are available at Walmart, Home Depot, The Container Store, and, of course, directly from the iDesign. Prices vary, depending on the size you choose and from what store you buy them.

If $10 for a single plastic storage bin seems a little too pricey for you, there are plenty of ways to pay less for comparable bins or get more storage volume for the same price. Walmart sells a 3-pack of iDesign storage bins for $27.55, each measuring 14½-by-8-by-4-inches, which gives you more volume than the one in the TikTok video. If you're open to other brands, Target offers the 6½-by-9-by-12-inch Brightroom Bathroom Organizer Bin for $8. Although the dimensions aren't exactly the same as the $9.99 iDesign version, this option gives you more storage space.

What's nice about the iDesign and many other straight-edge storage bins is that they can be stacked, but of course, the items can't exceed the height of the bins. If they do, like in the TikTok video, you can still place the bins next to each other in your pantry or cabinet without a gap.