The Best Place To Store Plates And Cups In Kitchen Cabinets

When you're in the midst of preparing dinner and setting the table, the last thing you probably want to do is fumble around in the kitchen cabinets, looking frantically for plates and cups. It's important to keep your kitchen organized and know where everything is, making sure these items stay within easy reach. Choosing designated spots for plates, bowls, cups, and other everyday kitchen items is essential for staying sane and having the easiest time cooking and performing other tasks in this space. 

Although you can organize your kitchen any way you see fit, there are some best practices that you might want to follow. The best rule of thumb is to put the things you use most often within close reach. Make sure that you can easily access what you need, when you need it. Plates and cups, in particular, tend to get used nearly every day so they should always be in a place that's easy to get to. Don't place them down too low or in high, hard-to-reach spots, but instead, keep them close. You may even want to store kitchen plates in your utensil drawer if you want them to be extra accessible.

While plates and cups are used often and should be placed in easy-to-reach spots in your cabinets and drawers, items you don't use as frequently can take up the remaining space. Serving bowls, platters, or seldom-used appliances such as sandwich presses and ice cream makers can be placed a bit further out of the way. Take note of which items you use every day and which you use weekly, monthly, or even less often. Then, organize your cabinets accordingly.

You should stack up dishes whenever you can. Plates of the same size and shape, for example, can easily be stacked as can many bowls and cups. You can also place many smaller items inside larger ones to save space. However, also remember to store heavier items closer to the lower parts of your kitchen cabinets and keep lighter items higher up to prevent accidents. It's also a good idea to arrange items that you use in specific locations, close to where they will actually be used. Kitchen items such as oven mitts, wooden spoons, spices, and oil and vinegar, for example, can be placed close to the stove so that they'll always be within close reach when cooking.

Aside from cabinets and drawers, you might want to consider making use of affordable storage alternatives to kitchen cabinets as well. Consider adding some wall hooks to your kitchen to store mugs and keep them near your kettle or coffee maker at all times. A pegboard can also be useful for storing and hanging up cookware and other kitchen essentials. Installing a wine glass rack under cabinets can be helpful for keeping wine glasses safe and will allow you to easily grab one when needed

If you find that you need additional storage beyond what your cabinets offer, you may also want to consider adding a freestanding cabinet. These portable units can help pick up the slack and will give you more storage space and flexibility, so they're well worth considering. If you're feeling particularly crafty, you may even want to DIY a freestanding pantry to create the organized kitchen of your dreams.