Replace Your Lazy Susan With These 8 Alternatives That Are Far More Functional

Lazy Susans first spun onto the scene in an ad in "Vanity Fair" back in 1917, which hailed them as revolving servers that would revolutionize household organization and convenience. While the concept actually dates well before the 20th century, the ad worked. Households replaced impractical centerpieces with functional lazy Susan turntables, topping them with serving dishes along with condiments, salt, pepper, and anything else someone might need while enjoying their dinner. Sure, it didn't make for a particularly opulent tablescape, but aesthetics are a small price to pay for convenience. Lazy Susans became staples in kitchen cabinets, too, offering a simple solution to maximizing deep storage spaces. One turn of a lazy Susan, and everything is at your fingertips. It's a classic innovation that stands the test of time, right?

Not so fast. Sure, lazy Susans have their place in household organization, but they sometimes aren't as practical in practice as they are on paper. Especially in cabinets, the usual curved shape wastes valuable space. Further, while the rotating feature is nice, it's not always functional for items often stored in kitchen cabinets, like larger pots, pans, and other cooking tools. These days, there are far more convenient solutions that make the absolute most of every last inch of space so you can organize your kitchen cabinets like a pro, such as pullout trays, shelves, and unique organizers. Check out these eight functional upgrades to the lazy Susan that will put the old girl to rest for good.

Whether you are undertaking a total kitchen cabinet remodel or you just want to DIY a few upgrades, pullout tray drawers make a great replacement for lazy Susans. These sliding trays rest on rails that allow the shelf to extend out from the cabinet, putting everything within reach. You can decide how much space to leave between shelves when you install them, so your pullout tray can hold a tall soup pot or thin oven pans — the choice is yours. These easy-to-install drawers will maximize space in your lower kitchen cabinets.

Corner cabinets are an issue all their own, and lazy Susans were among the best solutions to make the most of this awkward space for a long time. However, a useful upgrade these days is a blind corner cabinet organizer. This cool shelving system sits on an innovative track that slides out from those hard-to-utilize corner spaces. Pull out the first section of shelving, then slide it over to reveal the second section. It tucks all the way into the corner recess so you make the most of every last inch.

Okay, this might not score as high on the innovative front as a lazy Susan, but sometimes the greatest ideas are the simplest. The bottom line is shelves can be built and customized to fit your needs and lifestyle to a T. If your in-cabinet lazy Susan is driving you up the wall, get back to basics with a classic alternative to lazy Susans that maximizes cabinet storage.

If you still like the general idea of a lazy Susan in your cabinet, it's worth the upgrade to the modern model — the super lazy Susan. This updated design ditches the pole often used for in-cabinet lazy Susans and instead fits a rotating tray to each shelf that spans almost the entire depth of a corner cabinet. You can also fit your super lazy Susan with high edges to easily store large items and keep them from toppling as the shelf rotates.

Those who have perfected their dishwasher loading technique (if you haven't, Martha Stewart breaks down loading a dishwasher in seven easy steps) will enjoy replacing their lazy Susan with a pots and pans organizer unit. It converts your cabinets to an efficient storage unit for your pots, pans, and lids using a dishwasher-inspired design, and it can even slide out for added convenience. You can find models like the Rev-A-Shelf 2-Tier Cabinet Organizer on Amazon for around $100 and can install it yourself.

Lazy Susan manufacturers have also sought to reinvent the classic idea, changing up the style and shape of the trays to maximize storage space and enhance convenience. These elongated, petal-shaped trays work like blind organizers for corner cabinets, sliding out and over so the entire tray is within reach while still being attached to the classic lazy Susan cabinet pole. They'll add organization and a touch of style to your cabinets.

If you have tall cabinets in your kitchen, consider converting them into a space-saving pullout pantry. These organizing units have storage compartments that attach to the cabinet door as well as pullout shelving to reveal rows of cooking staples, maximizing space while tucking away neatly inside. If you are tired of your lazy Susan tower in your tall cabinet, you might find a pullout pantry system more convenient.

If you have extra narrow cabinets, a DIY pullout hanging rack can be a great way to utilize the storage space while keeping everything handy. Take a shelf slide rail and attach a piece of wood to it that's thick enough to screw in hanging hooks. Drill holes in the wood for the hooks and screw them in before installing the slide rail to the top of the cabinet. Hook on pots, pans, utensils, and kitchen tools, and simply slide the rack out to grab what you need.