Ditch Traditional Utensil Drawer Organizers For A Customizable Alternative

An organized utensil drawer is compulsory for reducing the jingle jangle every time it rolls open, saving a few seconds when it's time to set the table, and preventing you from having to search for the same vegetable peeler use after use. An everyday tray is great for keeping everything tidy, and its portability is convenient for keeping the utensil drawer clean. But preordained cutlery organizers might provide too much or too little space, or fail to meet your needs in other ways.

Bespoke drawer organizers, manufactured based on your own measurements, can be an improvement, but they can be expensive and they can't be altered later. What if you begin a mother of pearl spoon collection and suddenly need a petite section to stack them in? You can also build your own drawer dividers, but you'll need the materials and, of course, the know-how. Expandable organizers might get a little closer to what you're looking for, plus you can typically collapse sections as needed. But only individual containers allow you to maximize your mixing and matching. And thankfully, there are quite a few different options for these kinds of drawer separators. 

While you could technically use any appropriately sized containers to store your forks, knives, lobster picks, and chopsticks, dedicated items will be easier to arrange and maintain. Stackable wood compartments look polished and do a decent job of dampening sound. Glass works fine as well, but will not reduce any metal pings as you jostle the drawer. Hard plastic is even worse in that regard, plus it will scratch and crack easily.

The silicone trays that you might more commonly find topping vanities are great in this case. Their rubbery finish and grip will prevent some clattering sounds, and the material's softness won't risk chipping any countertops when moved around. Measure twice and size up or down depending on the flatware you're looking to store. And luckily, if you don't need to use a specific compartment for your flatware anymore, you can also use these lightweight, flexible silicone trays elsewhere around the kitchen, like under a bottle of dish soap or to help give your junk drawer a major overhaul once and for all.