Why Magnets Make The Best Kitchen Cabinet Storage Idea

For ardent foodies and home gourmands, the well-styled kitchen should always come with an abundance of cupboard and counter space. Unfortunately, many kitchens aren't so well-planned. Spices fall out of the cupboard when the doors are opened. Knife blocks take up too much counter space. Easy-to-grab snacks like bananas and individual chip bags take up valuable counter space that could be used for food prep instead of storage. Surprisingly, the solution for these issues comes down to one simple, non-mechanical item: the magnet.

Magnet stations in a kitchen can be set up on the undersides of cabinets, the insides of cupboard doors, and the backsplash of the stove. A setup like this keeps many of the home cook's necessary cooking tools near the stove where they can easily be reached. Savvy home organizers also use magnets to physically add to the counter, drawer, and pantry space. This system couples magnetized hooks with baskets or hanging shelves. These hanging baskets on magnetic hooks are like mini cabinets that can be added and removed as kitchen storage requirements change and evolve. In other words, magnet stations are one easy way to maximize storage space in a small home.

One of the ways people have repurposed their magnets in recent years has been to set up under-cabinet spice stations. These usually hang on the underside of the kitchen cupboard or on the splash guard behind the stove. A magnet that's glued to the top of each spice jar, in turn, attaches to a metal strip that's affixed to the cabinet or the backsplash. When not in use, the home gourmand screws the magnetized lid back on the jar and places the jar close enough to the metal strip to enable the magnet to do its magic.

Because this magnet station is usually close to the stove, the home chef can quickly and easily take the jar off the metal strip and put the spice back on the strip once the task is done. There's no need to reach into the cupboard for a spice or seasoning. All the seasonings a recipe requires are within arm's reach, which makes cooking and food prep faster and easier. However, it isn't only the spice rack whose job should be offloaded to magnet stations. A magnetic strip that holds butcher and carving knives frees up the space the knife block once had on the counter. Magnetic hooks on the stove's backsplash keep hot pads close to the stove. Other items, like hand-held can openers and cooking utensils, can be stashed on a magnetic strip or hooks near the cooking area, too.

When it comes to increasing your kitchen's storage areas, you don't have to stop at just spice jars and hot pads. You can also hook a few metal baskets from Dollar Tree to magnetized hooks to create additional storage cubbies in the kitchen. Because some magnets can hold up to 30 pounds or more, it's possible to stash snacks like individual chip and nut bags, granola bars, and bananas in the hanging baskets. These are also items that can be stashed under the cupboards or on the bottom side of a pantry shelf.

When it's time for after-school snacks, kids can pull the basket off the metal strip and get their snack. If the hooks come off the magnet stations in the process, they're easy enough to reattach to the metal strip. This system minimizes wear and tear on the cabinets. Additionally, aside from snacks, the basket-and-magnetic-hook system is useful for storing dried garlic bulbs, clean kitchen towels, plastic utensils, and other items. This hack allows you to utilize every inch of cabinet storage space without requiring a major cabinet remodel or the outlay of big money.