8 Helpful Ways Shelf
Kitchens are one room that has to put function before beauty. These hardworking rooms are used by most of the family and require an organizational system that will make using the space as easy and seamless as possible. It can be hard to balance all the tools and equipment you use to cook, the dinnerware you eat from, and the food and ingredients in one room. Even more so when all of these get stuffed behind cabinet and pantry doors. And organizing can be even more challenging if you're working with only a little square footage in the kitchen.
Regardless of how much space the room has, finding ways to maximize every inch can help make your kitchen more functional. Utilizing vertical space is one of the bests ways to organize cabinets and pantries. You can double your storage space without having to add any more. Raisers add more shelving to cabinets and pantries, providing another surface in an area that may have been air. And what's best is using them around your kitchen, both in and out of cabinets, to make the room work better for you.
A classic way to use shelf raisers is for storing your plates, saucers, and bowls. Place one in a cabinet, and you can stack all your dinnerware without placing the pieces on top of each other. Not only does this save space, but it can also prevent potentially broken plates when pulling one down and accidentally taking the one on top with it. Dinnerware can have a designated space and be within reach. Consider placing dinner plates at the bottom and bowls and saucers on top of the raiser.
For anyone who has to have their morning cup of coffee or their relaxing spot of tea, a station to organize all your ingredients and tools is a must. Use a shelf raiser on your countertops to create a compact hub with everything needed to make your signature cup within reach. You can have jars of grounds, beans, or tea bags on the top rack, and canisters that hold sugar or honey can also be near. This station will also help free up some room on your counters, giving you more space to work.
If you frequently cook at home, you've probably accumulated a collection of your favorite spices. Even those who don't consider themselves home chefs probably have a few of the basic spices and seasonings. Keeping those organized makes preparing a meal much easier. Use tiered or nesting shelf raisers to keep all the jars straight. The extra bit of elevation allows you to see the spices in the back without moving others out of the way to read the label. Still, it might be best to keep frequently used herbs near the front for easy access.
Make cooking easier with a station of all your go-to's in one spot. Use a long or adjustable shelf raiser over your stove or range to keep your everyday cooking tools within reach. A canister can hold tools such as a spatula, wooden spoon, or whisk. Keep your salt and pepper shakers on the shelf to season your food without going through the cabinets. Any other daily cooking essentials can also be placed on the shelf so preparing a meal is more streamlined.
Use shelf raisers under your sink to keep your cleaning supplies organized. Placing shelf raisers in this area gives this awkward cabinet more space for storage. On top of the shelves, you can have bottles of cleaning products, and underneath the frame can house smaller items like sponges, dishwasher pods, and cleaning brushes. Shelf raisers can also help organize boxes for garbage bags or detergent. Raisers with a sliding ability can also make reaching into awkwardly shaped cabinets easier.
Avid users of removable water bottles know how quickly they can accumulate, and they may also know how difficult storage sometimes is. Water bottles can be taller than the height of the cabinet shelf, so they can't be stored upright. But stacking them on their side can cause an avalanche when taking one down. Instead, use shelf raisers, so the water bottles can be stored on their side without having to stack them directly on top of each other. One that has gaps will also help hold the water bottles in place.
For anyone who likes to bake, keeping all of your bakeware and supplies organized will ensure smooth sailing as you move through the recipe. You can stack mixing bowls, measuring cups, spoons, pie pans, and more on these. With this storage method, baking supplies can have their own separate space without shifting around or moving things to get to what you need. Similarly, you can use shelf raisers to keep common baking ingredients like flour, sugar, or chocolate chips clustered together but organized in the cabinets.
In your pantry or pantry cabinet, shelf raisers can help organize your canned goods and sauce jars. One shelf can have cans, and the other jars or any combination that will make your kitchen work for you. Place multiples of the same cans or jars in rows if you have flat raisers. This organizational method lets you see everything in the cabinet and quickly take them down without moving around too much. Use tiered shelf raisers to see what's in the back of your pantry.