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Is there a right way to arrange things in the kitchen? Should certain cabinets be near other cabinets? What cabinet is ideal for glassware? There are many questions that may crop up in your mind, especially when setting up a kitchen from scratch. If you’re wondering how to organize your kitchen the right way, confused about where to put things in the kitchen – by the end of this article, you will know the answer.
The answer, of course depends on a variety of different factors – and these may be different for each of us. After all, all our kitchens are different. Our lifestyle and needs may be vastly different too.
At the end of this article I’ll share a handy cheat-sheet that you can refer to anytime, in order to know what should go where in your kitchen.
How to Arrange Your Kitchen Cabinets: The Deciding Factors
Proximity to Kitchen Essentials
What goes where in your kitchen can often depend on how your kitchen is laid out to begin with.
One of the factors that governs how you arrange things in your kitchen is where key essentials like your refrigerator, dishwasher, stove top are located.
In this case it’s important to think of your kitchen in zones or work areas.
For example, it makes the most sense to keep pots and pans near the stove top because you can then quickly grab a pan, place it on the stove and get to work.
Similarly, it’s smart to keep your glassware near the dishwasher to quickly unload and stash.
And pantry items, they are best placed near the fridge – so all your food resides in one zone.
To understand this better and really optimize your time in the kitchen, you can learn about creating kitchen organization zones here.
Frequency Of Use
It’s pretty common-sensical but items used everyday are best kept at quick-grab places.
Like everyday-use oils and dressings can be arranged on the counter in a smart rack.
Common cutlery can be arranged in a top easy-to-access drawer.
Style/type of Cabinets
How your cabinets are designed can determine what you place there.
Slimmer, pull-out cabinets are best for oils and spice jars.
Deeper cabinets can stock pantry items that are not used everyday.
Taller cabinets with extra vertical space can be used to arrange crockery smartly by adding a plate rack or shelf risers.
Overall Available Space
Every kitchen is unique in terms of how it’s designed and the space it has.
Space then becomes a crucial factor in deciding the right way to arrange things your kitchen.
What you’d like to place, and its location in your kitchen can depend a lot on the kind of space you have.
My kitchen had some cabinets that were really wide, so much so things would invariably start getting mixed up, even after I created categories.
So I used that horizontal space to arrange all my pans in a long rack, in a single row – making everything super visible and easy to grab.
What goes where – The Kitchen Organization Cheat Sheet
| Type of Item | Ideal Location | Ideal Storage Space |
| Pots and pans | Near stove top | Large drawer or bottom cabinet |
| Cutlery | Near island/kitchen table | Drawer or countertop storage jars |
| Glassware | Near dishwasher | Top cabinet with optional shelf risers |
| Spices | Near stove top | Drawer or counter rack |
| Cleaning supplies | Near sink | Under sink cabinet |
| Pantry items | Near the fridge | Cabinets under the island Or near the fridge |
| Tea/coffee | Near coffee machine/kettle | On a counter rack or arranged on the island |
