Kitchen storage ideas

A better kitchen storage system helps to keep clutter at bay while keeping your essentials within easy reach.

From using vertical space and hidden compartments to incorporating multifunctional furniture, these innovative storage ideas will transform your kitchen into an organised culinary haven.

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Before you start 

Before committing to new storage solutions, start by checking in on what you have, and decluttering where you can. Follow these three simple steps:

1. Empty out your cabinets and drawers. This gives you a true picture of what you own and helps you spot duplicates, broken items, or things you've forgotten about. It also enables you to give your storage spaces a thorough cleaning. Do one cupboard or drawer at a time, so you're not overwhelmed.
2. Be ruthless about what you'll keep. Toss expired food, donate appliances you never use, and say goodbye to chipped mugs and plates. If you haven't touched it in a year, you probably don't need it.
3. Analyse your daily kitchen habits. Think about which items you use most frequently and how you move through your kitchen when preparing meals. This will help you plan a storage system that matches your actual needs, rather than just cramming things in where there's space. For instance, if you make coffee every morning, keep all your coffee supplies within easy reach of where you prepare it.

For further advice, read how to declutter your home in three simple steps 

Kitchen cupboard storage ideas

It's all too easy to stuff everything inside your kitchen cupboards haphazardly, but a jumble of pots, pans and tons of Tupperware makes it hard to grab the things you need quickly. 

The aim of organising your kitchen cupboards is to give everything its own space, with things you use most frequently being the easiest to access. 

• Pan organisers Use an organiser rack to store pans and lids on their sides. This makes them much easier to grab than if they were stacked, and also prevents scratching. Look for an adjustable rack so you can tailor it to your space.
• Pan-lid organisers If space is limited and you can't accommodate lids together with your pans, consider a pan-lid organiser that mounts inside the cabinet door. You can get similar solutions to store clingfilm and tin foil in this otherwise dead space.
• Pull-out drawers For very deep cabinets, pull-out drawers will help you access items at the back more easily without having to remove everything at the front.
• Tiered shelf risers These are great for smaller items that you use relatively often. They look like a mini staircase and allow you to see and reach items at the back of the cupboard more easily.
• Clear boxes and baskets Rather than rummaging through hard-to-reach cupboards, you can simply take the basket out and find what you need at a glance.

Kitchen corner cupboard storage

Corner cupboards offer lots of space, but it's hard to access items stored right at the back. Installing a cupboard carousel will help, as they pull out to provide access to items that would otherwise be hard to reach. 

Carousels are ideal for storing bulkier items that you don't need every day, such as mixing bowls, blenders, cake tins or slow cookers. 

There are plenty of carousel options available to suit your kitchen layout, from half circles for rectangular units to three-quarter circles for L-shaped units. 

Kidney-bean-shaped shelves (known as Le Mans corner mechanisms) pivot as you pull them out, making it easier to navigate appliances like dishwashers that might protrude from under the worktops. You can also opt for a 'magic corner' system, which has square shelves to maximise every inch of space.

Where to buy corner cupboard storage

• Hafele has a range of options for various cupboard sizes and configurations
• Kitchen Fittings Direct offers a similar range to Hafele
• Ikea's Utrusta range offers a number of pull-out options for drawers, cabinets and larders
• Amazon has a large range of options at various prices

To find out which fitted kitchens performed best in our lab tests and consumer surveys, read our guide to the best and worst kitchens

Kitchen drawer organisers

Organising your kitchen drawers will make it easier to find what you need and prevent any jams. 

Consider the following additions to your drawers:

• Cutlery trays are a must-have for keeping knives, forks and spoons in order. Many have larger slots for utensils too.
• Dividers or tension rods are great for deeper drawers, helping store things like water bottles, pan lids or baking trays upright, and stopping glassware or tableware from sliding around and bumping into each other.   
• Inner or nested drawers are essentially drawers-within-drawers that allow you to store larger items like pans at the bottom, while using the top for smaller items such as utensils. This is generally something you would choose when buying new kitchen units, but there are a few internal drawer options available online, like this one at Kitchen Warehouse. Ikea offers a pull-out work surface that nestles inside a drawer.

Kitchen wall storage ideas

If you're short on storage space in your kitchen, wall-mounted storage is a great way to accommodate everyday items like knives, utensils and mugs that won’t fit in a cupboard or drawer, while keeping worktops clear. Don’t overdo it though, or your kitchen will look cluttered. 

Try the following kitchen wall storage ideas:

• Magnetic knife strip This frees up drawer space and keeps the knives you use most within easy reach. Bear in mind that this may be a safety issue if you have young children who can reach the knives.
• Wall-mounted rail system with hooks This is a great way to store mugs, cooking utensils or even pans. With mugs, install the rail near your kettle with tea and coffee nearby for maximum convenience. For utensils and pans, install it near the oven. 
• Floating shelves Small floating shelves offer a more flexible alternative to a rail system, where you can keep mugs, tea, coffee, sugar and even display items such as plants and pictures.
• Pegboard panels These offer a flexible storage solution for pots, pans, utensils, spices, spices, kitchen roll and all sorts, as you can configure the pegs however you like, and usually add shelves and hooks. 

Victoria Purcell, Which? home content editor:

'I have quite a bit of space between the worktop and wall cabinets, so I have two Ikea Malmbäck floating shelves mounted near the kettle. 

'They're home to everything I need for a brew – my favourite mugs, tea and coffee caddies, plus mini Kilner jars for brown and white sugar. There's even space for a few display items.'

Under sink kitchen storage ideas

The space under the sink is a great place to store cleaning products and tools, plus rubbish bags. 

Organising them into plastic storage boxes will make it easier to find what you need. You might even consider a cleaning caddy, so that you can grab everything you need for your chores in one go.  

But to really optimise under-sink storage, think about vertical space. Adding tiered shelving systems to your cabinet or hanging baskets on the back of your cabinet doors will ensure all available space is used. 

Bear in mind that the space under the sink is not an ideal space to store food, as the hot pipes and damp environment can cause mould and bacterial growth, meaning your food spoils faster.

Kitchen storage trolley

Kitchen storage trolleys are small units on wheels that can function as mobile storage, extra prep space, a dining table or even a home office space. 

They are a great idea in small spaces as they function like kitchen islands but can be moved around as and when needed. 

Opt for a trolley with shelving for more storage capacity. Consider storing knives, chopping boards and pans in it if you want to use it as a prep space.

Larder or pantry

Adding a larder or pantry is the simplest way to maximise your kitchen storage, if you have the space.

The terms larder and pantry are often used interchangeably, but larders were originally cool, dry areas ideal for storing different types of food. Pantries were usually small rooms, such as the cupboard under the stairs, where the temperature is less regulated, making them better suited to housing non-perishables, crockery and other miscellaneous kitchen items. 

A larder cabinet is the modern iteration of these, often incorporated into a kitchen layout at the design stage. Usually double height, they offer space for pasta, spices, tea, coffee, baking supplies and bread. You could create something similar with a freestanding cabinet or sideboard. 

Considering a refresh on a budget? Discover how to paint kitchen cabinets with advice from experts and DIYers who have done it themselves

How to store awkward kitchen items

• Mug storage ideas Install a wall-mounted mug rack with hooks to display and easily access your favorite coffee mugs while saving cupboard space. Alternatively, use a mug tree or floating shelf, with tea, coffee and sugar caddies nearby, so you have everything you need to make a cuppa within easy reach.
• Kitchen utensil storage ideas Use drawer dividers to neatly organise utensils by category, keeping frequently used items near the front for quick access. You could also consider a utensil pot to store essentials on the worktop near your food prep area, or a hanging rail with hooks.
• Plate storage ideas The most effective way to store plates is typically just in a stack in your cupboard. However, it can be tricky to lift heavy stacks to reach the plate you want, especially if you have smaller plates stacked on top of larger ones. A plate rack will make it easier.
• Open shelving This has become popular in modern kitchens as a way to keep plates and cups within easy reach – just bear in mind that they will gather dust. If you have the space, a glass-fronted display cabinet allows you to display crockery while keeping it dust free.

Daniella Delaney Mendes, Which? home, technology and lifestyle content senior editor

'I use big recycled San Marzano tomato cans as my 'spoon rests' when I'm cooking. I also use the tins to store knives and forks rolled in napkins to pop on the table if I'm having an informal dinner party or a BBQ. They bring a bit of Mediterranean sunshine to my life when it's dreary outside.

'I've also recycled an old houseplant pot I wasn't using any more to hold big spoons and spatulas etc on my worktop.'