Kitchen Cabinet Organization: How to Decide Where Everything Goes

• Gavin Whitaker
• |
• May 17
• |
• kitchen design

Ever find yourself running around the kitchen just to grab a spatula, while the onions are already burning? You’re not alone. Most kitchen chaos starts with bad cabinet organization. The trick is to put stuff where you actually use it—not just where there’s an empty shelf.

Start by looking at your daily kitchen habits. What do you reach for every single day? If you make coffee each morning, keep mugs and coffee gear close to the machine. Do you always bake on weekends? Stash the flour, mixing bowls, and baking sheets together and within easy reach.

Forget about putting all 'like things' in one spot just because it looks tidy. Remember, the whole point is to create a layout that matches real life—not some showroom. You shouldn’t have to walk six steps to get a frying pan when the stove’s right there. It may sound obvious, but a lot of us still do it wrong. Time to fix it.

• Think Like a Cook: Everyday Habits First
• Choosing Prime Space for Priority Items
• Zoning: Create Kitchen ‘Hot Spots’
• Hack the Awkward Spaces

Think Like a Cook: Everyday Habits First

Putting stuff away in your kitchen should feel like it was made for how you move. Start with the basics: pay attention to what you use the most, and don’t just copy how a friend stores their dishes when they have totally different routines.

An easy way to figure out what matters for you is to actually track your kitchen moves for a few days. Notice which cabinets you open every time you cook, and which ones gather dust. Research from the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) says the average person uses only 20% of their kitchen tools most days—that means you can rearrange 80% of stuff to less prime spots.

The cabinet closest to your prep zone should get your go-to gear: knives, cutting boards, and mixing bowls. Cabinet above the dishwasher? That's perfect for plates and everyday glasses because it cuts down on steps when unloading. If you keep your coffee stuff on one side of the kitchen but make it on the other, you’re wasting time daily.

• Store spices, oils, and pans close to the stove so you don’t leave your food unattended.
• Keep mugs and breakfast bowls in a cabinet near the coffee maker or toaster.
• Put baking trays and mixing bowls together if baking is part of your routine, and near the oven if you use them a lot.
• Use drawer organizers for utensils you use every day, like spatulas or whisks—no digging at rush hour.

Want proof that smart kitchen cabinet organization makes life easier? Take a look at these stats:

In short, the smartest cabinet layout copies what you already do. Set up your space to make moving around natural—not a daily treasure hunt. It’s less about what Pinterest shows off and more about what actually works for you and your family (not to mention your cat, if Whiskers likes to jump in the cabinets).

Choosing Prime Space for Priority Items

This is the part where kitchen cabinet organization makes or breaks your day. Let’s be real: that top shelf over the fridge is not where you want your everyday dishes. Reserve your best cabinet spots—eye-level shelves right by the dishwasher or sink—for the stuff you actually grab multiple times per day. There’s no prize for stacking Tupperware in a spot you can’t even reach without a stool.

Think about the 'prime real estate' in your kitchen, just like you’d pick the best seat at a concert. These are the shelves and drawers between your shoulders and hip level. Stats from a 2024 National Kitchen & Bath Association survey found that 68% of families reached for the same seven items more than any others. So put those MVPs front and center—no bending, stretching, or muttering under your breath necessary.

• Kitchen cabinet organization experts suggest stacking plates and bowls nearest the dishwasher for faster unloading.
• Put pots, pans, and everyday cooking utensils in lower cabinets closest to the stove so you’re not jogging across the kitchen with a heavy cast iron pan.
• If you have kids, dedicate a low drawer or shelf for their cups and dishes—they can grab things themselves and stop asking you every ten minutes.
• Keep oils, salt, and cooking sprays in a caddy near the stove (but not directly above, since steam and heat can mess with them).

Here’s a quick breakdown of common kitchen items and where most homeowners store them for max efficiency:

Try not to let lesser-used gadgets hog the best spots. That stand mixer? Unless it’s a daily workhorse, stick it in a lower cabinet or a pantry. You’re lining up the space for speed and convenience, not nostalgia.

Zoning: Create Kitchen ‘Hot Spots’

If you want your kitchen cabinet organization to actually stick, zoning is the key. The whole idea is simple: group items by how and where you use them, then stash them in the nearest cabinet or drawer. Kitchens aren’t one big storage unit. They’re a bunch of little work zones—think prep, cooking, cleaning, and drinks.

Here’s how to figure out your zones:

• Prep Zone: Put knives, cutting boards, mixing bowls, and measuring cups near the counter you chop and mix on most often.
• Cooking Zone: Pots, pans, spatulas, tongs, oven mitts, and spices go close to the stove. You shouldn’t have to cross the kitchen for a spatula when something’s sizzling.
• Cleaning Zone: Store dish soap, scrubbers, towels, and your trash bags under or next to the sink. It’s way faster to clean up if everything’s on hand.
• Beverage Zone: Keep mugs, glasses, tea, coffee, filters, and even a kettle near your coffee machine or water station. Makes reaching for your caffeine fix on busy mornings less of a hassle.

Zones work because they cut down on steps and keep your workflow smooth. In fact, a study by the National Kitchen & Bath Association found that people save up to 30% of meal prep and clean-up time with proper zoning. That’s real minutes you get back every day.

Don’t overthink it. If your kitchen’s tiny or oddly shaped, double up some zones—like keeping a few cutting boards near both your stove and main prep spot. Use baskets or pull-outs to keep stuff tidy but easy to grab. Once you start zoning, you’ll wonder how you put up with cabinet chaos before.

Hack the Awkward Spaces

Every kitchen has at least one impossible corner cabinet or skinny shelf that seems made for lost Tupperware lids. You can actually put these weird spots to work if you use a few simple tricks.

Corner cabinets are famous for becoming black holes. A rotating Lazy Susan can totally change that. Instead of reaching deep inside, just spin the platform to find spices, oils, or even snacks. For those deep lower cabinets, pull-out baskets or wire shelves let you see everything at once—no more crawling on the floor hunting for your slow cooker.

Got a narrow cabinet next to your oven? Slide-in trays and baking sheets fit perfectly here. Some people even use vertical dividers to hold cutting boards or baking pans upright. Install these with basic hardware from any home store. If you cook a lot, putting baking trays near the oven saves time during meal prep.

That awkward gap above the fridge? It’s not just for dust. Use sturdy bins to store rarely used appliances or bulk items (like the ice cream maker you bust out once a year). Just make sure whatever you put up there isn’t too heavy; it’s safer and easier on your arms.

Here’s a quick look at common awkward spots and what actually works for each:

A final tip: don’t waste prime real estate on items you barely use. Awkward spaces are perfect for those ‘once-in-a-while’ gadgets or special dishes. This leaves the easy-to-reach spots for things you actually use every day—just how kitchen cabinet organization should work.