Straight to the Level
Our favourite drawer organizer is the Pipishell Bamboo Expandable Drawer Organizer—it’s enticing, sturdy, and has loads of cupboard space. For knives, the Knife Dock accommodates blades of all sizes.
Group is nice for the thoughts, soul, and kitchen. And utilizing a drawer organizer is just about a no brainer. It is cheap, simple to put in, and makes utensil group easy.
Kitchen drawer organizers may not be as high-tech as a number of the different gadgets we’ve reviewed (no timers or thermometers have been concerned on this testing). Nonetheless, not like a specialised equipment, you’ll most definitely work together along with your kitchen drawers every single day—be it to seize a spoon or chef’s knife.
I examined 13 organizers starting from $9 to $90 to seek out the very best options for big and small drawers, and the whole lot in between.
The Winners, at a Look
The Finest Kitchen Drawer Organizer
![Amazon Pipishell Bamboo Expandable Drawer Organizer](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/J2mK3rwLbIZv974IwMmOvYmqaQM=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/pipishell-bamboo-expandable-drawer-organizer-1a0c060d57804278808ccef0ba3d37bb.jpg)
Amazon
The Pipishell was good-looking and waterproof. Even with out increasing the edges, it contains two sections lengthy sufficient to retailer serving utensils or picket spoons. As soon as an expandable drawer is pulled out, you’ll have an extra-long spot for cumbersome instruments like spatulas and whisks.
The Finest Deeper Kitchen Drawer Organizer
![Amazon Umilife Bamboo Kitchen Drawer Organizer](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/d7rCegwl6awGyNzDVbv95SChCBo=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Umilife-Bamboo-Kitchen-Drawer-Organizer-bd7d072df527421c972b345cc4eef9fc.jpg)
Amazon
Of all of the fashions I examined, the Umlife supplied the deepest compartments (2.5 inches, to be actual), making probably the most out of a drawer’s vertical house.
The Finest Plastic Kitchen Drawer Organizer
![Amazon Madesmart Classic Large Silverware Tray](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/NXAo4_Ki60Ta0bHaSxH66Lv-JRs=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Madesmart-Classic-Large-Silverware-Tray-4f7358925cfb4dbc83f5d198dda854b9.jpg)
Amazon
This low-maintenance mannequin is stain-resistant and straightforward to wash. It could possibly maintain a considerable amount of cutlery and contains an extra-long compartment.
The Finest Kitchen Drawer Organizer for Knives
![Amazon Knife Dock In-Drawer Knife Storage](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/FQr2pZfZbxVdSuiCDsUiSjRJjMo=/fit-in/1500x1001/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Knife-Dock-In-Drawer-Knife-Storage-b0e9faaf1c854e3db6a93f843c01e385.jpg)
Amazon
With regards to organizing sharp kitchen knives, the Knifedock storage block has been our favourite in-drawer resolution for years. This mannequin makes use of skinny cork dividers to guard your blades (and fingers!).
The Exams
Critical Eats / Madeline Muzzi
- Capability Check: To judge storage capability, I crammed every drawer organizer with flatware, instruments, and utensils. For consistency, I positioned gadgets in every organizer in the identical order.
- Match and Usability Check: I positioned every organizer in a big drawer and crammed it with utensils, checking for drawer clearance, shifting, and any useful options (like increasing sides).
- Cleansing Check: I cleaned every drawer organizer in response to producer directions, noting how simple this was to do.
What We Discovered
Compartments Had been Key
Critical Eats / Madeline Muzzi
The entire fashions that I examined have been primarily rectangles divided into smaller sections. The Honey-Can-Do drawer organizer took probably the most fundamental strategy—it was divided into three giant, evenly sized parts. On the opposite finish of the spectrum, the Joseph Joseph Blox affords as much as 10 compartments of assorted sizes. Neither of those approaches felt sensible—the Honey Can Do couldn’t accommodate something past fundamental cutlery, and a number of the Joseph Joseph compartments have been too small even for an espresso spoon.
Critical Eats / Madeline Muzzi
Our favourite fashions fell someplace within the center, with small, separated compartments for day by day cutlery in addition to a couple of bigger compartments for storing bigger utensils like whisks and spatulas.
Customizable Fashions Had Their Limits
Critical Eats / Madeline Muzzi
Expandable and customizable organizers promise to suit completely into all kinds of drawers, however they’re not foolproof. Seven of the 12 fashions I examined have been expandable and described their measurements as a variety. For instance, the OXO Good Grips Expandable Utensil Organizer states it is 9.8 to 18.05 inches huge. This, nevertheless, is barely deceptive. In actuality, this mannequin options notches, and might solely increase to particular factors inside that vary. I examined this organizer in a 16.5-inch drawer and although this fell throughout the acknowledged vary, the OXO could not increase to that actual width. Our winner, the Pipishell, has an additional 1.6 inches of expandable house. It is sufficient to be helpful however does not overpromise and underdeliver.
Supplies Mattered
Critical Eats / Madeline Muzzi
Drawer organizers don’t typically require a lot upkeep. That being mentioned, some supplies are simpler to wash than others. The vast majority of the dividers I examined have been bamboo or plastic—the steel Honey-Can-Do and hardwood Williams Sonoma choices being the one exceptions. Usually talking, plastic fashions have been simpler to wash. Beads of water rolled proper off of them. Bamboo, then again, requires extra cautious upkeep. As a porous materials, bamboo has an extended drying time in comparison with plastic. An excessive amount of water might trigger the wooden to warp, so it needs to be cleaned with a humid rag and left to dry fully.
The Standards: What to Search for in a Kitchen Drawer Organizer
Critical Eats / Madeline Muzzi
Search for a kitchen drawer organizer with quite a lot of compartment sizes and no less than one lengthy part. Measure your drawers earlier than ordering and select a mannequin that matches your house, as overly expandable fashions aren’t as customizable as they might appear.
The Finest Kitchen Drawer Organizers
The Finest Kitchen Drawer Organizer
![Amazon Pipishell Bamboo Expandable Drawer Organizer](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/J2mK3rwLbIZv974IwMmOvYmqaQM=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/pipishell-bamboo-expandable-drawer-organizer-1a0c060d57804278808ccef0ba3d37bb.jpg)
Amazon
What we appreciated: This well-designed storage system helps get probably the most out of your house, with a number of longer compartments and smaller ones that completely match flatware. The expandable leaves created a satisfying end-to-end slot in a 21-inch kitchen drawer and the Pipishell sports activities a water-proof coating that simplifies cleanup and reduces future upkeep wants.
What we didn’t like: This organizer is designed with a central, elevated tray and two drawers that increase out from beneath. If I need to say one thing detrimental, it is that this building creates barely shallower, main storage compartments.
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 16.73 x 12.99 x 1.89 inches
- Materials: Bamboo
- Care directions: Hand-wash
Critical Eats / Madeline Muzzi
The Finest Deeper Kitchen Drawer Organizer
![Amazon Umilife Bamboo Kitchen Drawer Organizer](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/d7rCegwl6awGyNzDVbv95SChCBo=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Umilife-Bamboo-Kitchen-Drawer-Organizer-bd7d072df527421c972b345cc4eef9fc.jpg)
Amazon
What we appreciated: This can be a sturdy, no-frills drawer organizer with spectacular storage capability. The deep compartments can maintain giant quantities of cutlery, and the tall partitions maintain the whole lot from whisks to can openers securely in place.
What we didn’t like: The Umilife is designed with 5 vertical and two horizontal compartments, all roughly the identical measurement. Though it will probably maintain a powerful quantity, the vertical cupboards are for much longer than normal flatware leaving further house so silverware can shift.
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 17 x 13 x 2.5 inches
- Materials: Bamboo
- Care directions: Hand-wash
Critical Eats / Madeline Muzzi
The Finest Plastic Kitchen Drawer Organizer
![Amazon Madesmart Classic Large Silverware Tray](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/NXAo4_Ki60Ta0bHaSxH66Lv-JRs=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Madesmart-Classic-Large-Silverware-Tray-4f7358925cfb4dbc83f5d198dda854b9.jpg)
Amazon
What we appreciated: This can be a easy, sensible drawer organizer with loads of house for the necessities. The Madesmart’s plastic building makes occasional cleansing a breeze. The tray’s non-slip pads guarantee it stays put in a drawer and the “comfortable grip” lining offers a comfortable touchdown spot for utensils.
What we didn’t like: The longer compartment is narrower, so it will probably’t accommodate, say, a cumbersome balloon whisk.
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 1.8 x 12.9 x 16 inches
- Materials: Plastic
- Care directions: Hand-wash
Critical Eats / Madeline Muzzi
The Finest Kitchen Drawer Organizer for Knives
![Amazon Knife Dock In-Drawer Knife Storage](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/FQr2pZfZbxVdSuiCDsUiSjRJjMo=/fit-in/1500x1001/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Knife-Dock-In-Drawer-Knife-Storage-b0e9faaf1c854e3db6a93f843c01e385.jpg)
Amazon
What we appreciated: This can be a low-profile storage resolution that may maintain your knives sharp and fingers intact. It securely holds quite a few blades and the bamboo composite materials protects the sharp edges of knives and retains the handles lined up for straightforward entry. The slim, rectangular form simply suits in most drawers.
What we didn’t like: Relying on the width of your knives (and their handles), you doubtless gained’t have the ability to make use of every slot on this dock.
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 15 x 6 x 2.7 inches
- Supplies: Bamboo; cork composite
- Care directions: Wipe clear
Critical Eats / Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm
The Competitors
- Joseph Joseph Compact Cutlery Drawer Organizer: That is the one possibility appropriate for really tiny drawers. To maximise house, cutlery is saved in angled pockets. Whereas this might work in a pinch, the pockets make it tough to inform which utensil you’re grabbing (the compartments are labeled to assist with this, although) and in addition complicates cleansing.
- OXO Good Grips Expandable Utensil Organizer: This organizer contains subdividers that slide round and cut back the general accessible house. It additionally doesn’t lie completely flat when the expandable drawer is prolonged.
- Simple Houseware Expandable Kitchen Drawer Organizer: This mannequin’s beneficiant capability is undermined by its low cost plastic building.
- Utopia Kitchen Caddy Expandable Drawer Organizer: The Utopia Kitchen Caddy is well-made and thoughtfully designed. It’s virtually similar to the Pipishell (our winner), and will even be a tiny bit sturdier. In a head-to-head competitors, the Pipishell gained based mostly on versatility—whereas our winner can increase to 19.6 inches huge, the Utopia tops out at 18 inches.
- Luxury Bamboo Kitchen Drawer Organizer: I appreciated the bamboo building of this mannequin, however the compartment design fell brief when in comparison with the Pipishell and Utopia organizers.
- Lifewit Silverware Drawer Organizer: Lifewit affords an honest plastic drawer organizer. The fabric felt sturdy, however this mannequin didn’t embrace any full-length compartments at its minimal measurement. You’ll want room to increase the edges should you plan to retailer longer utensils. The expandable drawers have been barely sticky.
- Williams Sonoma Hold Everything Expandable In-Drawer Flatware Organizer: Is that this product good? Sure. Is it $90? Additionally sure. The Williams Sonoma mannequin is created from high-quality wooden, nevertheless it’s exhausting to suggest spending that a lot when different nice fashions value lots much less.
- Honey-Can-Do Steel Mesh 3-Compartment Cutlery Utensil Organizer: This mannequin solely contains three compartments—by far the fewest of the merchandise I examined. After separating our knives, forks, and spoons, I used to be left with a lot of further room and no approach to fill it with out mixing utensils. Except you’re storing place settings for 40 folks, this can be a woefully inefficient use of house.
- Joseph Joseph Blox 10 Piece Plastic Storage Trays: This mannequin’s customizable building initially appeared promising, nevertheless it fell brief throughout testing. The modular parts have been tough to snap collectively, and several other of them have been too small to be sensible.
FAQs
Are drawer dividers price it?
Drawer dividers are cheap—our favourite fashions are priced between $20 and $28—and make organizing cutlery considerably simpler. Utilizing a divider prevents small utensils like forks and spoons from sliding round your drawers and ending up in a jumbled mess.
What’s the very best materials for kitchen drawer organizers?
Bamboo, plastic, and steel are all widespread supplies for drawer organizers. Bamboo is sturdy and will match the within of your drawers, whereas plastic is stain-resistant and straightforward to wash.
Are bamboo drawer dividers good?
Bamboo is a sturdy, sustainable materials for drawer dividers. That being mentioned, this materials might require a bit further upkeep. Bamboo is porous—if submerged for an prolonged interval, it might take up water and warp. Often making use of mineral oil or a wax wooden conditioner will assist maintain bamboo hydrated and in good situation.
Why We’re the Specialists
- Madeline Muzzi is a meals author and avid cook dinner with over 5 years of product testing expertise.
- Madeline has moved seven instances and arranged all kinds of kitchens.
- Madeline beforehand examined flatware and spatulas for Critical Eats, which knowledgeable the utensils she used to check drawer dividers.
- For this overview, Madeline examined 13 kitchen drawer organizers, evaluating their capability, ease of use, and extra.