Kitchen drawers vs cabinets? What to choose? (2024)

Kitchen drawers vs cabinets? What to choose? Well, we have your answer right here! The kitchen is often one of the most used rooms in a home, and if it’s well set, meal preparation and entertainment becomes bliss. Storage is one of the ways to keep a kitchen well organized, and the most basic storage facilities are the drawers and cabinets.

Here are the key points to consider between drawers vs cabinets

1. Space: Consider the amount of wall and floor space you have available for storage. Drawers are a good choice for limited wall space, while cabinets can be mounted on walls or incorporated into an island or pantry.
2. Accessibility: Drawers offer easier access and are useful for frequently used items, while cabinets may be better for larger or oddly shaped items.
3. Organization: Both drawers and cabinets can be organized, but drawers may be easier to keep tidy.
4. Deep drawers: Deep drawers are great for storing large items like pots, pans, and small appliances.
5. Upper cabinets: Upper cabinets can offer extra storage space, but they are not necessary and can take up a lot of head space.
6. Pros of cabinets: Cabinets offer more storage options and are cost-effective and durable.
7. Pros of drawers: Drawers increase usable space, offer more organizational options, and come in different widths and heights.

Drawers are mostly fitted to lower kitchen cabinets below countertops. Generally, deep drawers allow you maximum use of storage space and are ideal for keeping dishes, pots, cookware, and pans in place. On the other hand, door cabinets are better fitted above countertops and ideal for storing lighter items like glassware.

If you’re designing your kitchen and aren’t sure which of the two is ideal for you, you came to the right place. This article will break down all there is to know about deep kitchen drawers versus kitchen cabinets so you can decide which will work best for your kitchen.

In kitchen storage, both drawers and cabinets are useful. Here are some points to consider when deciding which is the best choice for your kitchen:

Space: Do you have a lot of wall space for cabinets rollout shelves, or is floor space more of a concern? Drawers can be a good choice if you have limited wall space, as they can be installed under existing countertops or islands. Cabinets, on the other hand, can be mounted on walls or incorporated into an island or pantry.

Accessibility: Drawers are generally easier to access than cabinets, as you can see and reach everything at a glance. This can be especially helpful for items that you use frequently. However, if you have many or oddly shaped items, cabinets may be a better choice as they can provide more storage space and accommodate larger items.

Organization: Both drawers and cabinets can be organized with dividers, trays, and other accessories, but drawers may be easier to organize and keep tidy. Cabinets can be more challenging to organize, especially if they are deep or have shelves that are difficult to reach.

The choice between drawers and cabinets will depend on your specific needs and the layout of your kitchen. Both options can be effective for kitchen storage.

Is it Better to Have Drawers or Cabinets in the Kitchen?

Whether it’s an old or new home and you’re planning a kitchen remodel, your choice of cabinet style includes standard cabinets with doors with roll-out shelves or deep drawers.

Drawers offer versatile storage options and are less obstacle to traffic in your busy kitchen. Drawers for base cabinets are ergonomic as they let you easily access stuff with just a single-handed pull, while cabinet doors require two hands. Drawers are better used for storing heavier items like cookware and dishes. Customized shallow drawers allow for easy storage of cooking tools, small utensils, spices, and Keurig containers.

Doors with standard shelves are best reserved for upper cabinets to store delicate items like glassware. Base cabinets with doors and shallow shelves can store pots, pans, and small appliances like mixers.

Drawers are the better storage option and can be easily added to existing cabinets. Drawers can be stacked on each other, taking up less space than cabinet designs.

Are Deep Drawers a Good Option?

Deep drawers are a great option if you own large stuff like pots, pans, and smaller appliances. You can fit as many items as you wish in your deep drawers. When purchasing deep drawers, consider the height of your kitchenware. To utilize all the space of a deep drawer, stack organizers come in handy.

Reasons to Use Kitchen Drawers Instead of Cabinets

There are a couple of benefits to owning more kitchen drawers instead of cabinets. Here are a few reasons why you should consider installing more drawers:

Kitchen drawers offer more cubic storage. You can break up the typical lower cabinet space into smaller sections with drawers that give more space. For instance, you can have three or four drawers instead of one cabinet, hence filling more cubic inches.

Kitchen drawers offer better organization of your kitchenware. Instead of one drawer filled with pots and pans, you could do about five or six drawers. You, therefore, get to decide how you want to organize items, drawer by drawer.

Kitchen drawers instead of cabinets mean lesser time wasted when looking for things. It’s also hassle-free since you don’t dig around cabinet shelves or awkwardly reach for a bunch of pots from shelves to look for an item behind it. By simply sliding a drawer, you get precisely what you need.

Modern look. Kitchen drawers give your new kitchen an updated look compared to the traditional cabinets used decades ago.

What Can Be Stored in Kitchen Drawers?

You can store everyday items or the things you use most in the nearest and easiest-to-reach drawers. There’s no limit to what you put in your drawers. You can store dish and paper towels, Tupperware, wraps and foils, plates and serving bowls, glasses, and mugs. You can also place cooking utensils, spices, oven mittens, eating utensils, measuring cups and spoons, and mixing bowls.

What are Deep Kitchen Drawers Used for?

Deep kitchen drawers are used to store and organize large items. You can store large items such heavy saucepans and skillets, stacking pots and Dutch ovens, lids, baking pans, and casserole dishes. You can also create deep dividers to orderly store heavy appliances that you hardly use in kitchen drawers.

Are Upper Kitchen Cabinets Necessary?

Upper cabinets are useful in the kitchen, but they are not necessary. However, cabinets can still be useful depending on your kitchen size and taste.

Available Storage Space

Upper cabinets are a good option for extra storage space. You can use them to store light items like glassware, plates, spices, cans and cartons, pantry items, and baking ingredients.

Open Shelves

Open shelves offer more storage space and are a good option if you don’t have enough length in your kitchen. You can store the frequently used, everyday items on the shelves. Ensure you clean the shelves as they can easily attract dust and grease.

Kitchen Size

Add those upper cabinets if you have a large kitchen and do not want it to have an empty look. With a vast space, the doors of the cabinets won’t be a hindrance, nor will the cabinets alter airflow and lighting in your kitchen. Alternatively, you can use floating or open shelves, hanging rods, or suspended racks.

Can Upper Cabinets Have Drawers?

You can install drawers in your upper cabinets to easily access everything you store. It also allows you to arrange stuff in a more organized manner.

How do I Design a Kitchen Without Upper Kitchen Cabinets?

Upper cabinets are running out of style in modern-day kitchen design. For a kitchen without upper cabinets, you need to consider if your lower drawer storage is enough for the stuff you own. If not, alternative storage includes open shelving racks, hanging rods, and open shelves. Your options are endless as long as you’re creative.

Pros of Cabinets

Cabinets offer more storage options. You can store anything you want in cabinets. You can also be creative and add several, like spice cabinets, cutlery cabinets, or island cabinetry, where you can store more than stock cabinets can hold.

Doored cabinets are flexible, and you can build and modify them as you want, depending on your available space.

Hardwood cabinets are cost-effective and durable.

Pros of Drawers

When thinking about kitchen cabinet drawers vs doors, here are the benefits of drawers:

1. Drawers increase the amount of usable space within your kitchen.
2. Drawers give you more organizational options; you can store small appliances and larger kitchenware separately to keep your drawers organized.
3. Drawers are available in different widths and heights; hence, you can choose the sizes that fit your storage needs.
4. With drawers, you can easily pull the entire box out of the cabinet and reach every item.
5. You can choose drawers to give your kitchen a more classic and modern look.

Are Kitchen Drawers More Expensive Than Cabinets?

Kitchen drawers cost more than standard cabinets. Since drawers take time and more labor to install and they need more materials, they end up being a more expensive option. You require fewer materials and hardware to install kitchen cabinets.

How Many Cabinets Are There in a Typical Kitchen?

A standard 10×10 kitchen with an L-shaped design can hold 12 particularly-sized cabinets. Your design of choice and size of your kitchen will, however, determine the number of custom-made cabinets you get for your kitchen.

How Much Does a Kitchen Cabinet Cost?

The price of a new cabinet, on average, can range anywhere from $2,000 – $ 26,000. The price depends on the type of cabinetry, whether it’s ready-made, custom, or semi-custom, and the material it’s made from.

How Can I Organize my Kitchen Drawers?

The first step of organizing kitchen drawers is taking everything out and sorting through your items. Throw away anything you don’t use, and separate the frequently used items from the ones you only use once in a while. Next, have a spot for everything. Store similar items together, keeping the frequently used utensils near the stove and oven. Drawer organizers are an excellent accessory to help you arrange your stuff in order.

What Can Be Stored in Kitchen Drawers?

As previously mentioned, drawers allow you to stack plates, coffee mugs, pots and pans, and any kitchen appliances. Drawers come in different sizes, from deep to shallow drawers; hence stuff of various sizes can fit in.

Group the Drawer Content

Each drawer should have a group of items that are at least used together when working in the kitchen. For example, you can’t store your pots and cartons in the same drawer. Deep dividers can separate casserole dishes and mixing bowls in one drawer. The goal is to easily access your items while maintaining a much-needed orderliness in the kitchen.

Stack Similar Items

Storing similar items together saves you time and energy using your kitchen. It also ensures you keep stuff organized as you don’t have to rummage through pots while looking for forks or spoons. Stack pots and pans together and separate sharp knives from serving utensils. It’s basic but essential to keep items where you can open a drawer and reach for them.

Organize Vertically

Use your space creatively by stacking your items vertically. Use dividers for proper organization. This saves you much space and is great for items that don’t stack easily.

Use Drawer Organizers

To avoid clutter in your drawers and cabinets, consider purchasing drawer organizers. They come in different makes and designs to give your storage spaces a neat and organized look. You can add dividers that fit your coffee supplies, utensils, and all your stuff neatly in the drawers.

Go for drawers, but test your preferences

The most crucial factor when choosing between cabinets and drawers is space. Kitchen drawers are the best storage option for a kitchen since they can be stacked together, hence taking up less floor space inside your kitchen than cabinets. Well-organized drawers eliminate the hassle and time wasted looking for things and allow easy traffic flow when a group is using your kitchen.

You can go to a friend’s house or a furniture store to get a feel of how you like drawers.