The Six Zones of Kitchen Organization—And Why They Matter (2024)

Of all the rooms in the home, the kitchen arguably benefits the most from a solid organization system. Putting away dishes and pans shouldn’t require a 10-minute game of storage Tetris, just as finding spices and condiments should be as easy as opening a cabinet door.

When designing a kitchen that keeps organization top of mind, it’s important to think intuitively. Divide the room into six zones: everyday, cooking, pantry, storage, specialty, and under the sink. (If you have a small space, you may think you don’t have enough real estate to accommodate a half dozen different areas, but a “zone” can be as simple as a single drawer.)

Whether you’re more of the takeout type or gunning to appear on a cooking competition, you can minimize or expand zones to fit your needs. For a broad range of turnkey organization solutions, IKEA is a convenient place to start—they offer everything from cabinet drawers and inserts to standalone pantries and multi-purpose wall racks. Here’s how to use such systems to make the most of your space.

Everyday Items

Things you use every day should be at eye level, easily accessible, and close to the sink (or the dishwasher if you have one). Plates, bowls, mugs, drinking glasses, and flatware are in this category for everyone. Depending on your needs, things like serve-ware (large spoons, serving bowls, etc.) and wine or pint glasses may also be included.

When considering what to store in cabinets, you’ll want to maximize vertical space. VARIERA shelf inserts can add another level of storage, while the FINMALD glass rack is an easy way to hang wine glasses. For flatware and oft-used serving utensils, use a drawer insert to keep everything in its place. The VARIERA bamboo line has a variety of sizes with small and large compartments.

Cooking and Baking

This zone includes a lot of different elements—from pots, pans, and utensils to cutting boards, baking dishes, and oven mitts—and should be close to your oven or range. Many of these items are bulky and awkward to store, but a few clever organizing products can easily double or triple (!) your space.

• Drawers: Instead of traditional doors, install drawers into lower cabinets. It’s so much easier pulling out a deep drawer to retrieve a roasting pan or stockpot, rather than hunching over to rifle through a cabinet. IKEA offers two options in dozens of sizes and configurations—MAXIMERA, which fully extends and has a soft close, and the budget-friendly FÖRVARA, which pulls out three-quarters of its depth.

• Pull-out organizers: If you already have doors on lower cabinets, you can retrofit them with pull-out organizers, creating makeshift drawers. UTRUSTA wire baskets are great for pots and pans.

• Carousel: Install a two-level, rotating carousel in a large corner cabinet so items never get lost in the far reaches of the space.

• Partitions: No more stacking baking sheets and chopping boards. Use stainless steel partitions to keep these items upright for easy access.

• Pot-lid holder: This expandable organizer not only works for pot and container lids, but any items you want to store vertically, like cutting boards or a mandoline.

• Knife rack: Attach a magnetic knife rack to the wall near your food prep area so you don’t have to waste counter or drawer space storing knives.

• Canisters: The best way to store oft-used cooking utensils is the simplest—an easy-to-grab-from jar or canister next to the stove.

Pantry

Your pantry, whether it’s a full closet or just a dedicated cabinet, will hold dry and canned goods, as well as small appliances like a stand mixer, instant pressure and/or slow cooker, and food processor. Some tips to keep in mind no matter what size space you’re working with:

• Make spices easy to grab: Store your flavoring collection close to your cooking zone. If you have an available drawer, the VARIERA insert keeps bottles in place while giving you an overview of labels, so you can find what you’re looking for quickly. In a cabinet, use a rotating carousel or shelf insert to optimize the space.

• Keep dry goods visible: Transfer items like grains, pasta, coffee, and flour into clear containers for uniformity and to be able to see what you have on hand. The IKEA 365+ line has a variety of air-tight glass containers and jars to fit every need.

• Group related products: Utilize boxes or baskets to collect products that are similar or often used together, or come in bags that can’t easily be stacked. Think: oils and vinegars, granola bars and snacks, or baking ingredients.

• Add a variety of shelf heights: Shorter shelves are best for cans and boxes, but you’ll want taller spaces for things like the blender and rice cooker. IKEA has nearly a dozen different pantry systems to choose from.

• Mind the gaps: If you’re working with a pantry closet, leave space at the top for light, large items like paper towels, and at the bottom for heavy items like a case of seltzer.

• Hang up what you can: Add wall hooks to keep various tools up and out of the way, and install a wall rod for hanging utensils, or pots and pans.

Storage and Specialty

These zones usually only need a couple drawers or a single cabinet each. Storage items include reusable food containers, foil, plastic wrap, to-go vessels like lunchboxes or coffee mugs, and so on—or if there’s space in your pantry, they can go there, too. A pot-lid holder is great for keeping container lids organized, while a pull-out basket is perfect for rolls of parchment paper and boxes of baggies.

Lesser-used specialty items like cake stands, holiday dishware, and occasion glassware don't need to be stored in the kitchen; they can go in a sideboard in another room. Or, they can be stored in a glass-fronted cabinet with optional interior lights to showcase your collection.

Under the Sink

It’s so easy for the cabinet under the sink to become a black hole of cleaning supplies and rubbish bins. You can avoid that by using the pull-out HÅLLBAR system to hold recycling and/or trash receptacles, so you can easily sort materials.

Bottles and boxes of home-care supplies can be organized in VARIERA boxes, which keep extra hand soap, sponges, and spray bottles orderly. And the pull-out UTRUSTA rail keeps dishtowels accessible, while neatly tucking them away when not in use.

Getting organized in the kitchen makes life easier. Whether you need help visualizing what is possible, or are looking for a partner in making your dream kitchen come true, IKEA Kitchen Services is here to help. Schedule an appointment to get started.