Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Kitchen Drawer Organizers That Actually Made Me Stop Dreading Cooking
76
items Every kitchen drawer was a black hole. I'd fish around for a spatula, cut my finger on a loose peeler, and give up and order pizza. After one Saturday afternoon of dumping everything on the counter, I only kept what earned its spot. If you've got dra...
Sections
11
Drawer Dividers and Organizers
Cooking Utensils Worth Keeping
Knife Storage That Fits Inside Drawers
Measuring Tools That Earn Drawer Space
Small Gadgets That Survived the Purge
Food Storage and Wrap Organizers
Drawer Dividers and Organizers
My utensil drawer used to be a tangled mess of wooden spoons and tongs fighting for space. These turned it into something I actually open without wincing.
Grab this if your forks and spoons are living in a pile like roommates who hate each other. Dropped it right in and suddenly I could find a teaspoon without excavating.
madesmart Classic Large Silverware Tray with Soft Grip
Use this when your drawer is weirdly narrow. Mine barely fit a standard tray but this one slid in perfectly. Wish I'd measured my drawers years ago instead of forcing oversized trays.
Joseph Joseph DrawerStore Compact Cutlery Organizer
Try this if you moved into a place with oddly wide drawers. It stretches to fit and the bamboo doesn't slide around every time you yank the drawer open.
Better Homes & Gardens Bamboo Expandable Drawer
Swap your flimsy plastic tray for this one. The rubber feet actually grip the bottom of the drawer so it stops scooting forward every time you grab a whisk.
OXO Good Grips Large Expandable Utensil Organizer
Keep one of these in the junk drawer. I separated batteries, tape, and takeout menus into their own little zones. My partner actually gasped when he opened it.
mDesign, Plastic Adjustable Expandable Drawer Organizer
Toss these in if you want to create custom sections without committing to a full tray. They spring-load between the walls so no screws, no measuring, no excuses.
Lipper International Bamboo Adjustable Drawer Organizer
For anyone renting who doesn't want to spend more than ten bucks on drawer organization. It's cheap, it works, and it survived two moves with me so far.
USUERY 6 Compartment Utensil Tray Organizer With Lid
Cooking Utensils Worth Keeping
I had 14 spatulas. Fourteen. After the purge I kept five utensils total and haven't missed a single one I tossed.
Use this for eggs, pancakes, fish, basically anything you don't want to destroy while flipping. The thin edge slides under food without that awkward scraping.
OXO Good Grips Silicone Flexible Turner (Set of 2)
Ditch your scratched-up plastic spoons and get these instead. They don't melt if you leave them near the burner and they look good enough to leave on the counter.
KitchenAid 3-Piece Cooking Utensils Set with Ergonomic
Bring this out for anything in liquid. Pasta, blanched veggies, dumplings. It drains perfectly and doesn't scratch my nonstick pans, which I've ruined before with metal ones.
Cuisinart Stainless Steel Collection Slotted Spoon
Try these if you've been using giant grilling tongs for everything. The 9-inch size actually fits in a drawer and gives you way more control over smaller food.
StarPack Basics Silicone Kitchen Tongs (9-Inch & 12-Inch)
Keep this in the batter drawer. The head pops off for cleaning so you're not growing mystery gunk in the seam. Learned that lesson the disgusting way with my old one.
OXO International OXO Good Grips Silicone Spatula
Swap your bent dollar-store whisk for this. The handle has actual weight to it so scrambling eggs doesn't feel like a wrist workout anymore.
Zulay Kitchen 11-Inch Stainless Steel Balloon Whisk
For anyone who's been using a measuring cup as a ladle. I did that for two years. This fits in the drawer, pours clean, and costs less than a fast food combo.
Rada Cutlery Ladle Spoon (W963)
Knife Storage That Fits Inside Drawers
My knife block took up half the counter and collected dust like a pet. Moving knives into a drawer freed up space I didn't know I had.
Use this if your counter is already crowded with a toaster, coffee maker, and fruit bowl. Holds 16 knives flat in the drawer and keeps the blades from banging into each other.
KitchenEdge In-Drawer Knife Block, 11 Slots
Grab this for a smaller knife collection. It holds about 12 and the bamboo matches those drawer organizers if you're going for a coordinated look without trying too hard.
Noble Home Chef Bamboo In Drawer Knife Block
Try this if you've been using a dull knife and wondering why chopping onions takes forever. Sharp enough to make cooking feel fast again. Worth keeping even if you toss every other knife.
Mercer Culinary Millennia 8-Inch Chef's Knife, Black Handle
Keep this as your daily workhorse. I've had mine for three years and it still holds an edge better than knives I paid twice as much for. Chefs use these in culinary school for a reason.
Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife, 8-Inch Chef's
For anyone just starting out who needs a full set without the sticker shock. The color coding helps you remember which knife goes with which food, which sounds silly until you try it.
Cuisinart, Kitchen Knife Set, 12-Piece
Toss this in the drawer next to your knives. Takes ten seconds to sharpen and suddenly your tomatoes stop looking like they went through a blender. No skill required.
KitchenIQ Edge Grip 2-Stage Knife Sharpener, 1-Pack, Black
Pair this with your in-drawer knife block so nothing slides when you open the drawer fast. Cut my finger once reaching in when the block shifted. Never again.
GORILLA GRIP Drawer Shelf Liner
Measuring Tools That Earn Drawer Space
I found three incomplete sets of measuring cups during the purge. Three. One complete set that nests together is all anyone needs.
Swap your mismatched collection for this. Everything snaps together on a ring so you stop losing the quarter teaspoon in the back of the drawer.
KitchenAid, 9-Piece Plastic Stackable Measuring Cup
Use these if you bake even occasionally. The handles are long enough to scoop into a flour bag without getting your knuckles dusty. Small detail, big difference.
OXO International OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel
Grab these because they snap together magnetically instead of on a ring. No more fumbling to unhook the tablespoon while your butter is burning on the stove.
Spring Chef Magnetic Measuring Spoons Set
Try this if you're tired of bending down to check the liquid level at eye height. The angled insert lets you read it from above. Saved me from ruining at least three recipes.
OXO Good Grips Measuring Cup - Angled, Clear - 2 Cup
Keep one of these for microwave tasks. Melt butter, warm milk, heat honey right in the cup. Fewer dishes means fewer reasons to avoid cooking on a Tuesday night.
Pyrex, Measuring Cup, 2-Cup, Glass with Red Graphics
For anyone who bakes bread or follows European recipes. Measuring by weight is faster and more accurate. I stopped wondering why my cookies came out different every time.
KitchenAid Waterproof Digital Kitchen & Food Scale
Toss this in the drawer and stop cutting into chicken to check if it's done. Took me years to buy one and about two seconds to realize I should have done it sooner.
Taylor Instant Read High Temp Digital Meat Thermometer
Small Gadgets That Survived the Purge
Out of maybe 30 random gadgets, only seven made the cut. Everything else was a unitasker I used once and forgot about.
Use this for lemon zest, parmesan, garlic, ginger. One tool that replaces four. The pile of single-use gadgets I donated could fill a shoebox.
Microplane Premium Classic Zester Grater - White
Ditch whatever peeler you've been using since college. This one actually glides through potato skin without taking half the potato with it.
OXO Good Grips Swivel Vegetable Peeler
Grab a three-pack because you'll lose one eventually. They're so thin they barely take up drawer space and they peel faster than anything twice the price.
Customer reviews for Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler 3
Try this if your current can opener leaves jagged metal edges that could double as a weapon. Smooth cut, comfortable grip, and it doesn't rust after three washes.
OXO “Good Grips” Locking Can Opener with Lid Catch
Keep this for taco night, fish, cocktails, salad dressing. Squeezes every drop out and catches the seeds. Way less messy than using your hands and picking seeds out of the guacamole.
Zulay Kitchen 2-in-1 Manual Lemon Squeezer
For anyone who hates the garlic press cleanup. This just rocks over the clove and rinses clean in seconds. My old press had garlic cemented in the holes permanently.
Joseph Joseph Garlic Tools in Kitchen Tools & Gadgets
Snag this skinny spatula for getting every last bit out of peanut butter jars, mayo, Nutella. Paid for itself in rescued condiments within a month.
Tovolo Flex-Core 12-Inch Silicone Jar Scraper Spatula
Food Storage and Wrap Organizers
Tin foil, plastic wrap, and sandwich bags used to explode out of the drawer like a spring-loaded prank. Containing them changed my whole kitchen mood.
Use this to stand your foil and wrap boxes upright instead of stacking them in a chaotic pile. Pulling one out no longer causes an avalanche of cling wrap.
YouCopia WrapStand, Adjustable Kitchen Wrap
Grab this if your drawer is too shallow for a standing organizer. Lays flat, holds four rolls, and keeps them from rolling around every time you open the drawer.
SimpleHouseware Kitchen Wrap Organizer Storage Rack
Swap regular cling wrap for this. It actually sticks to bowls without that infuriating cling-to-itself problem. Covering leftovers stopped being a two-person job.
The Difference Between Glad Press'n Seal and Glad ClingWrap
Keep the heavy duty version and donate the regular stuff. It doesn't tear when you wrap something with corners and it holds up on the grill without shredding.
Reynolds Wrap Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil, 12 Inch Wide
Try these if the guilt of tossing plastic bags finally got to you. They seal tight, go in the dishwasher, and lay flat in a drawer. Paid for themselves in a few months.
Stasher Reusable Silicone Storage Bag, 3 Pack
For anyone whose cabinet is a graveyard of mismatched lids. These snap on tight, stack neatly, and the lids actually stay with the containers. Revolutionary concept.
Rubbermaid Food Storage Containers
Toss these in the drawer for quick covering jobs. Wrap cheese, half an avocado, a sandwich. They mold with the warmth of your hands and smell faintly like honey.
Bee's Wrap - Assorted 3 Pack - Made in USA
Baking Tools That Lay Flat
Baking once a month doesn't justify a whole cabinet of equipment. These all fit in one drawer and handle every cookie, cake, and pie situation I've thrown at them.
Ditch parchment paper forever. This rolls up, fits in a drawer, and nothing sticks to it. Cookies slide right off. Paid for itself after about six batches.
Customer reviews for Silpat Silicone Mat for Baking Non
Use this if you roll out dough and always guess at the size. The printed measurements and circles take the guesswork out. Rolls up flat when you're done.
OXO Good Grips Silicone Pastry Mat,Tan,One Size
Grab these if your current sheets are warped and make that horrible popping sound in the oven. Flat, even baking, and they nest together in a vertical organizer.
Wilton, Recipe Right Cookie Sheet Set
Try this for dusting powdered sugar or flour without creating a snow globe effect in your kitchen. The mesh is fine enough to give you actual control.
OXO Good Grips BAKER'S DUSTING WAND - BULK
Keep this tiny offset spatula for frosting cupcakes and spreading anything on anything. It fits in a drawer easily and makes you look way more skilled than you probably are.
Ateco 1385 4.5-Inch Offset Stainless Spatula
For anyone who roasts vegetables, bakes cookies, or makes sheet pan dinners. This is the one pan that does everything. Mine goes in the oven almost daily.
43172AMZM Nordic Ware Half Sheet with Oven Safe
Snag these instead of buying paper liners constantly. They pop right out, wash easily, and stack in a drawer. My kids think the colors make muffins taste better.
S&T Inc. Reusable Non-Stick Silicone Baking Cups (12 Pack)
Spice Drawer Organization
Ripping spices out of a dark cabinet and squinting at labels was my least favorite cooking step. Moving them into a drawer where I can read every label from above changed everything.
Use this to lay your spices in a drawer with labels facing up. No more spinning a lazy Susan trying to find cumin while your onions burn on the stove.
YouCopia® SpiceStack® Spice Bottle Organizer, 24 Bottle
Talented Kitchen 24-Pack Glass Spice Jars
Keep this in the spice drawer for pasta nights when you don't want to measure four different herbs. One grind and you're done. The built-in grinder makes it smell incredible.
McCormick Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder, 0.77 oz Bottle
Try this if you've only ever used regular paprika and wondered what the fuss was about. Completely different flavor. Threw it on roasted potatoes and my spouse asked what restaurant I ordered from.
Simply Organic, Ground Smoked Paprika
For anyone who makes tacos, chili, or anything remotely Tex-Mex. Fresh ground cumin versus that jar from 2019 is a noticeable difference. Check your expiration dates, seriously.
Frontier Co-op 66001 Ground Cumin 0.5 oz
Toss this on avocado toast, eggs, cream cheese, roasted vegetables. One jar replaced three separate seasonings in my drawer. If it's sold out near you, the Walmart dupe works fine too.
Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning
Junk Drawer Rescue
Everyone has one. Mine had expired coupons, dead batteries, a phone charger for a phone I sold in 2018, and seven pens that didn't work. Here's what replaced the chaos.
Use this to give every random item a home. Batteries in one slot, scissors in another, tape in a third. Opening the drawer stopped making me feel like a failure.
Junk Drawer Organizers for Home Storage
Grab a bulk pack and keep them in the junk drawer so you stop stealing batteries from the TV remote when a toy dies. Stock up once and forget about it for months.
Duracell Coppertop AA Alkaline Batteries 24/PK
Keep this in the junk drawer for returns, packages, and sealing boxes for the attic. The built-in dispenser means you stop using your teeth to tear tape. We've all been there.
Scotch, Heavy Duty Packaging Tape, Clear, 1.88 in. x 25.6 yd
Toss the dried-out pens and replace them with markers that actually work. Label storage bins, write on freezer bags, mark the circuit breaker. These earn their drawer space daily.
Sharpie Permanent Markers, Fine Point
Try these for hanging keys, dog leashes, or light kitchen tools inside cabinet doors. Freed up drawer space I didn't think I had. They come off clean when you move.
Command Small Wire Hooks, Clear, 9 Hooks and 12
For anyone who uses their phone flashlight during power outages and drains the one thing that connects them to the outside world. Dedicated flashlight. Junk drawer. Done.
Customer reviews for Energizer Tactical Mini LED
Snag these for grocery lists, reminders, and passive-aggressive notes to your family about loading the dishwasher correctly. They actually stick to surfaces and don't flutter to the floor.
Post-it Super Sticky Notes, 3x3 in, Summer Joy Collection
Drawer Liners and Protection
Bare wood drawers collect crumbs, stains, and mystery stickiness. Lining them took twenty minutes and made every organized drawer feel like it belonged in a different kitchen.
Use this non-adhesive liner if you rent and can't risk leaving residue. Rolls out flat, cuts with scissors, and catches all the crumbs so cleaning is just lift and shake.
Smooth Top EasyLiner Brand Shelf Liner, White, 20 in. x 6 ft.
Grab the adhesive version if you own your place and want it locked down. No shifting, no bunching, no liner sliding out every time you reach for a spatula.
Con-Tact Brand Contact Paper Adhesive Covering 18 in. x
Try the extra-grip version for utensil drawers where everything slides to the front. The textured surface holds organizers in place so they stop migrating every time you close the drawer.
GORILLA GRIP Drawer Shelf Liner
Keep this clear version for drawers where you want to see the wood underneath. Protects without hiding anything. Good for nice cabinetry you don't want to cover up.
RAY STAR Shelf Cabinet Liner
For anyone with wire shelving in a pantry. This drapes over the wires so small items stop falling through. Took me two years of dropping spice jars to figure this out.
Pro-Mart Industries, Inc Smart Design Classic Grip Shelf Liner
Pair these with a liner for a really clean look. The bamboo boxes sit on top of the liner and create sections without the rigid structure of a full tray. Very flexible setup.
Seville Classics Bamboo Organizer Storage Bins
Snag this for damaged drawer bottoms that need more than a liner. It covers scratches, stains, and that one drawer where something leaked years ago and left a permanent ring.
Duck Brand Laminate Roll, Peel and Stick, Permanent
Labels and Finishing Touches
Organizing without labeling is just making a pretty mess that falls apart in two weeks. Labels kept my whole family on the same system. No one can claim they didn't know where things go.
Use this to print clean labels for every drawer section. Sounds excessive until your kid actually puts the scissors back in the right spot because there's a label staring at them.
DYMO Letratag 100H Handheld Label Maker
Grab extra tape cartridges because once you start labeling drawers you'll label everything. Pantry shelves, bins, storage boxes. It's a slippery slope and I regret nothing.
UBSWF-Letratag Paper White Tape Repalacment for Dymo
Try these handwritten labels if a label maker feels like overkill. They peel off clean and you can redo them when you reorganize. Which you will, because this stuff is weirdly addictive.
Avery, Removable Labels, 1" x 3", White, Pack of 72
Keep these for labeling dark bins or containers where printed labels don't show up. They wipe off with a damp cloth so you can relabel when you inevitably change your system.
Vaci 8 Pack Neon Liquid Chalk Markers with Magnetic
For anyone who wants fancier fonts and sizes than the basic DYMO. Multiple tape widths, keyboard is easy to type on, and it runs on batteries so no cord to deal with.
Brother P-touch PT-D220 Home/Office Everyday Label Maker
Swap your handwritten masking tape labels for these preprinted ones. They look professional and they're waterproof, which matters when you're labeling things near a sink.
Talented Kitchen: Pantry Labels
Toss one of these in a deep drawer for corralling small loose items that don't fit in organizer slots. Handles make it easy to pull out and rifle through without dumping everything.
mDesign Plastic Long Stackable Storage Bin