8 Kitchen Amenities You'll Really Wish You Had

by Shane Inman

Don't waste another minute on your hands and knees in your kitchen, searching for that missing cutting board or rolling pin. Built-ins and storage additions can give you the perfect spot for every cooking must-have. When done right, storage won't just keep your kitchen tidy, it'll make it more functional.

Tired of spending half your time in the kitchen just trying to find what you need? These eight time-saving amenities can help you cook, clean and stay organized with hardly any effort.

A drawer for the food wrap. Most kitchen owners are familiar with the irritating, messy drawer of plastic bags, foil and plastic wrap. It seems impossible to keep tidy, and everything always seems to get stuck in the drawer.

A food-wrap divider can simply slip inside an existing kitchen drawer. If you're designing a new space, consider working with your cabinetry designer to get a custom version for one of your drawers.

A place for the rolling pins. Avid bakers will love having all of their rolling pins within reach. These horizontal slots take up no more than 6 inches of depth, making them easy to add to the end of any cabinet run. However, most do need to be custom designed, which adds to the cost.

Pedals to turn the water on and off. Turning on the faucet with messy hands can make an even bigger mess. Plumbing pedals, like the ones in this kitchen, can help confine the mess. Just like at the doctor's office, you can use your foot to turn the sink on — hot water, cold water or both — pedals can be added to existing sinks or new kitchen designs.

 An undercounter composting unit like this one means you can just wipe all of your food waste off the counters and into your bin before it goes out to the garden. Put one in your countertop where you do most of your prep work to make composting easy to remember and do.

A mixer garage. This surprising twist on the ordinary mixer shelf helps keep this appliance out of the way but easy to access. A tambour-style door lifts up, while the entire shelf pulls forward.

A mobile butcher block island. A built-in butcher block top makes prep easy — but some cooks prefer it out of sight when it's not in use. A mobile prep cabinet like this can be pulled out when needed and pushed away when not.

 
A handy step stool. It's always great to have a leg up for extra-high upper cabinetry, but where on earth should you store the step stool? An ultrathin model can slip right inside a discreet drawer. This homeowner managed to sneak one inside a toe kick.

A specialized step stool drawer like this is offered by many cabinetry manufacturers — if you're designing a new kitchen, don't forget to ask about this feature.





A protected pet station. The kitchen tends to be the best place for feeding pets, but those metal bowls full of kibble and water always seem to get underfoot. A built-in feeding station keeps things tidy and out of the way. This pet food station has a drawer above each bowl for treats, medication or leashes. 


Looking to remodel your kitchen? Let Cabinet-S-Top help you design a kitchen that is organized and functional.  Located at 1977  Medina Road, Medina, OH  44256 ~ 330.239.3630   
www.cabinet-s-top.com