7 Must-Have Kitchen Cabinet Features That Improve Functionality

Knobs, doors, shelves—these are all you need for kitchen cabinets to work, right? Perhaps. However, adding the right features can transform them from merely serviceable to exceptionally efficient and convenient.

These enhancements can streamline your cooking routine. With them, you can maximize storage space and access every pot, pan, and spice jar with ease—all without sacrificing style.

In this blog, learn about seven must-have kitchen cabinet features that will make your time in the kitchen more productive and enjoyable. American Wood Reface can modify kitchen cabinets with these features to complement your cabinet refacing project.

1. Roll-Out Shelves 

For many of us, storing items in kitchen cabinets is like playing Tetris—we stack dishes and cookware precariously on top of each other. The items then get lost and forgotten until you stumble upon them in your next deep cleaning session.

Integrating roll-out shelves in cabinet refacing projects helps you access your cooking tools without digging through crowded cabinets. Roll-out shelves smoothly slide out of your cabinet, bringing you everything you need with just a gentle tug.

Roll-out shelves also encourage you to make the most of your cookware collection. You’ll find yourself using items long buried and forgotten. That fancy serving platter you received as a wedding gift? Now it’s front and center, ready to impress your dinner guests.

2. Lazy Susans

Trying to move everything around just to get that bag of chips can be tiresome. To save yourself from the frustration of a cluttered cabinet, you can give lazy Susan a shot. 

Lazy Susan works wonders with its 360° rotation that gives you convenient access to those hard-to-reach areas in your cabinets. No more reaching, no more mess—with just a single spin, you can find everything you need. They also make use of inaccessible corners to maximize storage space.

3. Drawer Organizers

Returning home to a cluttered kitchen counter is one of the things we hate, especially after a hectic day at work. Just think of the time you waste when you have to pause your cooking to search for a utensil that you know is there, but you can’t remember where you put it.

You can easily prevent this by having custom drawer organizers for efficient storage solutions. Organizers help you utilize the space in your drawer, creating a designated area for each type of utensil.

Instead of piling things up all together, drawer organizers allow you to section them off, making them quickly accessible.

4. Trash and Recycling Bins

No one likes to deal with kitchen trash while cooking. You can put a garbage bin in one corner, but it can be an eyesore out in the open, especially if it’s bulky. Plus, it takes a few back-and-forth trips to dispose of your scraps.

A more efficient solution is installing a built-in trash bin in the cabinet directly below your workspace. It discreetly keeps your trash out of sight. Instead of carrying sloppy debris across the kitchen, dripping and dropping mess as you go, you simply slide open the roll-out trash bins and scoop your vegetable trimmings right into the bin—no mess! The closed compartments also help keep your kitchen smelling clean. 

5. Tray Dividers

Digging through a stack of trays and cutting boards can be frustrating. The scraping noise grates on the nerves, and there’s the risk of potentially having trays fall onto your head or toes.

Tray dividers are the perfect kitchen cabinet features to solve this problem. They neatly separate your sheets, trays, boards, and platters to quickly grab what you need without the hassle. Keeping them separate and allowing proper air circulation also prevent bacterial growth.

Common types of tray dividers include the following:

• Fixed Tray Dividers. These are a permanent solution in your pan and board organization.
• Adjustable Tray Dividers. These cabinet dividers are adjustable to fit the sizes of your trays and pans.
• Roll-Out Tray Dividers. This type consists of several partitions connected to a sliding mechanism. When rolled out, the partition extends completely, allowing for easy access to all the trays stored within.
• Tiered Tray Dividers. The design of these tray dividers enables you to store as many trays as possible. You can maximize the vertical space for storing baking sheets, trays, and cutting boards.

6. Roll-Out Spice Racks

Don’t you hate it when you’re in the middle of cooking your favorite recipe, and you can’t seem to find the right spice in your cluttered cabinets?

Roll-out spice racks will do the trick to keep all your herbs organized. No more searching through cluttered cabinets for that elusive jar of herbs—with a roll-out spice rack, you can optimize cabinet storage space and have everything you need at your fingertips. Once you experience its convenience, you can’t imagine cooking with unorganized spices again. 

7. Under-Cabinet Lighting

Poor lighting in the kitchen can be really frustrating, not to mention dangerous. Overhead fixtures alone do not effectively light areas blocked by upper cabinets. When you are standing at the counter, you cast a shadow on the work surface from overhead lighting.

An under-cabinet lighting solution solves both of these issues, ensuring that you work safely and accurately. This will make food prep a breeze, allowing you to cook with ease. It also creates a warm ambiance.

Conclusion

The kitchen is a busy area, but it doesn’t have to be chaotic. By incorporating these kitchen cabinet features, your kitchen will not only look beautiful but also work beautifully. 

At American Wood Reface, we specialize in transforming kitchens with expert cabinet refacing services. We complement this service with cabinet modifications to expand the functionality of your cabinets.
Don’t settle for a cookie-cutter cabinet. Book a free consultation to see how we can upgrade them!