The 16 Best Affordable IKEA Items To Help You Organize Your Cluttered Kitchen

Does your kitchen feel hopelessly cluttered? We've all been there. The counter becomes a landing zone for small appliances you use (and some you don't). A drawer that started with a trusty pair of kitchen scissors and a few twist-ties starts swallowing takeout menus, stray batteries, half-burnt birthday candles, and anything else you hurriedly shoved into it. Before long, even reheating a simple meal means shuffling things around, wrestling drawers that don't smoothly open or close, and wondering how a room designed for functionality could get so out of control. Many of us aren't actually messy. We're just asking our kitchens to do too much at once without putting the right systems in place to support them. That's where some of IKEA's most affordable and practical items can help.

From lightweight flatware caddies to sleek spice shelves, IKEA carries a range of products that can help contain the chaos without requiring you to completely remodel your kitchen. It may sound cliche, but when everything has a designated place, the kitchen becomes easier to use, less stressful, and more enjoyable to spend time in, whether you're cooking dinner, packing lunches, or hosting friends. The popular Swedish brand is known for designing solution-oriented products that are streamlined, adaptable, and most importantly, affordable. With an almost overwhelming kitchen accessory range to choose from, we narrowed down our list of the best affordable IKEA items for organizing your cluttered kitchen to best sellers and products backed by plenty of positive customer reviews.

Whether you want to neatly store your dinner plates on an open shelf or you're desperate for a solution that keeps your cutting board collection organized, hundreds of IKEA customers recommend the OSTBIT Plate holder. Constructed from bamboo, a durable and easy-to-clean material that holds up to moisture-prone kitchen conditions, the $6 organizer takes up less than a foot of counter or cabinet space while providing enough room to store six plates, pot lids, or other kitchen essentials. The simple and straightforward design is so versatile, a few people report using theirs to store cookbooks, too.

Don't let the name fool you. When it comes to kitchen organization, it turns out the APTITLIG Lazy Susan is actually one of IKEA's hardest-working items. Even amateur cooks constantly reach for the same staples and spices, and having them corralled instead of creeping across the countertops keeps things looking neater. The powder-coated, steel-raised edge of this $18 lazy Susan keeps even the tallest jars of olive oil or vinegar from tipping over when you spin the 11-inch surface around on its base. Another item made of bamboo, customers say it's easy to clean and very sturdy.

While a lazy Susan can work on your countertop or tucked inside a cabinet, sometimes you need more space than a small circular surface can provide. IKEA's NÅLBLECKA Kitchen countertop organizer offers a two-tiered solution with enough room for several jars, spices, utensil caddies, or other food prep must-haves. Hundreds of customers give this $25 organizer high marks, relying on the sturdy bamboo tray and steel tube design for everything from a coffee station to a condiment catchall. The clear lacquer finish keeps things neutral, helping it blend seamlessly with a variety of kitchen countertop materials.

If your kitchen is tiny but your spice and cookbook collections are huge, utilizing wall space instead of counter space can make a massive difference. That's the idea behind IKEA's BEKVÄM Spice rack, a practical shelf made from solid aspen. Not only are hundreds of customers satisfied with the overall durability and ease of installation of this $10 find — several also mentioned how easy the BEKVÄM is to paint, something to keep in mind if you need to get organized but want storage solutions that blend in with your existing kitchen decor.

Sure, you can keep rinsing out those spaghetti sauce and jelly jars, soaking them for hours, and trying to peel off the labels with your fingernails if you want. But over 1,000 IKEA customers think KORKEN Jars are a much better solution for storing pantry staples. Regularly priced at $4 each, the 34-ounce jars are ideal for keeping preserved or dried foods thanks to their natural rubber gasket and stainless steel lid. A row of these glass jars filled to the brim already looks charming, but for an even more personal aesthetic, try hand-lettering labels on them.

We love those hanging wire fruit baskets as much as the next person, but they can be tricky to install and time-consuming to clean when a piece of produce is long past its prime. The RISATORP Wire baskets offer similarly quaint cottagecore vibes, with a lot more versatility. Available in white, gray, pink, and green, IKEA customers say these $15 powder-coated steel mesh baskets store plenty and hold up well both in and out of the kitchen. The birch veneer handle can easily be lowered if you're really short on counter or cabinet space.

If you're a breadatarian, you already know that storing bread in the fridge just to create more space on your countertops is a bad idea. Brioche to bagels, a classic wooden box like IKEA's MAGASIN Bread bin is an ideal solution for controlling the carb-loaded clutter (and crumbs!). Over 100 customers are thrilled with the size, quality, and functionality of this $30 find. Thanks to its simple solid beech slats coated in clear acrylic lacquer, the MAGASIN looks classic whether your kitchen is super modern, really retro, or somewhere in between.

Ringing up for just $40, the RÅSKOG Utility cart packs a stunning amount of storage into a surprisingly affordable price. Designed for IKEA by Nike Karlsson, the three-tiered trolley is compact enough to fit neatly in even the smallest kitchens. It can also be tucked against your lower cabinets, extending storage without protruding into your kitchen far enough to become a nuisance. Available in white, black, or gray-blue, the steel mesh material allows for easy cleaning. The simple assembly and locking casters also get high marks from hundreds of happy customers.

IKEA's PLOGSVÄNG Storage baskets aren't fancy, but their practical design and small size make the $.79 solution perfect when you've decided to properly organize your kitchen cabinets once and for all. These simple plastic baskets are ideal for corralling spice packets, chip clips, stray lids, or baking supplies ... anything that tends to disappear into the back of your cabinets and drawers. The durable material wipes clean in seconds, and customers almost universally agree that these baskets are reliable storage solutions for kitchens as well as any other room in the house.

If putting leftovers away involves cautiously opening that one kitchen cabinet to avoid getting hit in the head, you know as well as we do that it's time to break up with your stained takeout containers. You may forget all about them after investing $13 into a three-pack of IKEA 365+ Food containers, which are beloved by over 1,000 customers who appreciate the durability of the freezer-friendly and microwave-safe material. But when it comes to cutting the clutter, it's not just that the lids stack neatly when these containers are full of food. Users also appreciate how neatly they nest into each other.

There are certain kitchen essentials that are practically impossible to store. Piping bag tips, cookie cutters, and immersion blender attachments immediately come to mind. Although you could simply put them all into a food container or plastic basket, collecting them inside an ISTAD Resealable bag first is a good idea. Available in a 30-pack for $5, the ISTAD's strong seal and durable material have earned praise from hundreds of IKEA customers who rely on their practically rip-proof design. 

Even if you won't be on an episode of "Hoarders" anytime soon, not having a place to easily toss your trash can quickly turn into a sticky situation. More than just a smart way to naturally keep bugs out of your kitchen, products like IKEA's HÅLLBAR Recycling solution can make it easier to live a low-waste life. The narrow design combines two plastic bins with reinforced handles that fit neatly into a pull-out frame that mounts quickly inside a kitchen cabinet. Hundreds of customers appreciate the high quality, smell-proof construction, and affordable $48 price.

Another excellent way to reduce your environmental footprint is by reusing or recycling plastic grocery bags, but leaving them lying around the kitchen after putting away your latest grocery haul is one of the quickest ways to make your kitchen feel cluttered. According to hundreds of IKEA customers, mounting a VARIERA Plastic bag dispenser on a wall near the fridge or inside a cabinet door under your sink is a perfect solution. The simple $5 product has a wide open top and several smaller holes that can easily accommodate a single bag (or a huge handful).

Designed for IKEA by Willy Chong, the PÅLYCKE Clip-on basket is an ingenious solution if your clutter problem stems from simply not having enough storage space in your cabinets. Consisting of a powder-coated steel basket and plastic mounting clips that bend to fit shelves in a variety of thicknesses, customers call this $7 find a great catchall for napkins, tea towels, baby food containers, or other small items you need to get off your countertops but want to keep at your fingertips. The easy-to-install design requires no permanent hardware, making it perfect for renters.

Few things are as annoying as hanging a fresh dishtowel on your oven's handle, only to find it crumpled on the floor a few minutes later. IKEA's UTRUSTA Towel rail aims to fix that, courtesy of its narrow slide-out design. Intended for installation on the inside of a cabinet door (preferably near your sink or dishwasher). Capable of holding several towels at a time, customers appreciate the overall utility and simple installation of this $14 find that keeps these kitchen essentials accessible yet hidden out of sight.

There's no shortage of silverware storage options at IKEA, from drawer inserts to standing solutions like the UPPDATERA Flatware caddy. Made of a steel basket with an epoxy-coated handle and polypropylene insert to cushion the handles or tips of your favorite forks and knives, the caddy is divided into four sections and has a handle that makes it easy to move when it's time to set the table. Dozens of customers appreciate the quality and convenience this $9 item offers, not just for flatware but other kitchen utensils as well.