Skip Sliding Shelves: There's A Better Way To Organize Overhead Cabinets

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Upper cabinets can feel like no man's land: a secret location that you've never seen for yourself because the highest shelves are so tricky to reach. Sliding shelves can be a better option than bins or lazy Susans for organizing deep lower cabinets, but they won't work well for tall cabinets. You still won't be able to see or reach what's on those high shelves, even when you pull them out. A better solution? Clear storage bins that you can easily slide off of the shelf, similar to a drawer. That way, you can store things you use frequently without losing accessibility.

Not all kitchen cabinets reach the ceiling, but even those that don't can be difficult to access. For most people, the upper cabinets become long-term storage for those extra water bottles, serving pieces, and other odds and ends that don't get used often. In that situation, it doesn't really matter that some of the pieces are hidden way in the back where it would require a planned expedition to find them (not exactly something you want to do for staples that you use all the time). 

Of course, you need somewhere to store those lesser-used items (assuming they're things you actually want to keep), but you can move them out of the kitchen to free up the functional space there. Your choice of bins, based on what you want to store on those upper shelves, is the key to using the space efficiently.

There are plenty of tall kitchen cabinet ideas that take your space to new heights, but not all of those ideas account for ease of storage. That's why you might need this bin drawer idea. The type of bins you choose for this storage solution impacts how effective it is. Clear plastic is ideal because there's no secret as to what's inside. You can glance at each bin to see the contents, so you know which one to slide off the shelf.

Avoid bins with grippy or textured bottoms — they won't slide smoothly across your cabinet shelves, so they'll be more difficult to grab. Skip the grippy shelf liner, too. A smooth, flat plastic bottom is ideal for your makeshift tall cabinet bins. Front handles also make for drawer-like accessibility. Measure the height, depth, and width of the shelf to maximize the space. YIHONG's clear pantry bins, which are about 11 inches deep and 6 inches wide, are a great place to start. You can choose one wide bin that fits the shelf, but several narrower bins are more practical. That way, each bin won't get too heavy, and you can better organize your items into categories. If you buy multiple bins to place across the shelf, leave a little room to avoid cramming the bins tightly together, which will also make them difficult to slide out.