10 Affordable IKEA Items That Are Perfect For Organizing Deep Drawers And Cabinets
Few stores can rival IKEA's collection of household essentials at budget-friendly prices. There are many affordable IKEA must-haves for adding storage and organization to kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, offices, and other rooms in typical households. And, the furniture company happens to have some products that are especially useful for organizing deep drawers and cabinets in various spaces.
Before settling on the best budget-friendly IKEA products for organizing these often-overwhelming spots, we considered what makes these types of storage areas so impractical and hard to manage. Then, we found products that offset the depth and darkness of large storage spaces by providing better lighting, dividing objects, and increasing access to recessed items. When narrowing down the best products, we opted for ones that were both highly rated and affordable. A more in-depth explanation of how each product was evaluated can be found at the end of the list.
VARIERA shelf inserts: Best for optimizing vertical space at the back of deep cabinets
Storing items on a single crowded level makes it hard to keep things orderly. Products topple over and get jostled around, and eventually, shorter items get lost behind larger ones, especially in deep cabinets where it's hard to see clearly into the back. Simple inserts can utilize vertical space, giving tall and deep cabinets tiered shelving for better organization and storage. Place these riser inserts in the very back of cabinets to elevate shorter items to be more visible. These risers are simple in design and not easily visible in well-stocked cabinets, making them a great fit for all interior designs. While you can make a DIY shelf riser to clear up space in your cabinets, if woodworking is not your jam, or you simply want a quick solution, IKEA has you covered with their VARIERA inserts.
IKEA's VARIERA shelf inserts come in four different sizes, ideal for various cabinet dimensions. All shelves are 5.25 inches high and range from about 12 to 18 inches in length and about 5 to 11 inches in width. The most popular option is the $9.99 VARIERA White Shelf Insert which is about 12.5 inches by 5 inches. An impressive 77% of reviewers gave this product a five-star rating, resulting in a 4.6-star average from over 1,700 reviews. Many customers cite it as basic but impactful for organizing various rooms, with one explaining, "I have these in my kitchen, walk-in pantry, and under my bathroom sink. So versatile and gives some added storage." Another customer claims their VARIERA shelf is "too deep for my cabinets and sticks out the door. It is too tall for our deeper lower cabinets." This may be a downside for them, but households with deeper cabinets would benefit from this extended design.
SNUDDA Lazy Susan: Best for keeping chaos at bay in deep pantry cabinets
Pantry spaces tend to get out of hand fast, especially if the shelves and cabinets are deep. While roomy pantry cabinetry sounds like a good thing, the packed shelves can easily descend into jumbled chaos as you shift supplies around — vainly trying to locate those whole cloves you bought at Christmas or that bottle of seldom-used sesame oil. No matter how much you re-organize the space, the pattern repeats itself and things get messy once more. The easiest way to prevent this is to use a solution that gives you access to items without having to shift them about on the shelves. Enter IKEA's SNUDDA lazy Susan. Lazy Susans can be used in many brilliant ways around the house, and they are especially perfect for organizing items on shelves that quickly get out of order as you're forced to shuffle them around when searching for something specific.
At an impressive 17 inches wide, the SNUDDA lazy Susan costs $17.99. It has a snazzy rubberwood top, so if you're yearning to create a cute pantry aesthetic, this lazy Susan could be the ideal piece. IKEA shoppers love the attractive turntable: It has racked up a 4.8-star average rating from just over 100 reviews, with 88% of buyers giving it 5 stars. Reviewers report that the spinning mechanism is smooth and silent, and the rubber foot keeps it from sliding around on surfaces. Multiple people shared that they have used this lazy Susan to organize pantry supplies, with one reviewer noting, "I use these mostly in my kitchen pantry. With very deep cabinets, these help keep my food products within easy reach."
MITTLED LED spotlight: Best for brightening dark cabinet interiors
One of the biggest caveats of deep and corner cabinets is that light can't reach them. They're too far back for standard ceiling lighting to illuminate, making it difficult to see and maintain organization. Kitchen design expert John Starck told Real Simple, "It's always helpful to include interior lighting to corner cabinets," and recommended wired or stick-on lighting fixtures as a solution. IKEA's DIY-friendly wired lights are a great way to illuminate these cabinets so you can see what you're doing and keep their contents organized. While these lights, unlike the other items on our list, won't directly corral and contain anything, they will make it easier for you to maintain neat cabinets.
The $15 MITTLED LED Dimmable White Spotlight has a small 3-inch diameter that easily fits in cabinets. Plus, it has an average 4.4 rating from over 200 reviews. Many reviewers applaud these cabinet lights, with one saying, "These lights are so helpful and have very little impact on the internal space of where I applied them due to its low profile. The lumens pack a punch and because of all this and the ability to pair it with smart devices I now have cabinets that are illuminated every time I open and close the doors." Be warned that if you don't already have an ANSLUTA LED Driver With Cord for other IKEA products, you'll need to buy one to power these lights. However, this item is only $15, is highly reviewed, takes a total of six MITTLED spotlights, and all you need to do is plug it into an outlet and plug in the light fitting — no electrical work required.
SAMLA boxes with lids: Best for organizing small items in deep cabinets
Sometimes, simple storage boxes are all you need to optimize organization in deep cabinets. IKEA's SAMLA collection isn't designed specifically for cabinets but comes in handy if you have deep cabinets and small household items that need organizing. These boxes are transparent, come in seven different sizes, and have optional lids. They're made of clear plastic and are stackable, two of the most important expert-recommended features for organizing deep shelving around homes. They make it easy to pull out entire boxes to sift for the items you're looking for. Plus, you don't have to worry about your belongings getting lost in the depths of your deep cabinet shelves.
Out of all the SAMLA clear boxes with lids, the SAMLA 3-Gallon Clear Box is one of the most popular and highly rated. Almost 75% of customers give it five stars, resulting in a 4.6-star average out of over 3,700 reviews. One reviewer appraised its use for cabinets specifically, saying, "Great storage solution, especially for items under the bathroom sink or kitchen cabinets, as well as all around the house!" Another person explains, "The size allows me to store them in the back of my small closet and still have space for other items in front."
PÅLYCKE clip-on multi-purpose rack: Best for utilizing space beneath shelves
In especially large cabinets, IKEA's VARIERA shelf inserts may not be tall enough to take advantage of all of the vertical space. So, attach a clip-on rack beneath a shelf to support small items instead. This is useful in deep cabinets because it displays small, commonly used items at the front. On higher shelves, these racks may be small enough to allow easy access to items stored further back.
The $4.99 PALYCKE Clip-On Multi-purpose Rack has a four-star average from over 200 reviewers. This clip-on design is ideal for deep cabinets as one reviewer states they're "too long for my standard 12-inch depth upper cabinets." The rack is best suited for holding stemmed glasses or other similar-shaped objects, and one person describes it as "yet another IKEA easy kitchen organizing solution." While this rack is great for wine glasses, we wouldn't recommend buying it for holding kitchen roll, as the product description and packaging suggests. Multiple reviewers wrote in saying that it wasn't long enough to hold their US brand of paper towel, which tend to be taller than European ones.
If you're looking to stash items other than wine glasses, another potential organizer from the PÅLYCKE line is the PÅLYCKE Clip-on Basket which has a more flexible design. This product works for deep cabinets in the same way, and has a 4.7-star rating from almost 500 reviewers. Its compact design is ideal for holding small items like snack packets, and the short length means that any taller items or those on risers at the back can fit behind the basket.
UPPDATERA pegboard drawer organizer: Best for keeping drawer items in place
Keeping large drawers organized is just as difficult as maintaining deep cabinets. Luckily, an innovative pegboard organizer is a simple and easy-to-customize solution. The rubber and plastic pegboard with adjustable peg feet gives homeowners full freedom to set up deep drawers as needed. Insert pegs wherever they fit best to store pots, pans, lids, and other various kitchen items. This keeps items from sliding around, making noise, and forming a disorderly heap when drawers are pulled open and closed.
IKEA's $16 UPPDATERA Anthracite Pegboard Drawer Organizer is only $16 and includes both the pegboard and 24 moveable pegs. Over 20 reviewers have left an average 4.4-star rating, with over half giving a perfect five-star score. One reviewer applauds this item for reducing clutter and clattering in their kitchen, saying, "I have been looking for a cure to my lid avalanche every time I open the cupboard. This is it!" Some reviewers say that the pegboard wastes space, but others report that it's ideal for organizing plates, bowls, pot lids, and even (gasp) Tupperware. It only comes in two size options, a 24-inch and 30-inch option, designed to fit the IKEA cabinet drawers. However, the UPPDATERA pegboard does break up into three segments, allowing you to split these across drawers if desired.
VARIERA pot lid organizer: Best for keeping lids of all sizes in stacked order
Few things are more frustrating than trying to keep a deep drawer full of various pot and pan lids organized. Cookware lids vary in shape and are often made of glass and metal materials that emit thunderous clangs when they slam together. Keep your deep drawers in order by using an adjustable pot lid organizer. This lines them up for easy access and prevents noise as drawers slide open and closed. Lids can be arranged from smallest to largest, making it easy to browse and locate what you're looking for. The design of IKEA's pot lid organizers can also fit cutting boards and baking trays, adding to its multifunctional value.
Check out the $7.99 VARIERA Stainless Steel Pot Lid Organizer to keep various kitchen items in place without breaking the bank. This extendable contraption is only 5 inches wide and 4 inches high, but extends between 3 inches to almost 20 inches deep, making it the perfect fit for lower cabinet drawers. Over 900 customers gave it a 4.7-star average, with nearly 80% awarding it a perfect rating. Reviewers describe it as the "best purchase ever," and one person especially highlights its use for deep drawers, saying, "I moved into a new house with deep kitchen drawers. This is perfect for storing my fry pans, very sturdy. I loved it so much I bought another for lids and a third for sheet pans."
UPPDATERA divider for drawers: Best for dividing up the space in long drawers
If you have deep cabinets, this will also mean that any standard-depth drawers will have extra horizontal depth. While we'll never say no to additional storage, very long/horizontally deep drawers can be a problem as stored items slide and roll around any space. Keep collections of items in front view and divvy up the space into partitions with drawer dividers. This deep cabinet organizing hack can be done for free using some common household items. However, IKEA has some inexpensive drawer dividers that do the job and will maintain a neat aesthetic throughout your home's drawers.
IKEA's UPPDATERA divider collection comes in three sizes: 15, 24, or 30 inches, which are also typical widths for standard drawers. The 24-inch UPPDATERA White Divider For Drawers is the most budget-friendly choice for $17. This is the smallest option, and reviewers have given it a 4.7-star average. Some people claim they are brittle in design, but more recent reviews say that's no longer an issue, with one buyer stating, "I'm so glad this product has been updated and improved. It's now sturdy and able to hold the weight of my metal oven trays, etc. leaning against it in the drawers." The only caveat to keep in mind is that this design clasps to drawer edges, meaning it'll only work in specific drawer sizes. If this is a problem, you can also DIY your own drawer dividers.
MITTLED LED kitchen drawer lighting with sensor: Best for illuminating deep drawers
Better lighting is as good for organizing drawers as it is for optimizing cabinet shelving. Set up lights along the inside of deep drawers to illuminate as they open, making it easier to see objects in the back. Many drawers only open up so far, leaving some items obscured by the drawers above them. A light makes it easier to peer into this narrow section, find items, and replace them in their rightful spots as needed.
This is another item from IKEA's MITTLED collection: the MITTLED LED dimmable white kitchen drawer lighting with sensor for $23. This 4.3-star product has over 70 reviews, with over half of the people giving it a solid five-star rating. Many reviewers love these lights, with one noting, "Works great. Easy to install. Great value versus installation by electrician. Always impresses guests and family. This is the second IKEA kitchen I have installed and used this lighting." Overall, the thin strips are low-profile and magnetic, making them an easy and effective installation for deep drawers. Like the IKEA cabinet lights mentioned earlier, the MITTLED drawer light needs to be paired with the $15 ANSLUT driver.
Methodology: How we chose the best affordable IKEA items
Before we chose the most affordable IKEA items for organizing deep drawers and cabinets, we considered the factors that make deep storage spaces impractical. Then, we looked for products on the official IKEA website that directly targeted issues like poor lighting and excess space, ensuring these purchases fix the biggest organizational problems in large drawers and cabinets. Each of these IKEA products has at least a four out of five-star rating average on IKEA's official website, and over half of reviewers left a perfect five-star score. All of the items are also under $25 each to ensure there are affordable options for any budget.