Clear Cabinet Space With A Simple Sliding Storage Solution For Coffee Mugs And Cups

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Despite being designed for storing cups, mugs, and other dishes, kitchen cabinets can be tricky to organize effectively to use the space well. Even if you manage to carefully squeeze all of your favorite drinkware inside after organizing your kitchen cabinets like Marie Kondo, you will still have to deal with some limitations. For instance, you will have trouble accessing any dishes that aren't in the front row. Whether you are tired of taking everything out to get to your favorite cup or just need more space to house your ever-growing collection of adorable drinkware, it may be time to find a solution outside of the cabinet, such as by using a narrow rolling cart shelf.

A correctly sized rolling cart can be a miracle solution in a small kitchen. Their slim designs, combined with their wheels, allow them to slide in and out of tight spaces that would otherwise be wasted, such as gaps between cabinets and walls or appliances. While they can store any kitchen item you need, they are particularly good for mugs, large water cups, and water bottles if you pick the right cart design. Many of these carts feature at least three shelves with walls that have enough distance between them to contain your taller drinkware with ease. Plus, you can see and grab whichever one you want much more easily. If a narrow rolling cart seems like a solution for your kitchen, then you will have plenty of options to choose from. Once you have one, you can optimize it for the storage you need.

The simplest way to give this trick a try is by purchasing a basic, affordable metal cart. The SPACEKEEPER Slim Rolling Four-Tier Storage Cart on Amazon has positive reviews and costs only about $17, making it a solid first pick. It also comes in multiple colors, but the real benefit of these small carts is their ability to slide into narrow spaces and practically disappear from view until you need them. If you are working with a more visible gap, though, there are many carts with the same narrow design and additional features like wooden accents, hooks, and handles that can make them easier to use and more aesthetically pleasing to view. The Osivaex Slim Rolling Cart with a wooden top has some of these more premium features. Just be sure to measure your space and the items you want to store to ensure everything will fit. A Stanley tumbler, for example, is just under 12 1/2 inches tall, and the maximum height for an object to fit inside the SPACEKEEPER cart is just under 13 inches. 

If you do designate one of these carts for drinkware, you may want to make some modifications to optimize it. Adding a grippy shelf liner, even an easy DIY liner, can keep things from moving around too much and causing damage to any of the cups. Baskets and other organizers can also help reduce movement on the shelves and help you organize smaller items like lids and straws. Alternatively, you can organize straws and other small kitchen items with a simple Dollar Tree essential.