Help me find the perfect kitchen shelves

August 15, 2011 7:30 PM

I have way too little storage space in my kitchen, and am looking to get something like this. Are there any better options available to me for around $100-$200? What kind of standalone shelving do you use in your home?
posted by Stephanie Duy to Shopping (16 answers total)

I have some of those and they're great as far as stability and strength. I have the 6 ft long shelves. I think they might have been somewhat cheaper at Target and HomeDepot at the time I was looking than what I saw online. They seem to be sold under different brand names. (Maybe try searching 'metro shelving' to shop around -- but you may already have the best price).

I got them based on a friend's recommendation, and after considering other kinds of shelving and cupboard-y kinds of things. Personally, i use them in one of my closets to add extra shelving, and they are great for storing sweaters and shoes and whatever else you might find in a closet. For little odds and ends like you might find in the kitchen, maybe you'll want to get some bins? I also have a big plank on one of my shelves for smaller things.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:35 PM on August 15, 2011

We have one of those except it's plastic and cost about $60 at home depot.

it's a gigantic junk collector. Anything that doesn't have a proper place in a cabinet ends up on it. It tends to look totally cluttered that way, no matter how many times I try to organize it.

My advice is to go for one of those enclosed cupboards or pantries. At least then you can hide the clutter.
posted by royalsong at 7:37 PM on August 15, 2011 [3 favorites]

We used this baker's rack from the Container Store when we had a small kitchen, and were very happy with it.
posted by BobbyVan at 7:41 PM on August 15, 2011

we use a baker's rack in our kitchen, with plastic bins for storing bunches of small items (spices, cans of cat food etc) and it works really well.
posted by supermedusa at 7:49 PM on August 15, 2011

We have one of these from Ikea. It was cheap, it works fine, and it looks nice.

We added mats made from leftover Marmoleum on the shelves, which helps keep jars from tipping and the produce basket from shedding onion skins on the shelves below.
posted by ottereroticist at 8:13 PM on August 15, 2011

If you're interested in this kind of thing, I'd suggest looking on CraigsList for used free-standing cabinets; they might look better than the metal wire shelving, and you won't have to dust as much.

Also, the Habitat for Humanity "ReStore" here often has cabinets of all kinds (curio, entertainment, kitchen) for very cheap. It looks like there's one in Portland, Maine, too.
posted by amtho at 8:14 PM on August 15, 2011

I have this baker's rack in my kitchen. I like it because it makes me feel like a baker.
posted by wondermouse at 8:32 PM on August 15, 2011

I had something similar in our pantry. They were difficult to clean behind/under when laden; since they aren't truly flush with a wall, you lose an inch on the back and sides--and things go tippy down the back anyway, lost to the void. Any spills are multiplied by the uncontained wire. A day's work well spent: hanging up real shelves made of wood. I stained them so they look nice, I lined the first two with cork, and I can screw in a hook if I decide it's needed here, or a lid rack there, or whatever. They're just 1x10s and braces but the difference--aesthetically, practically, and economically--was surprising.
posted by mimi at 8:32 PM on August 15, 2011

I have that same shelving unit. It's very sturdy, and I have made it extra functional by using S-hooks on the sides to hang pots and pans. I store dry goods in glass canisters on the top, have a wine rack on the bottom, and put my stand mixer, other small appliances, and large pots on the middle shelves. I like it because it lets me see everything, as I tend to forget to use things when they're tucked away. The only problem is I tend to just stick stuff on the shelves and it gets messy.
posted by apricot at 8:45 PM on August 15, 2011

If you have a costco membership, they usually have the same or very similar item in stock for a typical costco price.

(Without a mat on the shelves they're not very good for jars or especially small items.)
posted by maxwelton at 11:04 PM on August 15, 2011

I put a Billy bookcase (Ikea) in my kitchen. It has doors and matches my cupboards, mostly. It keeps the dust out and it isn't a junk collector because I must open the door. It's great.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 11:31 PM on August 15, 2011

I just bought these for our laundry closet - we stacked the washer and dryer and gained an enormous amount of space. I ended up ordering online from The Shelving Store because the size selection in stores was very limited. They have multiple lengths and widths online and the quality seems very good - we've had ours for about 6 months with no trouble.

I bought a 30" unit that runs along the back of the closet and then added a 12" unit that attached with S-hooks to that unit, to make an L shape. It makes me giddy with organizational happiness.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:21 AM on August 16, 2011

I have one of these in my kitchen (and a few others around the house). I'm a renter who seems to move every few years, and my shelf units are perfect for what I need.

To hide the clutter and cut down on dust, I've created door flaps for the front with hemmed fabric and binder clips. (If you're not a sewer, cut felt works just fine). The sides get two long panels held top and bottom with binder clips. For the shelf fronts, clip the top of the panel to the shelf above it, and the coverage hangs down just to the bottom of the shelf below. It sounds a little wonky, but it actually looks pretty good.
posted by travertina at 9:10 AM on August 16, 2011

Forgot to mention I also lined the shelves with cut plywood or cardboard (yes, I'm cheap). I've had these arrangements for over ten years and 8 moves though!
posted by travertina at 9:11 AM on August 16, 2011

We have a baker's rack of that style that we bought at Target, but what made it awesome was adding a wooden shelf overlay on top of the wire on bottom. We got the shelf at Storables. The Target shelf was the same size as the expensive one from them, so the overlay worked great. It keeps the bottom so much nicer than when it was open.
posted by advicepig at 10:44 AM on August 16, 2011

We have something similar to this, though not so elaborate. Same material, three or four shelves inside, no lock. It's our pantry, as we have almost no cabinet space. This means the load on each shelf is pretty light, so there's no bowing. If we stored cookware or dishes in it, I suspect the shelves would bend pretty quickly.

Advantages: It's closed off, so dust only accumulates on the outside, not on the stuff we want stored. There is nothing grosser or harder to clean than that sort-of-greasy kitchen dust. I don't want to have to wash dishes before I use them! It's light & easy to move. It was definitely less than $100.

Disadvantages: It's so very ugly. However, our kitchen is the size of a small closet, so we had to choose based on fit, not fashion. The shelves are not super adjustable, and like I said earlier, would probably bow with any sort of significant weight. Also, grease stains tend to be very stubborn--can't get some of them off no matter what I use. But the gross gray/brown color helps keep them from being too visible.

I just think the baker's racks leave everything on them exposed to sticky dust, which is really gross to me. It's not that gross to many other people, though, so ymmv. Plus those things are heavy as hell, if you anticipate having to move around much.
posted by Fui Non Sum at 11:09 AM on August 18, 2011