The Unexpected Reason Why You Shouldn’t Store Your Plates on Cabinet Shelves

It’s always fun to learn your way around someone else’s kitchen. Sometimes, you learn clever and useful tips. Other times. you leave grateful that said person is not running your home kitchen. 

Well, on a recent visit to my aunt's house, I witnessed her use a strange storage method that was totally new to me. She took a large stack of clean plates from the dishwasher and placed them directly in a drawer right beside it. What?! Drawers aren’t for plates. Shelves are for plates. Everybody knows that.

But, no—my aunt hadn't stored her plates on shelves in years, and she'd never go back.

As it turns out, storing dinnerware in drawers has been a recent kitchen organization trend emerging in the past few years—my aunt was just ahead of the curb. Now that I’ve learned her ingenious ways, I urge you to try this plate storage hack for yourself. After all, the better set up a kitchen has, the more you’ll enjoy using it.

Why You Should Store Your Plates in Drawers 

Safety

Think about it—plates (especially a stack of them) are some of the heaviest dishes in your whole kitchen, so why are you storing them above your head? It’s almost like a disaster (or injury) waiting to happen.

Instead of keeping heavy items on the top rack, leave your tough-to-reach shelves for light glassware, mixing bowls, Tupperware, and baking tools you aren’t using every day. That way, if you lose your grip and (heaven forbid) something comes crashing down, you won’t break a toe or have to replace an entire china set. 

Space Maximization

Sometimes, cabinet shelves are spaced out at awkward heights and your stack of dishware ends up utilizing only half the amount of the available space. That’s valuable kitchen storage going to waste (not to mention, if your shelves are deep, good luck reaching anything in the back quadrant). 

Deep drawers are big enough to fit all your place settings, plus since they pull out you can reach everything in the back of the drawer as easily as the things in the front (not the same came be said for cabinets). This also allows you to see all your options—large plates and cake plates, soup bowls and cereal bowls—in one view, so you know exactly what to reach for. Some designers even use wooden pegs to make organization a breeze.

Easier Loading (and Unloading)

Think about how often you have to walk across the kitchen to unload the dishwasher. Store your plates and other dishes as close to the dishwasher as possible (i.e. the drawer next door) and you instantly cut down on the time and energy involved in the frequent unloading process. 

Similarly, when it comes to the actual “putting away” action, transferring dishes to a waist-level or lower storage spot spares your body from extra physical strain and ends up being better on your back. This goes for retrieving them as well—just don’t forget to lift with your legs!

Aesthetics 

How attractive are your everyday plates, really? In a table setting, they might look nice, but in a stack? They don’t need to sit front and center in your kitchen setting. 

Especially if you have open shelving or clear glass doors, save your displays for prettier items like crystal glasses, fancy decanters, or rustic cutting boards. Basically, anything that would add to your kitchen aesthetic more than clunky plates. 

Kid-Friendly 

If you have children in the house, this final argument might be your selling point. When you store dishware at a lower level, it's easier for kids to access, so they won’t go climbing up the kitchen counter unsupervised when they want a snack. Plus, they might even be more willing to help set the table if they can reach all the parts (fingers crossed).

I know it might be the ‘way you’ve always done it’ but I challenge you to rethink your cabinet storage and consider this new useful life hack. It’s never too late to refresh the kitchen, especially if that makes it a happier, more useful space for everyone.