The world of kitchen storage solutions is vast — and sometimes, it can be a little confusing. However, if you'd like to increase your home's organization, it's essential to know what's available so you find the right fit for your needs. When it comes to kitchen cabinet storage, "pullout" and "rollout" are two standard terms for drawer boxes. But what do they mean?
In this article, we'll help you learn the difference between the two and discuss the pros and cons of each. As a result, you'll be able to choose the best option for your new or existing kitchen — whether that's a combination of pullouts and rollouts or just one option. Let's dive in.
WHAT ARE PULLOUTS AND ROLLOUTS?
To put it simply, if you have to pull a cabinet door or drawer front using a handle or knob, it's a pullout cabinet, which is what many people have in their homes. As an example, picture your utensil drawer. Likely, you pull the drawer toward you using the hardware to reveal your forks, knives and spoons. These drawer boxes are usually meant for smaller objects.
On the other hand, a rollout is a rolling shelf or sliding drawer box. These drawers maximize all of the space available, so they're perfect for larger cooking items like pots and pans. Unlike pullouts, rollout cabinets feature scoop handles, which are carved into the drawer box. When it comes to the handles for these types of drawer boxes, you can choose either side or undermount glides. If you select undermount glides, make sure to order a drawer box that has a notch and bore option so the glides install properly.
When shopping for all drawer boxes, you should look for ones that offer durability and support according to what you're going to put inside of them. Consider the following when shopping for either pullout or rollout drawers:
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Number of sides: A 4-sided drawer box has more strength than those with three sides.
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Method of construction: The type of construction will play a role in each drawer's sturdiness — dovetail construction, for instance, is more durable than pinned or stapled. Make sure you keep a lookout for high-quality pieces to ensure they last a long time.
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Material: As with many furniture and storage items, you're better off purchasing items made from solid hardwood than something like particleboard.
WHY CHOOSE PULLOUT DRAWERS
There are several reasons to consider pullout drawers for kitchen cabinets. Pullout drawers offer the following advantages:
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Better item stacking: As pullouts tend to be deeper drawers than their rollout counterparts, they're better choices for storing items you'd like to stack, such as dish towels and dinner plates. That's because the drawers' sides provide better support for stackable items, meaning they aren't as likely to fall over when you pull out the drawer. However, some rollout manufacturers offer deeper shelves that work well for these kinds of items.
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Increased amount of accessible storage: Due to the greater depth of pullout drawers and the drawers' raised edges, your belongings won't fall out of them. Pullout drawers will allow you greater accessibility and increase the amount of storage space you have for all of your kitchen items. You'll also be able to avoid overstuffing your drawers as you can view everything you have stowed away.
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Option of customization: Customize your pullout drawers to have additional organization inserts like spice trays and silverware trays, which will help you locate items more quickly and keep everything more well-kept. As pullout drawers can also have multiple purposes, they make for a useful and flexible storage option for all of your cooking, baking and cleaning items.
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Easier storage for bulkier items: If you have appliances like air fryers or oversized cookware, pullout drawers are a great option to stock these larger items.
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Storage for smaller spaces:In addition to providing ample storage space for all of your tools and appliances, pullout drawers can also help you maximize your storage in a smaller living space. Pullout drawers increase the amount of room you have in lower cabinets and make the most of a smaller kitchen.
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Allowance for greater creativity: If you're designing your kitchen from scratch, choosing pullout drawers will give you the creative freedom to plan how you want your space to look. When installing several cabinets with pullout drawers, you can decide what style you want and match your kitchen's aesthetic or perhaps follow new design trends.
WHY CHOOSE ROLLOUT DRAWERS
One of the most appealing advantages of rollout drawers is they don't require a major renovation, as they're added to existing cabinetry. Therefore, you won't have to replace all of your cabinets to enjoy the advantages of rollouts. If you'd like to avoid the higher costs and extra hassles of a major kitchen renovation, you may prefer rollout drawers.
Other advantages of rollouts include:
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Easy installation: It's easy to install rolling shelves, and some manufacturers design their rollouts for DIYers specifically — fit them over existing shelves. Consider adding them as an extra shelf where none existed before, which will effectively double the storage space in the cupboard. If you'd like a fast, affordable way to update your cabinets, installing rollouts is an excellent option to consider.
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Lower costs: Rolling shelves are considerably less costly to install than pullout drawers. To install pullout drawers, you have to replace the existing cabinetry, which can be more labor-intensive than putting rollouts into the existing cabinetry.
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A uniform appearance: If you'd like the interiors of your cabinets to have a more uniform appearance, rollouts can help. First, buy matching shelves in various materials ranging from higher-end Baltic birch to more affordable melamine. Then, pick finished and features that match your existing cabinetry best. For instance, if your cupboard doors are white and include wooden handles, consider installing wooden rollouts.
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Ability to store cookware and smaller appliances:Many people use their rollouts to stow their pots and pans because they offer enough width and depth. Adding increased accessibility and additional storage space will help you keep more of the tools you need in your kitchen and store them safely and securely.
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Additional resale value: Rollout cabinets can also add value to your kitchen when it comes to reselling your home. Rollout shelves have become an increasingly desirable feature of modern kitchens due to their appealing convenience and accessibility.
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Numerous customization options: While rolling shelves come in standard sizes, some manufacturers custom-build the shelves to fit your existing cabinets perfectly. These manufacturers also offer custom accessories like inserts and dividers to make your kitchen organization even easier.
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Greater flexibility: Deeper rolling shelves will help you keep items secure and prevent accidental damage, while organizational solutions such as insertable dividers can also help keep objects in place. Wider and deeper drawers will also help you hold more kitchen items and increase your efficiency. Rollout cabinets and shelves also don't require added modifications and can fit your existing cabinet dimensions.
STORAGE SOLUTION IDEAS FOR PULLOUTS
Keep in mind that pullout drawers aren't only for utensils and other small kitchen tools. Consider the following pullout uses to organize your kitchen better:
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Built-in knife organizer: Once you determine the measurements of your drawer, you can install built-in storage blocks to prevent knives from knocking into one another, allowing them to stay sharp. This trick will also reduce the chance of you cutting yourself when retrieving a knife.
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Slide-out prep station: If you don't have much counter space to spare, consider putting a butcher board in a drawer and carving a hole out in the middle, allowing food scraps to fall right into your trash can.
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Baking pan organizer: While most homeowners stack their baking dishes — which can be a hassle — a baking pan organizer provides each dish with its own place to be stored. Space out a set of customizable drawer dividers for easy accessibility.
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K-cup organizer: In the morning — when you're often in desperate need of caffeine — sifting through your K-cups for your favorite flavor is the last thing you want to do. By installing a custom K-cup drawer, you can store all your flavors face-up, making it easier to locate the one you want in the early morning.
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Food storage container organizer: Most people agree that the most challenging part of a kitchen to keep organized is the Tupperware cabinet. Luckily, however, there's a brilliant solution to this common problem — a Tupperware drawer organizer, which has a spot for every Tupperware container and its matching lids.
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Peg drawer organizer: A drawer with an easy-to-assemble peg system lets you move your plates from high-up cabinets to lower, deep drawers. This way, they'll be less likely to fall and break and be easier to take out and put away.
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Produce organizing bins: Free up some space on your counter by moving your onions, potatoes and other unrefrigerated fruits and vegetables from a bowl to several plastic bins deep in a drawer.
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Spice organizer: If you've had enough of digging through your spices to find the right one, store your spices in a drawer that puts them all on display, making the one you want easy to locate.
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Charging drawer: If you're tired of cord clutter when it comes to charging your devices, consider converting a drawer into a charging station. This storage solution is easy to DIY by adding a surge protector in an existing drawer. While you're working in your kitchen, you can charge your electronic devices while protecting them from water and humidity by keeping them off of countertop space.
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Pots and pans organizer: If you're like many homeowners, you store your pots and pans in a pile, and when you try to pull a pan out of this pile, a cookware avalanche ensues. To avoid this loud and potentially dangerous clattering, you can use a pullout drawer organizer that allows you to hang your pots and pans on adjustable hooks.
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Tray drawer organizer: Some of the most inconvenient objects to store in a kitchen are the baking sheets, serving trays and other large tins, as cabinets are often too shallow and not wide enough. A deeper tray-friendly drawer with dividers will keep your trays upright and simple to find.
STORAGE SOLUTION IDEAS FOR ROLLOUTS
Alternatively, rolling shelves provide homeowners with various ways to store and easily access commonly used items in the kitchen. Some of the most popular uses include:
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Blind corner organizer: If you keep the standard base cabinets under your countertops, adding a blind corner organizer is a must. For those difficult-to-access spots where two cabinets come together, blind corner solutions roll out from the opening of the cabinet, bringing the contents right to you. You don't have to crawl into the cabinet just to grab that one pot or bowl.
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Tray dividers: It can often be tricky to find space to keep large trays, cutting boards and baking sheets. With tray divider pullouts, you'll avoid the trouble of having to stack bulky platters and trays on top of one another. Why is it that the tray you're looking for always seems to be at the very bottom?
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Pantry organizer: Also, pullouts provide a perfect storage solution for canned, bagged and boxed pantry items. For example, a pullout rack that spans from the floor to the ceiling and has easily accessible, open shelving is a great solution. These convenient organizers can be custom-fit for your existing cabinet space.
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Spice storage: Many people often store their oils and spices on their countertops or in their cabinets. A pullout spice rack close to the stove allows you to easily access seasonings while you're cooking and free up cabinets for other types of items. These spice racks work in other rooms of your house, too — for instance, in the bathroom, you could use them to store a collection of nail polish.
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Utensil organizer: Most of us can relate to that frustrating feeling of trying to find our cooking utensils in a crowded drawer. However, if you hang them by your stove, you'll always be able to locate your preferred spatula quickly. By adding a utensil organizer to your kitchen, you'll have a perfect place for large utensils like tongs and stirring spoons. These storage drawers take up little space and are an easy way to display your cooking utensils.
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Wastebasket: One of the best and most fashionable uses of pullouts is to move your trash cans and recycling bins out of the open and into your cabinets. If you opt for a double pullout trash rack, you can accommodate both your trash can and recycling bin. This trick also allows you to toss waste while at a workstation, so you won't have to run across your kitchen to throw it away.
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Appliance pullouts: Homeowners often store their appliances on their countertops, but you can better use this space for cooking, food preparation and entertaining. With an appliance pullout, you can store and access everyday appliances like coffee machines and toasters. As a bonus, your appliances won't be an eyesore in your stunning new kitchen.
HOW TO MEASURE DRAWER BOXES
If you're planning to replace an existing drawer box in your home or want to take different measurements using the opening of a cabinet, we can help you order drawer boxes in the correct sizes. To ensure your new drawers fit properly, keep in mind that the size parameters of our dovetail drawer boxes are available are as follows:
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Height: The drawer height ranges from 2-12", in 1/2" increments.
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Width: The drawers are available in widths ranging from 3-46", in 1/16" increments.
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Depth: The depth of the drawers can be anywhere from 3-31", in 1/16" increments.
Whether or not you have a drawer box to measure, below are instructions for how to measure drawer size to achieve a perfect fit:
SHOP DRAWER BOXES
REPLACING AN EXISTING DRAWER BOX
If you want to use the same drawer glides — undermount or sidemount — measure the drawer box's outside dimensions to note the height, width and depth. Replacing your cabinet door boxes will allow you to increase your storage space, ease of access for all of your food items and choose a new cabinet style and material to reflect your kitchen's aesthetic and best suit its layout.
HOW TO MEASURE USING THE OPENING OF THE CABINET USING SIDE-MOUNTED GLIDES
If you're measuring for an opening with side-mounted glides, follow these steps:
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Measure the width of the cabinet opening: Measure the opening width of the cabinet from inside frame to frame. Then, subtract 1" from that measurement — sidemount drawer glides typically take up about 1/2" on each side. Remember that glide sizes vary, and you may need to subtract more if the glides you choose are larger.
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Measure the opening height of the cabinet: Measure the height of the cabinet from inside frame to frame. Next, subtract a minimum of 1/2" from the height. For example, if the opening measurement you get is 3 3/4", you should go with 3 1/2".
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Measure the depth: When noting the depth, we recommend subtracting a minimum of 1" from the length of sidemounted drawer glides. For instance, if the glides are 21" long, make your depth measurement 20". Make sure to look for obstructions like gas or water pipes.
HOW TO MEASURE USING THE OPENING OF A CABINET WITH UNDERMOUNT GLIDES
If you're measuring for a cabinet with undermount glides, you'll want to follow these specific steps:
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Measure the opening width: From the width you get, subtract 3/8", which is 3/16" from each side.
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Measure the opening height: From the height you measure, subtract 3/4", and then round down to the nearest 1/2" for the appropriate drawer box size.
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Measure the depth: Keep in mind that your drawer box's depth will determine your undermount glide's length. Therefore, you need to order glides that are the same length as your drawer box's depth. Note that undermount glides are available in increments of 3", and 21" is the most popular.
TURN TO CABINET DOORS' N' MORE FOR ALL YOUR CABINET REMODELING NEEDS
There's more to ease of use than just the moments when you're using the item. If an item is easy to access, you're more likely to use it. How many times have you left something out on the counter simply because you'll need it again and want to avoid the hassle of getting it out? What about skipping using a particular tool or ingredient entirely because you didn't want to dig for it?
If you need custom cabinet doors, drawer boxes, drawer fronts or any cabinet component, you can turn to Cabinet Doors 'N' More, the leading online kitchen cabinetry authority. When your storage is convenient, keeping a clear work area in your kitchen is simple — and you'll get more utility from your space, too.
As the only online company that offers replacement cabinet shelving for framed kitchen base and wall cabinets, Cabinet Doors' N' More offers an easy-to-use online ordering process, quick turnaround in 10 business days and free shipping on all of our products. Whether you just need a quick repair on a single cabinet door or a large number of components for a massive cabinet project, we have high-quality, custom replacement cabinet components to suit your needs, you can enjoy convenience in your kitchen sooner.
We invite you to browse our extensive selection so you can transform your kitchen today!
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