How To Choose The Right Cabinet Drawers

Choosing the right cabinet means picking drawers and glides that fit your needs. With improvements to drawer glide technology, today’s cabinet drawers are bigger and more durable than ever. In addition to common utensils, there are now drawers specially made to hold heftier items such as pots and pans and large dishware. To best figure out which kinds of drawer cabinets you should purchase, opt for the cabinets that will offer you more convenience. Consider the following questions before making your final decisions:

• Are your current cabinets terribly cluttered? You may need to choose drawers with partitions or dividers that allow for easy organization.

• Do you have a large variety of cooking accessories and nowhere to put them? Many current kitchen designs often opt to use only drawer base cabinets rather than a mixture of both drawers and doors. This is a great option for the home cook with tons of cooking accessories who desperately need organization.

• Where would you like to keep your pots and pans? If you’d rather keep your pots and pans in drawers, choose a wide base cabinet with an extra-deep bottom drawer for maximum storage.

• Will you be storing a lot of heavy objects in your drawers? If so, you must be sure to choose quality drawer glides that will withstand the load. 3/4-extension epoxy-coated glides can hold up to 75 pounds of weight. Some full-extension glides can hold up to 100 pounds of weight while also giving you access to the entire drawer. Undermount glides, though more costly, function much better are are able to hold more weight than side-mounted glides. Drawer glides and load bearing will vary based on cabinet styles, so be sure to research the types of glides and the amount of weight your prospective style choices support.In terms of materials and construction, always opt for dovetail joint construction, as it won’t weaken and become over time. Always be sure to choose drawers with a minimum of 3/8″-1/2″ thickness, especially on the bottom. Choose plywood bottoms over thin particleboard, which tends to be flimsy. Solid wood is best for drawer fronts and sides.

• Are you looking to save money? If you’re not too concerned with weight and are looking to save on costs, consider choosing side-mount glides instead. The downside to these glides is that they’re visible the drawers are open, which may be an issue for those concerned with aesthetics. If you’re also not very concerned about being able to access the entire drawer, 3/4-extension glides tend to be cheaper than full-extension ones. You can find quality, discounted kitchen cabinets online which have all of these features.

• Do loud, slamming noises drive you insane? Opt for soft-close or feather touch features which prevent the drawer from slamming shut.

The great news is that all of these features and more are available in almost all lines of stock cabinets. You truly don’t have to break the bank to have large, durable drawers that fit your needs.