Drawers or Doors in Base Cabinets

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By the time the third pot has been lifted out of a door-and-shelf base, the cook is already kneeling on the floor. A drawer stack brings the back of the cabinet forward and spares that, as the notes at austin kitchen cabinets simplicity for children describe for kitchens across Austin, TX. The trade is cost in hardware and a more demanding box, so the choice deserves a closer look than it usually gets.

What a drawer stack does well

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A wide drawer in a base cabinet lets the cook see the whole contents from above. Pots, lids and mixing bowls come out without bending to the back corner. A stack of three drawers, a shallow one over two deep ones, holds more usable items than a single door with a fixed shelf, since the shelf height cannot be tuned to a stockpot.

What a door and shelf base still suits

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A door base is the better answer for tall items such as a slow cooker, a mixer and a stand blender. It also suits the sink base, where the plumbing leaves no room for a drawer box. In a Mueller or Zilker area family kitchen, one door base near the dishwasher for cleaning supplies is usually enough.

Slides and box load

A deep drawer holding a cast iron pan and a set of lids can carry a heavy load, so the drawer slide rating decides the outcome. Full extension ball bearing slides on a plywood box with a dovetail drawer in maple or birch hold that weight for years. A stapled particleboard drawer with light slides sags at the front by the second summer.

Corner base layouts

The corner base is the hardest cabinet in the room. A blind corner with a door and a swing out tray wastes the deepest part. A corner with two drawer stacks meeting at a filler loses less, though the fronts must clear each other when both open. A face frame cabinet needs a wider stile at the corner, while a frameless box can place the drawers closer and gain a little width.

Reach and routine

Think in terms of what is used daily. Plates and bowls belong in a deep drawer near the dishwasher so the unloading takes two steps. Baking sheets stand on edge in a narrow door base beside the range. Austin kitchens that get a lot of family use tend to wear out the doors and hinges first, so a drawer-heavy plan also reduces the number of hinges that will ever need an adjustment as the house moves through the seasons.