I don't have a cooktop, but I think that I would rather have utensils in a drawer next to the cooktop, so I don't have to back up a foot or more to reach them.

Perhaps 2 drawers instead of one wide drawer would make it easier.

Sorry I couldn't be more help!

ann - thanks for your reply. I considered that idea of them being off to the side, but to the right of the cooktop is the DW and to the left is a 4-drawer unit that is already spoken for with it's contents (spices, towels, hot pads, etc.) and none of those can effectively switch spots with the utensils. Also, I don't really see the backing up as being much of an issue since I'll mostly get the utensils out at the start of cooking at the same time I'll be getting my pots/pans/lids out of the same area.

I look forward to seeing responses. We just installed a Bosch induction cooktop over three drawer stack. W have to have one inch under the bottom of the cooling unit. The cabinet guy is planning to cut drawer sides down to allow for that inch, but I am really hoping I can keep my cooking utensils there.

Mine aren't organized so I don't have pics. But, I have my utensils under the induction cooktop, pans in the middle drawer (some lids), and pots/lids in the bottom drawer. Super convenient. It's a 36" cooktop in a 36" drawer base.

Okay, if you really want to see them, I will post some pictures of my drawers!
I have a 36 inch gas cooktop with 3 drawers underneath. The sides of drawers needed to be cut down and the front to back depth needed to be shortened to clear the the cooktop chassis and gas regulator and to meet the manufacturer's clearance to combustibles requirement.The carpenter put angled pieces of of wood on each side at the back so the drawer would attch to the slides correctly and be able to soft close. Even the drawers is shallow, I find it useful.
Overall view:

I have my dishes in the second drawer. Found out after the fact that the pegs are not really necessary:

I have my most used pots and pans in the bottom drawer. No dividers. Less used items and other cookware is located in adjacent drawers.
{{!gwi}}

Not mine any more. This was for an induction cooktop with a shallow clearance requirement. The top drawer had to be a little short to accomodate the wiring.

Knives and cutting boards in the top drawer, pots and pans just stacked in bottom two.

When I do this again, I will have a super deep giant drawer with slots for "filing" large lids, skillets, and maybe flattish bakeware. Maybe like this:

LOL Andrea! Your post title just had me rolling. I know you meant kitchen drawers but it just hit my silly bone!

Thanks for the visuals. That helps so much. Looks like both badgergal and fori have standard 6" for the top drawer and that the box itself is about 2" high. If that's the case, I think that I'll be good with my plan.

Especially helpful to see the wedges that were put in for badgergal to keep the soft close functionality...hadn't considered being able to do that if we do need less depth to the drawer.

You know, in the little over a year that I've known about and hung out off and on on this forum, I'm amazed at how different my kitchen is going to be from what I would have wound up with. While it won't be perfect, it's going to be so much more functional than what it would have been.

Holly-kay - I'm glad the post title gave you a little smile. It did me too. I tried to make it better by putting the cooktop part in...but, I'm afraid that with reading it now, it just sounds like I have some sort of strange fetish that I want to hide under a cooktop looking at someone's drawers. Now, there's a visual for you! :)

Badgergal: love your cooktop drawers. I loved the title as well. We have our downdraft vent system under the cooktop cabinet and the gas line etc. I didn't even know it was possible to put drawers under the cooktop. I need to check what kind of clearance we have.

Too late for stacked drawers and they wouldn't have worked with all of the connection stuff going on down there, but maybe the top fake drawer front could be converted to a drawer...hmmm...something to think about.

My induction cooktop also didn't need much clearance, and it doesn't get very hot anyway. I have the utensils in one 36" wide drawer with bamboo dividers. I don't mind stepping back to pull something out.The pots are in the lower two drawers, no dividers. My skillets are stacked, which is a little inconvenient, but only a little. The rest are just on their own with their tops on. I got some rubbery drawer liner stuff so they don't slide around.

Does this mean you found a cabmaker?

I have an induction cooktop.

We went with 2 doors that swing open to reveal 2 large flat pull out pot trays. It works out better than I thought. I thought having to open both doors before being able to pull the drawers out would be a problem, but it isn't.

Some great ideas here - I need 6 inches below counter on my Wolf (or close to that), so couldn't do a drawer - so my top drawer is a tip out thing.
I think some of these creative ideas might have worked as well and maybe I can still do this downstream.
I put dividers that I can move around in my drawers. I have modified a few things since this picture.

This is my lower drawer before I filled it completely!

A2gemini has the filing system. It is aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawesome. Or it would be for me. I intend to copy it!

rkb21 - it seems likely that you could get one of the tip out drawers like a2g mentioned. FWIW, rev-a-shelf announced a soft close version of the tip out...that's going in our sink area. I always disliked how the other ones closed, so I'm hoping that this soft close one will be to my liking. You can see it in use at the RAS website around 2 minutes in http://www.rev-a-shelf.com/t-revashelf.kbis2013.aspx

Ginny - I think that I remember you as having the KA induction, right? If so, I checked specs for one and it says it requires about an inch less clearance than mine does. Still, I'm checking with my cabinet maker - as long as he says that I can get 2" depth in the drawer that is usable, I'll go with the drawer there. If not, it might be a tip-out or a drawer in drawer...I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the 2" and I'll make other decisions if I have to.

I'm hoping to avoid stacking my skillets, so I think that once again, I might be copying off of a2g with a few dividers in the lower drawers, although maybe only in the middle drawer where I plan on the skillets residing and not the bottom where the pots will be.

Annie - I've seen those units like you have and considered that, although I'm strongly leaning toward the drawers. Had I not found GW and had it drilled into my head, "all drawers, all the time" (haha!), I probably would have gone with what you described since we were getting one of those in the house we were building and I thought it was pretty sweet.

I have a 36" Bosch induction in a 3 drawer stack. The top drawer had the sides cut down a bit to accomodate the cooktop. I keep all our cooking utensils in there. Its a bit messy at times but works great! The second drawer holds our most frequently used pots and the bottom drawer more pots and stock pot.

Muskokascp-how do you like the stainless steel frame on your Bosch cooktop? I'm looking at a 30" Bosch cooktop and a downdraft to go with it. For those with this configuration, what is your drawer set up below the cooktop?

I have that Bosch cooktop in 30" - what are you wondering about?

If you like the stainless frame? I'm wondering if it will scratch/age faster than having simply the black cooktop without the frame.

I had the frame on my Bosch electric cooktop for the past 6 years in the condo I just sold. After 6 years it looked as good as new. I was skeptical when I got it thinking I wanted the one without the edge, but in my new build, I'm getting the Bosch 800 Induction cooktop and going with the stainless edge again. With induction, it should be even easier to keep clean as I rarely will need to use the glass top cleaner on it.

Same as cpartist said. In fact, on the sides that are just black glass, some gunk does work it's way under there - I use a toothpick to clean it every now and then, but that's not an issue on the sides with the stainless trim.

Thanks a lot cpartist & sjhockeyfan325! Do you have the downdrafts too? And if so, what is your drawer configuration like underneath the cooktop? My cooktop will be on my island and I'm trying to best use the space of course:)

Not under a cooktop but the same idea-

middle drawer of a 30" frameless cabinet.
These are not adjustable, (mine and predate when I could do that easily)
Spacing is 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 clear between and dividers are 4-1/4" (4-1/2"
max) high to allow lids and (11") fry pans to tilt enough to clear and
saucepans to sit front to back. It also allows much easier access than
full height dividers. Drawer box sides should be full height if at all
possible. Larger fry pans, square sided sauteuse, woks, etc. get stored
elsewhere. Usually with tray dividers in base cabinet though the first
two can work in the top drawer of a frameless caibnet. (I hate stacking)
Nowadays I spec adjustable in most brands, the one brand that I can't
do that with we put them in with pocket hole screws and fit them to the
clients actual stuff.

Why is your cooktop on an island? Have you vetted your kitchen layout here on the kitchen forum so maybe we can figure out a way not to have it on the island? Downdraft venting is really not very useful.

If at all possible, I'd get the cooktop off the island.

It's really the best option all things considered-layout of kitchen, preferences as far as use of kitchen/dining space, etc.

My oven is under the cooktop, so I'm no help regarding that issue.

sjhockeyfan325…are your stovetop and oven on/in the island? Regardless, how is it (is it quite warm, comfortable,etc.) utilizing the cooktop and oven at the same time?