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ontariomom

Making good use of an extra deep under sink cabinet

ontariomom
9 years ago

Hi everyone,

We are trying to sign off on our cabinet order. We recently changed the depth of some of the island cabinets to 31 inch deep (see area boxed in on picture). The two left hand side cabinets are where we had planned to store garbage: in our city, garbage is sorted three ways. Our original plan was to have a wet garbage on the door of the under sink cabinet (cab 1.2) and have the other two (waste and recycling) on a pullout in the cabinet beside the sink cabinet (cab 2.2).

How best can we use these two deep cabinets? Should we consider putting all three garbage containers in the one pullout cabinet (cab 2.2) and leave the sink cabinet for other storage? Or should we consider doing some sort of pullout on the under sink cabinet for the wet garbage and other storage? With our present plan, to have a garbage on the door, the rest of the space in the sink cabinet will not be that accessible. Here is the relevant island elevation.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Carol

This post was edited by OntarioMom on Tue, Jul 1, 14 at 12:35

Comments (15)

  • Swentastic Swenson
    9 years ago

    Could you make the cabinets standard depth and add more cabinets to the other side? We've got friends with a huuuge island and they just made doors all the way across the back to access the backs of deep cabinets. Is that an option for you?

  • ontariomom
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Swentastic,

    Thanks for your reply. There is seating on the back and one side of the island. We debated whether to do shelves under the overhang (underseating), and decided that extra deep cabinets and drawers would be way more user friendly. Luckily, the extra charge for these deeper drawers and cabinets was not that much as we are using RTA custom sized cabinets from Sherr's.

    Carol

  • live_wire_oak
    9 years ago

    Be sure that you are specifying the cabinets correctly. Normal drawer glides are 21" on standard depth cabinets. And that's not changed on most lines by just upping the depth of the box. You have to also upgrade to the heavier duty and longer 27" glides if you want your drawers to be proportionately deeper. And that's not a cheap upgrade from anyone. I don't know of any aftermarket manufacturer who has a 3 container trash pullout. That would have to be a 100% custom design and install. Also not an inexpensive choice.

    It might be advantageous to consider making those cabinets peninsula cabinets that are openable from both sides rather than paying the upcharge for the extra box depth and extra glide depth. The costs would probably be a wash, but it would probably end up being more usable.

  • ontariomom
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for your coments, live_wire_oak. We did communicate that we wanted extra deep drawers/cabinets (not just extra deep boxes) to Sherr"s. They gave us an updated quote for this change and a few others, and we were not taken aback by the up charge to go to deep drawers rather than shelves on the backside under seating. I will double check that they are using 27 inch glides. I will do some more searching for under cabinet trash bins, and not sure if there will be a deeper cabinet solution found for a three way garbage. Maybe the guys at Sherr's will have some ideas.

    I could be missing something but I see deeper drawers/cabnets as way more user friendly than climbing under an overhang and accessing shelves behind the bar stools.

    Thanks,

    Carol

  • ontariomom
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Perhaps we could get the linked kind of drawer construction made by Sherr's in an extra deep variety to accommodate three trash bins (don't need the blum electric). Would this work?

    Carol

    Here is a link that might be useful: pull-out for trash bins

  • ontariomom
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sherr's say they can make a garbage pull-out drawer to accommodate 3 bins in a deeper 32 inch box (they have 30" glides). We are waiting for the price. I hope I won't find the pullout ridiculously deep.

    Carol

  • GreenDesigns
    9 years ago

    Be sure that something that deep doesn't negatively affect your aisle width. I find recycling type trash bins are best left to a lesser used area of the kitchen, with the trash left in the middle of the prep zone.

  • ontariomom
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi again, Green! I think we should be okay with the aisles as they are 47inches. There is a wall oven behind. So opening the oven, opening the garbage fully and having someone pass through the two would be a problem. I am not sure how often all three will happen at once.

    In our city, recyclables encompasses quite a bit as our city finds ways to recycle a bit more than many other cities around here. I would not want the recycle garbage too far away from my prep zone. However, I agree that the recyclable portion is the least used of the three garbages so it could be the trash can that is the deepest in the cabinet.

    For a cabinet that deep, I wonder if I should look into blum hardware or something to make the weight of the pull-out more manageable.

    Anyone have an extra deep drawer anywhere in there kitchen. How do they feel to open and close?

    Carol

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    We have three types of trash too - composting, recycling and trash. We find that the recycling bin fills up more quickly than the other two. Both trash and recycling are between the cooktop and the sink.

  • oldbat2be
    9 years ago

    OntarioMom,

    Is this your prep area? We too have triple trash bins, all three in a 36 inchx24" cabinet (trash plastic paper), but three individual pull outs. Thinking of how I prep, I am constantly opening first one cabinet and then the next, usually only partially opening and shutting quickly. I can prep in front of these because I'm not opening them all the way. In your case I think you might have it constantly open?

    I love the idea of extra depth, definitely figure out how to take advantage of it if you can! We have a large cabinet under the seating area/overhang and it's lovely to store really big things which are rarely used.

    Would you be willing to post your layout?

  • ontariomom
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    @sjhockeyfan,

    Thanks for your comments. Like you, I agree that having all three garbages between cooktop and sink would be handy. For whatever reason our recycling does not fill up that quickly (we don't use many cans or glass bottles, and paper waste does not usually go in kitchen recycling). I can try having the three way deep garbage go wet, waste and recycyling (from shallowest to deepest) and we can always switch it around.

    @oldbat2be,

    Thanks for your help. Yes the island will be my main prep area. There is also a set of garbages in the clean-up area and near secondary prep space as the kitchen is very large and we are a family of 6. In addition to the 10 foot 5" inch island, we also have an L shaped perimeter. When I prep, I mostly use the wet garbage, followed by some waste (plastic packaging, etc). I think having one cabinet in the prep area will work, and I like only having one cab used for garbage rather than two. I don;'t plan to have the cabinet constantly open though. If for some reason we regret it, we can always install the wet garbage on the the prep sink cab door and go back to two bins in the other cabinet.

    I am reluctant to post my layout at this point, as we have posted it many times on GW and received many helpful suggestions. I am now very satisfied with the layout that has resulted from the back and forth from our end and GW. We also are wanting to sign off with Scheer's today, if possible, so they can get on with making them. If you want the layout for your own purposes, I can certainly email it to you.

    Carol

  • lascatx
    9 years ago

    If the three in one trash/recycling works out, that sounds like a good way to go. It may be an expensive upgrade, but you are only talking about one or two cabinets, not doing this kitchen wide. Those situations are usually easy to justify a little more cost for the added lifetime function. Hope that is true for you.

    If you can do 3 in 1, I'd have your cleaning storage, fire extinguisher and such under the sink and easy to get to. If you need wet trash under the sink, you can still use the space in back for cleaning supplies, but you will need one long pullout with the cleaning supplies on back, the wet trash mounted to the door and the cleaning supplies on a rollout behind them (making sure it is easy enough to reach the pullout or have a handle or pull along the side, or some variation.

    We put recycling (our area combines plastic, paper, metal) and trash under our cleanup sink and a pullout next to the prep sink so I could use the space under the sink for our pet food. Worked out for us. It's good you are thinking about these things before you order. The details matter. :=)

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    we don't use many cans or glass bottles

    Come to think of it, that IS what fills it up -- we go through a lot of large bottles of Snapple and cranberry juice.

  • ontariomom
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    lascatx,

    Thanks for your tips. Your post reminded me to plan for a space for the fire extinguisher! I hope with this super deep three bin garbage in cab beside the prep sink, we can avoid putting any garbage under the prep sink cabinet. I with you on planning for roll out inside the sink cabinet for storage. I may use this cabinet to store some taller items. Not sure if it will be worth it to do two roll-outs inside the cabinet (top shaped like a U). I shall search under sink storage and Gardenweb using Google to see what comes up.

    Carol