Accessible without a ladder means you have to be able to reach everything with your fingers. Pullouts won't work because whether they're in or out, you can only get your hand on what's on the edge. The pullout only gives you access to the sides. Plus, reaching down heavy things from over your head is dangerous. The vertical tray storage makes much more sense. Even if one tray drags out a few others, you can control them with one hand, take them down, choose the one you want, and put the rest back up, easily, safely, and without a ladder.

I love mine because the doors lift up instead of opening out, but they're just plain, deep shelves, and meant to be accessed with a ladder.

Thanks Plllog. You make good points. I've seen the pullouts he does, in my cousin's house. I could reach what she had in there without a step stool. I'd have to be careful in my house to not put in things that are too heavy or bulky. I'm drawn to the tray storage, though. I've never had that before.

I would get vertical tray storage. That's what I'll be doing over my fridge in our new house. My fridge is about 70" tall & 3 feet deep.

Right now, all my trays, pans that I would store there are nested in a non-pull out cabinet & I hate it.

If you're concerned about pulling too many things out at once, just make the dividers narrow or have a mix of sizes.

I'll post a link to a thread on the same subject...buehl has pictures that are great. Good luck in whatever you do!

Here is a link that might be useful: buehl's pics of her storage

Thanks Kompy and Melaska

I have vertical tray storage as well and it works perfectly for me. As plllog pointed out, you only have to be able to reach that bottom corner, yet the entire depth of the cabinet is getting used.

I would not like pull outs up there because IMO pullouts are not practical if they are too high up.

I think you should consider:
a. what will you store up there if you use pull outs, and will that be the most practical spot for those items?
b. where will you store your cookie sheets, etc.? Do you have a better spot for them?

Melaska, that was a helpful thread. Thanks a million. It didn't come up in my search but it was newer than the thread I did read. Looks like not many posters are using the pullouts.

Lowspark, I'll have a drawer under the ovens and a space I could use for some vertical storage on the perimiter cabinets behind the island... but it seems the consensus is that the best use of the space over the fridge is for vertical storage.

I don't think I'd use the entire depth of my fridge that way, though. My fridge is 33 inches deep and my longest cookie sheets are 19 inches. Or am I missing something?

Newcastlemom,

You are welcome. I've never figured out the search function here...it always takes me to the 'gardening' forum. I guess I need to play around with it more...I'm probably doing something wrong.

I have more luck by putting in a specific question & using 'gardenweb' as part of the question & I always get good search results.

I'll add my 2 cents about pullouts as I have them above my refrigerator and double ovens. The 24'' deep after market pullouts are white, cabs are QS oak, so they don't match the doors or the cab interior. I love them because I can reach everything easily. The cab depth is 30'' which allows for 6'' of storage behind the pullouts. There are two above the fridge. One holds cereal and lunch boxes. The other has tea pots I seldom use. I have a pullout only on once side above the ovens. It has bread pans that would not fit in drawers. They are stacked 3 high. Not heavy and although I cannot see them, I know what is up there and easily get what I am after. The oven cab is quite tall and has an upper shelf for baking items I use less often. The cookie sheets and baking trays are in drawers. For me it is much handier than reaching above the ovens. I would hate vertical storage above the fridge or the ovens.

Here's a pic of my over-fridge storage. The fridge is 36"W x 70"H x 33"D. I'm only 5'4", so I put the items that I need most often at the very front (half sheet pans, etc.) of each divider, and I use the storage in the back for lesser used baking items (all the various cake pans, bundt pans, etc.). I do need to take out the step-ladder to get things out of the back depths or to get things off the top shelf (some serving platters, the full sheet pan, etc.). Hope that helps you visualize it:

Thanks so much Cotehele and Skoo. That photo is helpful, and I'm glad to hear that someone has pullouts and loves 'em. I've tried them in my cousin's kitchen and I could see what was in them and reach them on my own(I'm about 5'7") so I don't think that would be a problem.