2LittleFishies I do like my storage drawer. I just have 2 pans that won't fit, one because it is too tall and the other because the handle is too long. I simply put those in the other drawer above this one, which isn't a problem. I very much like being able to have this stuff accessible like this w/o the pot lids, etc. being all jumbled up. I don't have a ton of pans though b/c I don't cook, so it was not hard for me to find space for the extra pans that didn't fit. I commented on the problem w/ the fitting in Marcolo's thread only b/c Marcolo has so much stuff to find a space for. If you have just a few things that might be too big and you have somewhere else to put them, then I would say that you will really like your drawer.

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I'm going to propose a crazy solution to something that might not even be a problem. Is the concern that there is a pan that won't fit because the length of pan + handle is longer than the drawer, front-to-back? If so, does your drawer run the entire distance of the cabinet, front-to-back, or is there a little bit of "air" space between the back of the cabinet and the back of the closed drawer? And if yes, again, could you consider having the carpenter make some simple, attractive, nicely-finished notches behind maybe two of the "slots" in the drawer, so that the handle of the pan can rest in the slot and extend into that "air" behind the drawer? Like little, upside-down mouse holes? I think it could be done nicely, and you could even line the slot with felt, or something else to make it look very, very intentional.

Hmmm... how do you clean a drawer like that? Looks very hard. I am no clean freak, but that looks like a problem to me.

jakabedy my drawer extends the full length back to the end of the cabinet. Also, there are only 2 pans I can't fit and it doesn't bother me to keep them elsewhere. It really isn't a big deal, I only mentioned it in the other thread b/c Marcolo had a lot of stuff including things that looked long/tall and I wanted to point out that the drawer has to be wide and deep to accommodate these things.

As to the cleaning, we have a housekeeper so I don't clean the kitchen myself but I can't imagine why it would be an issue to keep the drawer clean. We don't put away dirty pans, so there's really no reason why the bottom of the drawer would ever really be dirty. If there is dust or something for some reason, I think it could be cleaned pretty easily w/ a feather duster. The slats are also wide enough to get your hand down in there to the bottom if you want to.

Thanks! I was thinking if the dividers were removable it might help to make it more customizable. I left a message with the cab maker but it's likely it's already made. It's good to hear you like it and I'm sure I'll have enough space to make it work : )

Here's is what I meant by removable dividers. I forget whose drawer this is:

BeaglesDoItBetter, it doesn't matter if the pans are clean - dust, crumbs, etc. eventually find their way into most lower cabinets (even upper, but it takes a little longer). I would want to clean with more than a feather duster!

Are the dividers removable (they don't look removable)? If not, it would be a nuisance to try to clean the drawer without taking it outside and using a hose or similar on it to "power wash" the drawer.

It looks like there's room for a person's hand b/w the dividers but each section would have to be cleaned separately - not an impossible task, but as someone who does not have a maid to do the cleaning for me, I would not want to deal with it. YMMV

If the dividers were removable - then there would be no issues! (Like 2LittleFishies' photo at 12:52. Although there will still be the little crannies where the dividers slip in - but much easier to deal with than permanent dividers.)

Fishies - that is our drawer - The dividers are removable - I even managed to slide "shelf" paper under the dividers. I do have to release the levers to open wider to clear the hardware.

I have re-arranged it a bit but same principle - It works great - I have a couple items that don't fit this way -
12 inch saute pan - in my Super Susan
8 qt pasta pan with insert - the pasta pan fits, not the insert - and I like to nest them - Super Susan

A couple of other saute pans that are big - they are in the lower drawer and stacked (2 of them)

Griddle - it actually does fit, but makes me nervous - so above oven - but might come home.

In the lower drawer - I also have our blender, egg cooker, tea kettle, mini chop etc.

Love the flexibility - still deciding exactly how things should live.

On the other side - I have my baking dishes and some cake pans in a similar manner.

And on side 3 - the food storage containers live - no more avalanches!! Most of those are stacked on top of each and not sideways.

Not as pretty as Beagles - but it is functional.

buehl my dividers aren't removable. The drawer is clean so far, it has been 6 months and no dirt at the bottoms. But, like you said, YMMV. If you cook a lot then I would imagine the drawers would also get dirtier than mine do...

a2gemini- Thanks! They look great! Didn't hear back from cab guy. He hates me btw. (just kidding- but I know I'm more than he planned on!) We'll see what I end up with!
I wish I would have thought of removable a few weeks ago. Guess it's hard to think of everything! grrrr

Buehl, perhaps it depends on how your cabinets are constructed and on what you have in the other drawers that share the cabinet box.

We had been using our old cabinets for 20 years when we replaced the kitchen (they were 35 years). I don't think we ever dusted or cleaned the pot drawers drawers and the pot drawers didn't have crumbs or dust. Our new ones have been in for over 5 years and I don't see any crumbs or dust building up in them.

If you have a bread drawer for instance in the same cabinet box with a pot and pan drawer, perhaps air currents when opening and closing the drawers could move crumbs from one drawer to another? But in a cabinet with just pot and pan storage, how would dust and crumbs get in? They don't get into ours.

Fishies - no one could hate you - but I am sure not everyone can deal with your imagination and changes - I personally love your traits and a bit jealous that I don't have one little iota of creativity in me.

Should be easy to add the dividers - just route the inside box and a local hardware store can make the dividers - ours came with our Brookhaven cabs but know I can replace or add more very easily.

BTW- no crumbs in ours so far - I know because I added the shelf paper - I expected a big mess - but just some of the original sawdust that I missed earlier on - I was just testing the arrangement and had not totally cleaned out the cabs - now 6 months later...

Jakabedy, I remember when I first learned that most cabinets are made with ''standard'' drawers that are way shorter front to back than the cabinet space. My cabinet maker explained that this is because the slides and glides and whatever are made, for the convenience of the manufacturer, to fit both bathroom vanities and kitchen cabs. Since then I have looked at many cabinet drawers and they ALL have ended two or three inches short of the full depth of the cabinet. Makes me grit my teeth in frustration.

I never considered trying to use the ''lost'' space at the back of the drawer for pan handles. Won't work for me, but what a NEAT idea!!

Sandra

Great idea!