Upgrade Your Pantry Like Hilary Farr With Easy DIY Pull-Out Drawers

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When you have deep kitchen cabinets or pantry shelves, you have to either keep everything right near the front or risk it being pushed so far back that it's nearly impossible to reach. We're always looking for the best storage hacks for deep pantry and cabinet shelves, and we recently stumbled on a great tip from Hilary Farr. The HGTV UK host of "Tough Love with Hilary Farr" recommends installing pull-out drawers on deep pantry and cabinet shelves.

Pull-out drawers (and even trays) are one of the best pantry organizers as they are simple to install and can store anything you keep on your shelves, from bottles and cans to boxes and bags. The drawers pull out far enough that you can easily see items in the very back, even if you have super deep shelves. Using pull-out drawers or pull-out baskets for kitchen cabinet storage allows you to maximize every inch of your space so that you will always know exactly what you have and where it is.

Hiring a pro to install pantry drawers for you can cost between $100 and $350 per drawer. For custom-built pull-out drawers with professional installation, you can expect to pay between $400 and $600 per drawer or even $15,000 for your full kitchen. But, to save money, you can make it a DIY kitchen organization project.

You can purchase kitchen cabinet pull-out trays or drawers from a specialty cabinet maker, home improvement store, or sites like The Container Store and Wayfair. These drawers are installed using steel glides or tracks and screws, making them very durable. The Container Store's pull-out drawers are $99.99 for a 20-inch deep drawer. They have a storage capacity of up to 50 pounds and can store pots, pans, lids, and more. However, they must be installed using screws. These usually come with an installation template, which you can lay out on the shelf to determine where you need to drill screw holes. Next, install one side rail on the top of each cabinet shelf using the supplied screws.

These pull-out trays from Wayfair use side tracks. The 24-inch deep trays are $67.99 and also require that you drill holes in your cabinet and use screws. A mounting template and all necessary hardware are also included. You'll need to install two sets of tracks on each side of your cupboard walls for each shelf, and then insert the trays into the cupboard by sliding them onto the tracks. 

Tasting Table also found a no-drill method for installing pull-out drawers. These sturdy plastic pull-out drawers on Amazon attach to shelves using Nano adhesive, a super-strong, durable tape that allows for fast installation without the need to drill holes. The drawers are 21 inches deep, durable enough to store pots, pans, and lids as well as bottles, cans, and food, and cost just $29.99.