This Highly-Rated, Affordable Costco Find Makes Kitchen Organization A Breeze

For many of us, organization is the final boss in getting our kitchen set up the way we want. Creating a harmonious flow and ensuring easy access in a clean, organized space can be difficult. Luckily, there are solutions, and one of the best comes from Costco. The iDesign kitchen bins sold by the retailer can be used in the fridge or the pantry. They don't have any bells or whistles. They offer simple, clean organization, and the results are hard to beat.

Made from BPA-free PET plastic, these bins are different from those you might find at a discount store and can stand up to some abuse. They're sold online only and in sets, and the longest sizes range from 10 to 16 inches in length. Be sure to take measurements inside your fridge or pantry, as smaller fridges may not accommodate the bins in certain sets.

Costco's wide variety of iDesign bins can do wonders to declutter your kitchen, from a simple 4-piece set to a 9-piece drawer organizer and a full 18-piece set suitable for a pantry or fridge. The containers are modular, allowing you to stack them where space permits. Some pieces are ideal for items like loose apples, while others can hold boxes, cartons, and cans. They even work in the freezer, letting you separate the contents into organized sections that are easy to see and access.

The iDesign kitchen bins are highly rated on Costco's website, but one of the main criticisms across customer reviews is the price. A four-piece set is the most affordable at $28.99, while the 18-piece set, featuring five different-sized bins, is $89.99. That's an investment for plastic storage bins, even if they are sturdy.

On the other hand, if you've ever bought inexpensive plastic bins that broke from falling on the floor or being overfilled, you know that cheaper is not always the best way to go. There are several kitchen organization mistakes you can make, and relying on a miscellany of lower-quality storage containers is one of them. Based on reviews, these bins live up to their price point. The 6-piece set (which costs $47.99) has 1,700 reviews with a 4.8-star overall rating. The 4-piece set has a similar number of reviews and a 4.7-star overall rating. Nearly everyone agrees that these bins help you organize like a pro.

If you're tempted to order a set for yourself, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, the bins aren't dishwasher safe, so hand-wash them with soap and water in the sink. Also, while they can be helpful for freezer organization, they are not officially listed as freezer-safe. The cold temperature could potentially make them more fragile if you were to drop one. Finally, the biggest complaint customers have is less about how they perform and more about their condition when they arrive. A number of people have expressed that Costco's shipping leaves something to be desired, as some bins showed up broken. As for performance, however, they are second to none.