Closets and Home Organization - what do YOU put in your kitchen Lazy Susan?

I know this is highly subjective, but I'm hoping to get some ideas that will improve my kitchen organization. I recently replaced a cooktop with a full range, losing a bottom cabinet in the process. Like a domino effect, I've been moving items and entire categories of items from cabinet to cabinet, driving my family crazy (though I do most of the cooking, they still need to find the glasses, the plates, the snacks, etc.). At one point in my re-organization, I took all the heavy bottles of oils and vinegars that had been on the upper lazy susan, making it hard to turn due to their weight, and moved them to the underutilised upper cabinet above the range hood. That seems to work fine for the bottles, but now the lazy susan is empty, save for cereal. What else would one put in there? I may have to put the oils and vinegars back in, as it's now glasses and serving pieces (bowls, etc.) that are either poorly placed or homeless, and the lazy susans, upper and lower, really seem only suited to foods and (of course) not plates and glasses.

It is important not to overload lazy susans if made of plastic. Overloading can result in breaking the plastic shelving or other components. Replacement kits are available. Lightweight products such as cereal, snacks, and paper products are usually stored on the lazy susan shelves.

The key to kitchen organization is to eliminate clutter & to place items in areas where they will be used. Pots and pans, cooking utensils, spices, and oils, and everything needed in the area of the kitchen stove are stored in cabinets around the stove. Spices can be alphabetized and placed in cabinet or door rack near stove.

Heavier and larger items are recommended for base cabinets. Dishes and silverware are usually stored in cabinets near eating area or dishwasher for easy access. Many prefer to place coffee cups & supplies in cabinet above the coffee or tea maker and glasses near the drinking water supply--faucet or refrigerator water/ice maker. Seldom used items, such as the turkey roaster, can be stored in a pantry or closet or other area in the home in order to make room in the kitchen. Many seem to own every new kitchen gadget available on the market. This is a good time of year to pass on some of these as Christmas gifts to friends and family or to those less fortunate.

Eliminate clutter by tossing outdated food products. Do not overstock. The grocery store can be your pantry. Those who overstock grain products usually end up with pantry pest infestation.

Give away or donate unused pots, pans, dishes, glasses, cups, etc. Toss the the Cool Whip & other food containers that take up valuable space. Eliminate anything that you never use. If you have a family of four, you do not need 12 coffee mugs. Styrofoam and paper cups can be used if entertaining.

I would advise against a lot of glass items in a lazy susan - spin it fast enough and things can fly out. Had to buy a new blender because of that.

I have a two-tiered lazy suzan in a floor cabinet
It holds the chips, breads, muffins, bagels, rolls, etc...
I think there's a can of pineapple chunks there too
I'm not sure why
I think it escaped from the pantry

Occasionally a mini bag of chips or a lone (bagged) English Muffin gets flung off into the back area and lost for a bit
But they don't break

Yep...eliminate clutter. A lot of times you'll find all kinds of stuff you don't use or wonder why in the world you have it. Either toss it away, give it away or put it in storage. ;)

I have small spices on one of mine and in the other cabinet, syrup and candy (that's all I can remember!). Hmmmm... seems I need to start tossing some things away myself as I don't even know what's on it! ;D

BTW: If your lazy susan is empty and you have no need for it, there's no need for "find" a use for it. Just put it away or in storage. Just my opinion. I'm sure it'll come in handy in the near future when you need it and find yourself wondering where you put away.

DIYaddict said:
"BTW: If your lazy susan is empty and you have no need for it.......Just put it away or in storage. Just my opinion. I'm sure it'll come in handy in the near future when you need it and find yourself wondering where you put away."


I think you're talking about a different thing. My lazy susans are the upper and lower corner kitchen cabinets; There's no putting them away!

Oh! :eek: whoops! Sorry! I WAS thinking the wrong thing :o

Another rule for organizing and clutter is "If in doubt, throw it out." Many opt to do so, but put the 'in doubt' stuff in a box for one year. If they still have not used it in one year, then they throw it out, give it away, or sell it.

You don't say how large your turntable is. I tried various things in mine. At first I had all my tupperware and other plastic storage things, but it was always a mess. I now have various glass casserole/baking dishes in it and it works great. Nothing is stacked and I always know where to put things back because there will be an empty spot!

The other thing you didn't mention is where this cabinet is. I always try to store items by place of first use, so what you put in your cabinet may depend on what activity it is nearest. I don't really like lazy susans for food storage except for really small items like spices. I have one for spices, one I use for small bottles like vinegar and such, and another for small baking supplies like extracts and baking soda, etc. (These are the small plastic ones I'm talking about).

Twelvepole is right (again). In our kitchen remodel I have figured out where nearly everything goes, and it's all based on proximity to the appropriate appliance. I actually broke things into "zones" - prep & chopping, baking, and seasoning near the stove, storage stuff to the side of the prep area, small appliances next to the prep area, dishes/glasses/cups next to the dishwasher, and then all the food (other than frequently used oils and spices) go in the fridge or pantry. Right now we store things based on availability of space alone and it drives me NUTS - the plates, glasses, and flatware are all on opposite sides of the kitchen from each other :-(

In my kitchens past, the lazy suzan usually winds up next to the stove, so the base cabinet gets mixing bowls and tupperware and ramekins and other regular cooking things. The upper cabinet gets oils and spices (I am short so everything has to be on the bottom shelf).

Hope that helps!

Well, I don't have one of these, but I do house clean for people that do and I've seen a variety of things. Tupperware comes to mind quickly as does baking goods and spices, things that aren't used as often, but need to be accessed to quickly.

Hope that helps.

It is important not to overload lazy susans if made of plastic. Overloading can result in breaking the plastic shelving or other components. Replacement kits are available. Lightweight products such as cereal, snacks, and paper products are usually stored on the lazy susan shelves.


Unfortunately our Canac lazy susan shelves (both upper & lower) are cracked. Where do you get the replacements?

TIA

I have two lazy susan cabinets. One holds serving and mixing bowls, pots and pans (including 3 LeCrueset pots that weigh a ton) the other holds canned and bottled goods that I used to keep in a pantry until I got tired of walking back and forth across the kitchen every time I needed a can of something.