I think mine is supposed to have crumbs...

The way I am going to try to get around this is by putting the silverware drawer between the cooktop base cabinets and the sink base cabinet, so there shouldn't be enough room to make any crumby type thing there. It's only going to be a 15" drawer, so it might work.
I currently have the silverware drawer right under the spot where the toaster sits... so I am right there with you.

One way to deal with crumbs: I have my flatware in wire tray holders, inside the drawer. The wire trays with the flatware in them can be lifted out to clean the drawers. (All the crumbs just fall right through the trays). Not a perfect solution but makes it easier to keep the drawers clean.

lol, fori... where 'ya been? ;)

but i'm guilty of making those crumbs! :(

good point, though... my pending flatware drawer might be under my toaster now that you mention it....

Can the flatware drawer be hooked up to the central vac somehow? Maybe upon closing there's a burst of suck?

How can you stand in front of it and reach the counter when its open? That sounds like more trouble than closing it.

In my next remodel I will not have a stone sink. I like the way it looks, I like the way it sounds, but I don't like breaking glasses.

Well, *I* don't do it, Palimp! I don't have the reach!

I need to put the drawer on a timer.

Just put the flatware in one of these:

In the 1949 kitchen pictures (posted by the vintage kitchen addiction promoting Pinch Me), the drawers for flatware are under the upper cabinets - I think this is a great idea because crumbs in the flatware drawer seems to happen no matter what I do. But flatware drawers ABOVE the counter - surely this is problem solved.

My flatware is in the corner now--not a tempting counter--but I made sandwiches over the flatware drawer in the old kitchen all the time. It was just closed! Maybe just put a bungee on a hood inside, so that when people let go of the knob the drawer bounces shut? An audible alarm when it's open that forces people to close it because it's so annoying? A flip up lid on the flatware tray that acts as a secondary cover and prevents people from reaching the counter over it? A spring-loaded, pop-up SHUT THE DRAWER sign?

I think you have more of a discipline issue than a drawer issue. Find the offenders, and make their days a waking nightmare until they stop their crimes. Make them remove every last crumb from the drawer, with hot, greased steel chopsticks, while blindfolded, with a desperately full bladder. Be creative. You can have fun with this.

Failing that, you might relocate the bread and peanut butter to another spot. That sort of person might just make their sandwich whereever is easiest.

Or, a substantial wood cutting board with a crumb channel around the perimeter could live on the counter above the silverware drawer.

If all that fails, it's not the end of the world. The crumbs help blot up water from the silverware that gets put away wet.

I like the idea of an upper drawer!

Leave it to Johnliu to provide the humor.

I have a spice drawer next to my range. Husband leaves it open when cooking so it is full of spice dust. Come to think of it, he leaves most of the drawers open. But he does do a lot of cleaning around the house so I try not to complain. When he's in the room ;)

If I were to change one thing about my remodel, I would make the uppers above the baking center higher and the counter top a few inches deeper. I knock the trim of the upper cabs with my food processor when I am taking it apart. Bang! Ding! Smash!

OK I know this sounds nuts, but this solution has WORKED for us! We had that exact same problem with the old kitchen. When the new kitchen was ready to move into, I took my time figuring out what should go where in the new space. We strategically placed the drawer of eating utensils by the dining table (which is on the opposite side of the room from the food prep area.) The only utensils in the food prep area are food prep utensils. If my husband wants a knife for peanut butter, he has to walk across to the drawer and bring the knife back with him to the counter area where the food is. This very-low-tech solution was not hard to get used to at all. Other benefits include keeping the spoons from getting bent from ice cream. This was a serious pet peeve of mine. Everytime I'd go to put a spoon away and it didn't fit the stack just right because it was bent from him scooping ice cream with them, I'd go thru the roof! All these bent spoons have transformed into paint stiring tools in the shed. I've put the bin of ice cream scoopers in the very front of the top drawer by the freezer with pot holders and other items used for 'non-crumb' things. Any crumb-connected tools go in lower drawers that have to be shut in order to stand at the counter. Seems a bit OCD, but I am. I want our new space to stay CLEAN!!!

Sure it's a discipline issue, but the spouse is aware and trying to correct. The kids aren't doing it (YET!). But the inlaws, ahh the inlaws. (My parents too, although they don't visit as frequently.)

I leave drawers open if I'm going to put something back. My spice drawers are often open while I work, but the spices are jarred so the actual items stay clean.

I could rearrange everything (Cienza, you are not crazy!) But alas all my drawers are under counter, except for the really low ones under the oven. The kitchen is small so everything is convenient--and I thought convenience was a good thing! But it's not!

Spoons bent for ice cream. Hehehe been there! I now have two ice cream scoops that live in the flatware drawer and they work so much better, one would have to be mad to use something else!

Anyway, mesh drawer fittings sound good. I currently have an oddball assortment of old dividers in my flatware drawer which is an oddball size. New trays won't be easy to find, but shaking out the crumbs...that's more my style.

I do need to keep flatware in drawers still since my kids are little. (You should see the drawer where the plastic dishes are! Sticky! But not crumby.)

Cienza, I was just thinking about a solution like that myself, not because of crumbs though. I never really thought about this until last night for some reason. My silverware drawer is right in my prep space - the area where I prep dinner, the area where I pack lunches, etc. My kids are constantly in the way getting silverware - either to set the table for dinner or to get spoons to eat breakfast. Sometimes, if I'm thinking ahead, I get the silverware out for them and put it on the peninsula before they set the table.

So last night for some reason I was pondering this and realized that there are two drawers in my kitchen table. I could put the silverware in one of the drawers! I could then perhaps buy a separate set to keep near my prep area that I could have readily available when I need it for prepping something (like spreading mustard on ds' sandwich). When we DO redo our kitchen though, I'm moving the utensil drawer to someplace that is accessible by me in the kitchen but also by my kids such that they don't have to come in my work space!

I must admit, I do have some crumbs in my drawer and it does drive me batty!

Ice cream scoops next to the icecream- I've got some rearranging to do when I get home!

My husband's excuse is he is going to use that same spoon to eat with, so he's only getting ONE utensil dirty. If he uses the scoop, he's now got two to clean.

My flatware drawer is right next to my sink, a very inconvenent spot from making a sandwich, so crumbs in that drawer aren't a problem. My husband is also anal about closing drawers - he'll come and close them on me while I'm working, and then I turn to grab something, and the drawer is closed (does the same with doors, lights, you name it).

But those bent spoons - that one really drives me batty!