When you buy an existing house you just adapt to whatever drawer depth you got with the house! Different story when you are starting from scratch with way too many options! I would go to IKEA and bring the pots/pans you mentioned above to get a real feel for how much room you have. Take some photos with your stuff in the drawers.

Last year we had a couple of threads discussing 3 vs 4 drawer stacks. They were worth reading and got me to change one of my stacks.

I also don't like the drawer-in drawer concept. Maybe for looks in a very streamlined modern kitchen?

My new kitchen drawers will have slightly different dimensions from the ones that just got demo'd, so I'll have to arrange some things differently ... I'm not worried, but it might confuse the men in the house for a few weeks! ;-)

My recommendation would be to read everything you can on this site about drawers and go try some out if possible. The thread referenced above about 4 drawer stacks got me to realize that a 4 drawer stack would be better for my dishes and things like wraps, sandwich bags, measuring cups, etc. I changed two of my stacks to 4 drawers. I am getting one drawer in a drawer. After seeing a neighbors new kitchen and hearing their complaint about a few taller items not fitting in the drawers I got one two drawer stack. It will go in between the two 4 drawer stacks on the island. The bottom will be one large drawer for our taller items and the top will have a drawer in a drawer so I don't have a lot of wasted space above whatever is put in it. I can always remove the small inner drawer if I find I don’t want it, but you can’t add it later because it requires the cabinet sides to be higher. I have really found that the more I read, go look at kitchens and envision how I will use the drawers the more clear it becomes what would work best for me.

Darn it! My picture didn't show up.

The 3 vs 4 thread is the one that started this spiral! LOL! The woman whose elderly father changed all of his so that his bowls and such didn't stack made me doubt the status quo. I don't like unstacking to get at the size prep bowl I want, or re-stacking after unloading the dishwasher.

The idea of the prep area's stack, which is between sink and cooktop, having several shallow drawers is appealing. Should I ignore the jumbled lines?

I did a drawer-in-a-drawer and love it. I wanted the continuity of a 3 drawer stack, the two bottom drawers being very deep. But I have no pantry in my kitchen and I needed a way to easily see canned goods. This works perfectly- shallower area underneath is perfect for a large collection of various sizes of Pyrex dishes.

The Ikea drawer configuration that works best for me is the 5/10/15 stack. The deap drawers are fantastic for pots and pans but I also use them for platters, large plates, bowls, and Tupperware. Strob06's advice for 4 drawer stacks is advisable for good use of space for small items, but I personally would not do it for mixing bowls and such as there would be much wasted usable internal drawer space in the stacks when allowance is made for the drawers. If my kitchen items were singly stacked in my drawers I'd need a very huge kitchen and I'd likely never find anything as my DH does cleanup and with too many choices things would be put back in a different spot every time!;) Now if you have enough drawers to do that and know it would solve a pet peeve, go for it! Regarding your pantry question, deeper drawers are more versatile as pantry items have such varied heights. I'd prefer bins.

it seems you are concerned with symmetry. Is the kitchen in direct view from another room? If your trash and recycle pullout were under the sink you could turn the pullout to the right of the sink into a 4 drawer stack, or pullout with inner drawers. If you keep your current setup, I'd definitely do drawer in drawer for your top drawers. The inner drawers would solve your need for more narrow drawers and keep symmetry. Or you could switch to 5/10/15 and add some inner drawers to the 10" middle. That would give you lots of 5's, some 10's, and plenty of 15's.

It really is best to measure everything and layout what will go where so you aren't surprised later. Have you decided where your cooking oils and seasonings will go? I love having mine at arms reach.

The kitchen has limited views from other rooms. It's not open so the only time the drawer stack will be front and center is when you're in there.

I think that 5/10/15s is the best and I'll go to the store and look at the 3 shallow/1 deep configuration for the prep area. That's where I was going to keep the associated utensils, bowls, spices, with oils/vinegars in the lower, with lesser used ones in the pantry. The stack to the right of the cooktop can hold those items, if it's more comfortable for me. My olive oil will be on the counter most of the time, if I'm honest.

Don't forget to consider vertical storage of pots/pans in your deeper drawers -- the internet's full of ideas:

One of my 15" lowers holds assorted platters and baking dishes/casseroles:

Vertical storage was an eye opener for me (thanks to all the GW Kitchens contributors!).

Javiwa - I am curious on two things. Are your skillets in a regular 3 drawer stack or is it a 2 drawer stack? Also, where did you get your dividers?

strob06: Sorry for any confusion. The first two pics (not mine) are off the internet. We didn't have enough drawer space for our skillets, so devised a hanging rod/S-hook system beneath our island cooktop:

Adjacent 15"h drawer (bottom of 3-drawer stack) holds the lids:

Our dividers are all DIY -- DH needed new toys...I mean, tools. :)

For symmetry, you could make all the top drawers all the same height, and then vary heights of the lower drawers in 3- and 4-drawers stacks. I made all my top drawers 5" tall (usable height is about 3-1/2"). Then the 3-drawer stacks are 7" and 14", and 4-drawer stacks have the bottom 3 drawers of equal height (all ~7"). They are arrange so that the 3-drawer stacks are on one wall (cooking zone) and the 4-drawer stack is on another wall (prep zone). Even the drawers in the 4-drawer stack sometimes seem too deep for prep items.

+1 for a drawer deep enough to store pans vertically. I have 2 stacks that are 36" wide, and they store all my skillets/sautee pans/wok in one drawer, and all cutting boards and baking dishes in the other. I intentionally made the deepest (bottom) drawer deep enough to accommodate a 13" skillet. I use dowels to create customizable (and changeable) dividers; lids are stored at the front of the drawer (not quite visible in this photo). I would do it again with no hesitation. Note that this may require some extra reinforcement of the drawer bottom if you plan to store cast iron like I do.

Just to mention - much of what you can do depends on your cabinet company, and I found all offered different things. With two different semi custom companies I couldn’t get a drawer deep enough for vertical storage of trays (or likely large skillets) without going to a 2 drawer cabinet. Some companies have very shallow 4 drawer configurations and my plates wouldn’t have all fit in one stack in the drawer. It is important to ask a lot of questions and measure. I ended up getting my cabinets from the semi custom line my GC sells and they called the manufacturer to get current drawer specs for me so I could make sure the usable space was deep enough for my plates. Don’t assume anything.

Yes! Usable space (height) is absolutely key. Wood doesn't bend...metal doesn't bend. So, even if your usable height ends up 1/8" shorter than anticipated, you won't be able to jam that skillet in vertically (will need to slant...not optimal). We had so many issues with our KD/dealer, I walked my tape measure down to the showroom and measured vertical clearances myself -- then added a just-in-case ~ 1/2".

this may require some extra reinforcement of the drawer bottom if you plan to store cast iron... We likewise reinforced our larger drawers' bottoms. Factory reinforcement and thicker bottoms weren't options/available.

Good luck to you, OP. I'm sure your head is spinning a bit right now. Measuring and charting all my pots, pans, utensils (large soup ladles and pasta spoons require more clearance than one might imagine!) was a royal PITA, but in hindsight, it was well worth the time.

My cabinets were custom, so I was able to specify drawer heights. The bottom drawers in my two 3-drawer stacks are deep enough for vertical storage of cake pans and pie plates in one, and canisters of sugar, flour, rice etc in the other (I can't remember the exact dimension). The middle drawers hold pots and pans (a small number, so minimal stacking) and plastic storage containers.

The very best way to determine the drawer sizes you need is to evaluate/measure/plan everything that will go in the kitchen, and put things near their point of use. Near the range you need most often used pots and pans, cooking utensils, potholders, spices and oils. In the prep area you need knives, colanders, and cutting boards. Dishes go in the cleanup zone. Somewhere you need small appliances, mixing bowls, casserole dishes, cookie sheets, bags and wraps, towels, measuring cups and spoons.

Imagine prepping your favorite meal or baking cookies, from getting the recipe to final cleanup, and think about the logical place for each item you need along the way. I assure you that this exercise will help you figure out where to put things; measuring your stuff will tell you how much room each category needs.

Good luck!

Drawer Essentials, that second pic makes my heart pitter-patter with organizing love!

I've measured what I have available, but need to look at those odd tools like ladles. A fair number of my kitchen things are in storage but I do have my most, and moderate, use items. OK, I'm armed with a list of things to stuff into the display drawers! They're 36" wide drawer stacks on that wall so there should be plenty of room...I hope.

I've been saving a lot of vertical storage pics these last few weeks, so that's definitely on my mind.

As far as what and where, it's a work in progress. I forget what I have because so much is packed away.

Pantry - canned and dried goods, quick breakfast and lunch foods, items waiting to go into point of use rotation, basic food storage needs, ziplock bags, DH will have a junk bin somewhere in this area unless I can figure out an option in the laundry room. Bulk flours/sugars/etc.

Baking area - Measuring tools, scoops/spoons, mixer accessories, sifter, wax paper, cling-wrap (may be in secondary prep), pie plates, baking tins.

Sink - colanders

Trash/recycling. We compost but I've realized that it needs to be taken out after prep or they let it sit.

Prep - knives, can opener, graters, other prep utensils, towels, bowls, mortars and pestles, food processor, blender, casserole dishes stored vertically (or big pots) depending on room.

Cook - spatulas, spoons, ladles, etc., saucepans, skillets and sauté pans, vertically if possible.

Secondary prep/oven area - towels, oven mitts, foil, parchment paper, accessories for oven and TO on counter, thermometers, tupperware type containers. Deep drawer will be for large pots (or casserole dishes). I'll have to work in there before I know how I really want the large drawers arranged.

Above oven - sheets pans, cooling racks, oven racks

Below oven - other bakeware or grilling items

Pullout for broom, mop, Swiffer, paper towels, cleansers. I'm still pondering how to utilize it well. I need something there for my side-opening oven clearance.

Cleanup zone is opposite and there are drawers and cabinets for silverware, dishes, glasses.

Fridge wall is ~60" and perpendicular to the work zones. Between the dining room and next to the fridge I have an 18" drawer stack for coffee/tea items, cups, travel mugs (tall!), shelves for cookbooks, above, and a squat upper cab for vertical platter storage.

Cabinet above fridge - infrequent use items

I'm remembering more tall things during this exercise. And, I'm feeling overwhelmed and have to take a break! I'll read about someone else's indecisiveness/conundrums for a while, LOL.

I just finished assembling my IKEA cabinets. I went with 10/10/10 with the top being drawer within a drawer for some, then I have a 36" wide 5/10/15 stack on the island. I really like this. Originally I had planned for all 5/10/15, but then I made a diagram of what goes where and realized I liked the look of keeping the even drawer sizes and actually need more shallow storage. This was in part because the drawer stacks on either side of my range are only 18" wide, and since that is where I like to keep my cooking utensils, knives, pot holders, foil/plastic wrap type things I've increased my shallow storage for those items. To the left of the dishwasher I have a 36" wide 10/10/10 stack that fits all of my daily dishes and silverware. The top drawer has a drawer within a drawer so I have two 36" wide shallow drawers. The coffee maker goes on that side and the pull out portion is perfect to store flat bags of coffee/teas (I have a lot), and when you open the top drawer you first have access to silverware and placemats. My pots and pans all fit in the 36" stack on the island behind the range. That is the only place I have a deep 15" drawer. There are so many options it is almost crippling. I made my final decision the morning of ordering when I drug in a stack of skillets to the store. I am very glad I took some items in, because it tweaked my drawer stacks a bit. The diagram of what I planned to keep where helped a lot. I do have a large all clad stock pot and roasting pan that are kept in the pantry because they are massive. I currently keep oils/spices on one shelf of my corner susan and will probably do the same after the remodel. If I didn't have a susan then I would probably want one stack with a deep drawer or some kind of pullout for all of that. It depends how you like to store/cook and how many bottles of things you use frequentily. I have so many bottles and spices and like them all in the same place. At first the planning was so fun, then I was like someone please just decide for me, I'm so over this LOL. I had so much help here it is unreal. I think once you decide you will be happy with whatever you choose. The drawer in drawer is a personal preference for sure. I personally really like them because I need a lot of shallow storage and have some smaller drawer stacks, but I still have one 15" deep for cookware and a 10" middle drawer for prep bowls.

There are so many options it is almost crippling.

YES. My brain was fried.

At first the planning was so fun, then I was like someone please just decide for me, I'm so over this LOL.

It was all fun and games until I had to commit! I've realized that I have a lot of larger items and several 15" drawers will be more valuable. With nearly 9 linear ft of shallow drawers, I'll have plenty of space for my spices and tools. They're in a 4-dr stack of 18" right now, without crowding.

ellewa can you send a pictures of your 36" wide. I am debating this vs. 18 + 24. I don't have many base cabinets with drawers in my kitchen.