How to Select A Kitchen Cabinet Pull-Out Basket?

Installing a pull-out basket in your kitchen cabinet can dramatically reduce the amount of clutter on the countertop and make frequently used ingredients more easily accessible. After all, everything you need is just one pull away- from the seasoning jars and sauces to cutlery and dinnerware. No modern-day modular kitchen is complete with at least a few baskets, so let’s take a look at selecting one that fits your needs!

The Different Types of Kitchen Cabinet Pull-Out Baskets

There are many types of kitchen baskets that you can mount in your cabinet. Some are narrow and tall, designed to hold jars and battles. Others are wide and deep, with multi-tier organizations for storing everything from snacks to vegetables. The main benefit of a pull-out basket over shelves is that you’re able to access almost the entirety of its contents without having to shuffle things around. Plus, you get a better view of what’s inside which saves time when you need something fast.

Some pull-out baskets mount to the edge of the cabinet, while others are even capable of swinging out. Much like a refrigerator, pull-out baskets have multiple wire racks and plastic compartments designed to store different kinds of goods. These are arranged in tiers, with frequently accessed items going on top.

And if you’re interested in more efficient trash disposal while cooking, you can install a trash basket directly in your cabinet. Mounted at knee height, these baskets often come with soft-close and are extremely easy to operate. Tallsen offers a stylish dual-basket solution in the PO1067 which has a capacity of 30L with separate dry and wet trash storage.

We also have a multi-tier bread basket with a front-mounted canvas bag that you can use to store whole loaves of bread, sausages, cheeses, and more. Made from corrosion-resistant stainless steel with shock-dampening systems built in, these pull-out baskets barely make any noise and close gently with the slightest push.

Is a Pull-Out Basket Worth It?

These aren’t an alternative to shelves but complement them. Pull-out baskets are endlessly customizable and allow you to take advantage of every square inch of storage space inside your kitchen cabinet. They are efficient, reliable, and convenient- the perfect trifecta of desirable features you need from a kitchen accessory.

While selecting a pull-out basket, always take into consideration what you’ll use it for. Do you want to store fruits, vegetables, and dairy products? In that case, you’ll need a basket with good ventilation and air circulation to keep your food items nice and fresh. Without good air circulation, moisture can build up on perishable items, and degrade their shelf life.

If you’re storing cutlery, you want a wide but shallow basket that’s more like a traditional shelf. It needs to have individual organizers for things like knives, spoons, spatulas, whisks, and graters.

A corner-mounted basket should be optimized for maximum storage space with multiple tiers and wide-open racks. You can use these to store snacks, jars, plates, and anything else that can fit inside your kitchen.

Always Go For Quality Construction

At Tallsen, we don’t compromise on quality, and neither should you. Always get a pull-out basket that’s made from high-quality stainless steel. Plastic racks can’t handle heavier loads and they look ugly. The quality of the rack slide also matters because it reduces friction and noise, resulting in a smoother opening and closing motion. Having soft-close is also a huge benefit because you don’t want your plates and cutlery clanging around when you close the basket.

Pull-Out Basket Features That Can Improve Your Kitchen Experience

We already mentioned soft-close, but some pull-out racks on the market also have touch-to-open which is perfect if you want a clean looking kitchen cabinet without any handles sticking out. Having a well-organized basket is of paramount importance since you’re buying these to utilize kitchen space more efficiently, so get a basket that’s intelligently laid out with different storage space dimensions for items like jars and bottles. Usually, the top tier will be shallower to hold jars and cans while the bottom tiers will be deeper to hold bottles. Some baskets also have specialized inserts to hold knives and cutting boards, like our Tallsen model PO1055. It even has a tray at the bottom to collect runaway water, and can comfortably hold up to 30 kilos of weight. While choosing a basket, get one that’s easy to remove and clean. Because your basket is certain to get dirty over time, and you don’t want to keep your food in a place that smells like 5-week-old laundry.

What Are The Ideal Dimensions For A Pull-Out Kitchen Basket?

This will depend entirely on your cabinet size and storage requirements. Maybe you already have a few shelves installed and want to use up the remaining space. Or you could be designing a new cabinet layout from scratch. Either way, get a basket that has sufficient storage space to hold whatever you need, and at an extra 15 to 20 percent on top of that. Because it’s better to have a little excess space than wishing you had more 2 years down the line. Of course, this will also depend on your family size and the type of goods you store in your kitchen. A basket designed for fruits and vegetables will require more space than one that’s designed to hold a few spice jars and beverage cans.

Installation and Pricing

The larger you go, the more storage compartments you get, the more you’ll have to pay. Features like push-to-open and soft-close will also cost you. If you go for a nice pull-out basket made from stainless steel with ball-bearing runners, it will cost you more than a simple plastic basket that’s intended to hold a few spoons and knives and nothing else.

If you go for a nice tandem basket layout with three or more drawers, it will cost you a decent amount of money. But in return, you’ll get a supremely versatile storage space that can hold everything from utensils to perishable goods. Installing a pull-out basket is very similar to installing a drawer, and both use runners (or slides) to move in and out with minimal friction. You measure the available height, width, and depth. Then, you subtract a few millimeters to account for clearance, since the runners holding the basket will require their own space. Then you simply line up the tracks and screw them into the cabinet. These have telescoping rails that attach underneath the basket. And voila, your super-efficient storage space is now ready to be used.

Conclusion

Selecting a kitchen cabinet pull-out basket isn’t all that hard, as long as you know what you need. The pricing and dimensions are dependent on your kitchen cabinet itself, and how much space it has. However, the exact layout and construction of the basket depends on what you plan to put inside. If it’s bread and cheese, you’ll need a multi-tier layout with a large bin at the front. If you want to store pickle jars and spreads, a tall but narrow basket with a single stack is ideal so you can access its content from both sides. For cutlery, bowls, and plates, get a basket with specialized organizers made from quality stainless steel. Ideally, you also want a dry-wet separation layer and a tray at the bottom to collect water. And finally, don’t forget to get a basket that’s easy to clean. If you can’t reach every corner of the basket with a cleaning cloth, it will become grimy and turn into a breeding ground for unwanted microbes within a matter of months.

At Tallsen, we stock a huge variety of pull-out baskets for every type of kitchen. From swivel pantries to edge-mounted pull-out baskets, we have it all. Our kitchen storage solutions are available in a multitude of sizes and are made from high-quality corrosion-resistant stainless steel for maximum durability. These baskets can easily last 20 years with proper care and maintenance. And we do bulk orders, so if you’re a dealer, feel free to reach out to us.