IKEA Drawer Organizers vs. Rev-A-Shelf Drawer Organizers

Which drawer inserts and organizers work best for your IKEA kitchen design?

More than ever, homeowners are designing all-drawer IKEA kitchens, which means drawer organization is more important than ever. With hundreds of organizing options to choose from, where do you start?

If you have an IKEA kitchen, it makes sense to start at IKEA. However, many of our customers want to avoid settling for the first organizer they come across. Rev-A-Shelf’s line of innovative drawers and drawer organizers provides more function and usable storage space than the IKEA alternatives.

Find out why IKD customers prefer Rev-A-Shelf’s drawer organizers over IKEA’s in the article below.

1. RAS Double Knife Block vs. UPPDATERA Tray with Knife RackIn this case, size matters. IKEA’s UPPDATERA tray with knife rack stores four knives. If you have a few favorites, IKEA’s in-drawer knife storage might be enough for you. However, we prefer designing with the Rev-A-Shelf Double Knife Block (4WDKB-1), which stores up to 55 knives. If you have a professional set or even a basic countertop knife block that you’re hoping to get off the counter, UPPDATERA isn’t going to cut it.
   

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   For our customers who believe the double knife block has too much storage, we also design with a Rev-A-Shelf insert that holds 19 knives (4WKB-1) and an ultra-convenient knife-holder/cutting board combo (4KCB-419HFLSC-1) that holds about eight knives.

   “When we were discussing our design goals with IKD, we mentioned wanting to have less stuff on the counters in our new kitchen. We knew drawer inserts existed for knives and spice jars because IKEA had them, but they were so small. Albert designed a whole organizational system using Rev-A-Shelf. We were sold.” –Tessa, IKD customer

   

2. RAS Wood Spice Drawer Insert vs. UPPDATERA Tray with Spice RackVariety is the spice of life. That’s why our IKD designers design with the Rev-A-Shelf spice drawer insert (4SDI-36-1) rather than the IKEA UPPDATERA tray. The RAS insert comes in three sizes and a walnut or maple finish. They fit up to a 36” W drawer and can be trimmed to fit smaller sizes.
   

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   UPPDATERA is a small tray insert, available in white plastic or bamboo. The average width of a spice jar is about two inches, meaning you can fit about twelve spices in one UPPDATERA tray. If you only stock the basics, that size might be right for you. However, most of our customers prefer to spice things up, and Rev-A-Shelf’s insert holds up to 48 jars.

   “One of our favorite Rev-A-Shelf inserts is the spice rack. It’s so much easier to open a drawer and see all of the jars than search through a cabinet or spice rack on the counter. IKD gave us exactly what we wanted, and I don’t hate cooking anymore.” –Fred, IKD customer

   

3. RAS Wood Cutlery Tray Insert vs. UPPDATERA Flatware TrayWhen it comes to cutlery and utensil trays, IKEA has stepped up its game. You get the usual color options (white and bamboo) but can choose from multiple sizes and configurations. Combine trays and inserts to create a customized utensil insert, or buy a pre-designed flatware tray. The UPPDATERA bamboo trays have removeable inserts that let you change compartment sizes.
   

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   Still, most of our customers prefer a functional design solution that looks like it was custom built for the drawer. We turn to Rev-A-Shelf, which has cutlery and utensil trays made of maple and walnut. Depending on the size of your drawer, you can combine multiple RAS inserts, like the knife block insert, spice insert, or even a stainless-steel foil insert (4FWI-16SS-1). The Wood Cutlery Tray Insert (4WCT-1) comes in multiple sizes and is also designed to be trimmed to fit the width of your drawer.

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   None of IKEA’s trays offer this level of functionality or cohesion.

   “We updated our kitchen, and we had the budget left over to update our organizers, too. IKD handled that part of the design process for us. We had no idea they could provide internal organization designs, and we were very impressed. We didn’t want to build this nice, new kitchen just to end up with messy drawers. Rev-A-Shelf’s cutlery organizers make the drawers look like they were built just for us.” –Marie, IKD customer

   

Bonus: RAS Drawer Organizers for the Home Office

While kitchens may always be the most popular rooms for IKEA’s SEKTION cabinet and MAXIMERA drawer designs, your home office will benefit from the tidy storage and sense of calm that Rev-A-Shelf brings to IKEA designs.

We enjoy utilizing the following drawer inserts in our IKEA home office designs:

• The Maxx Drawer (4WTMD-24HSC-1): This two-tier drawer is made for organizing anything that would typically end up in a junk drawer, like pens, pencils, paper clips, stationary, and other office necessities. The first compartmented tier folds out in two pieces when the drawer is fully extended, revealing another level of compartments beneath.
• Charging Drawer (4WCDB-18HFLSC-1): The modern home office requires technology, and technology requires charging cables. Rev-A-Shelf’s charging drawer can fit one laptop or several smaller devices, like phones, tablets, and smartwatches. Choose from USB outlets or a combination of standard and USB charging ports in the drawer.
• Pullout File Drawer System (RAS-FDSM-DM15-1): Designed for 18” base cabinet drawers with a 1.5” face frame, this is the perfect solution for storing hanging files in your home office.

Bonus: RAS Drawer Organizers for the Bathroom

The bathroom is another area where Rev-A-Shelf and IKEA shine. We organize MAXIMERA drawers for the bathroom in several ways with the help of Rev-A-Shelf.

Here are three RAS bathroom products we love:

• Vanity Drawer Organizer Insert (4VCOS-22-1): This is another example of Rev-A-Shelf’s trim-to-fit wonders. The insert is specially designed to store cosmetics and hair care products and includes two compartments with clear lids that could work for items like cotton balls or swabs.
• Vanity Drawers (4VDO-15SC-1): Rev-A-Shelf’s tiered vanity drawers come in various sizes and configurations. The compartments and acrylic dividers are great for storing everything from nail polish to clippers.
• Vanity Outlet Drawer (4VOD-18FLSC-1): This drawer not only stores your hair dryer, curling iron, and clippers, but it also gives you a spot to plug them in. We’re big fans of these organizational multitaskers.

IKD uses Rev-A-Shelf organizers in IKEA kitchen designs.

Comment “IKEA’s organizers satisfy the basics, but we feel that if you’re upgrading your kitchen, you should also upgrade how you organize your kitchen. There are better, more innovative alternatives to the basic kitchen utensil tray and spice storage that takes up too much counter or cabinet space. Rev-A-Shelf makes kitchen tasks easier, and that gives you more time and energy to enjoy your home.” –Mike from IKD