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A recent refrigerator purchase
gave me a new dilemma - what to do with the wide deli drawer? If you look at refrigerators now, some have a super-wide "deli" drawer that usually has one or two dividers in it and not a lot of flexibility. Adding items to this drawer can be quite annoying - the items lay on top of one another and, over time, get forgotten and pushed into the back, where it is left uneaten. No good! We don't like wasting food in our home, so this drawer needs to be updated. Feel free to visit our How to Keep Your Refrigerator Organized post for more tips about this frequently-used space.
Jump to:
- Supplies Use to Organize this Refrigerator Drawer
- How long did it take me to organize this refrigerator drawer?
- Here's how to transform a refrigerator drawer like a pro.
- BEFORE Image
- Measure the needed container size
- Buy shallow containers
- Snap lids help keep items fresh longer
- Clean the containers and let air dry
- Remove the dividers from the drawer
- How much can fit in a 4-cup container in the Refrigerator Drawer?
- Label the Containers
- Video Tutorial
- Reveal
Supplies Use to Organize this Refrigerator Drawer
The links below are from Amazon. If you click-through and purchase these products, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost. Happy Shopping!
Snapware Pyrex Glass Food Containers, two 6-cup containers, and four 4-cup containers
Square or chalkboard container labels - mine were repurposed but, since then, I used the chalkboard labels (Affiliate Link) for these containers and they work well too.
Marker or liquid chalkboard marker (Affiliate Link)
How long did it take me to organize this refrigerator drawer?
This DIY project took me about 1.5 hours to plan and implement. I purchased the containers after determining how many I needed.
Here's how to transform a refrigerator drawer like a pro.
First, empty out the drawer. Here is what my drawer looked like before I reorganized it. See how the items layer on top of one another. There are other things underneath the lunchmeat and cheese. Then, as you open and close the drawer, those items move from the front of the drawer to the back of the drawer - annoying. We dug through the drawer to find the right item, hoping and praying the food didn't return because we had forgotten about it for a few days.
BEFORE Image
As you can see, all the food containers (Affiliate Link) and things are lying on top of one another. And, as the drawer would fill up, it was so easy to lose items.
Measure the needed container size
Next, I wrote down how many containers and what size I needed. I also made a note of the measurements of the drawer. I started by measuring the length of the item I wanted to store in the container. If it has measurements on the packaging, like 4 cups of shredded cheese, I noted these measurements because most containers show how much volume they hold. If items are flat, like lunchmeat, I measure their height, width, and length. This will also help determine the container size.
Buy shallow containers
The best use for a large drawer like this one is buying shallow containers with or without lids. Since it is a drawer, it's up to the user if he/she wants containers with lids. The benefit of lids on containers is that they contain the odor of the item if it goes bad.
Snap lids help keep items fresh longer
I found these great Pyrex® Snapware®(Amazon Affiliate) glass containers (Affiliate Link) at my nearby grocery store. FYI - I am not getting a commission from Pyrex®. They snap on all four sizes and have a great seal all the way around the glass container (Affiliate Link). I love that the container is glass because it will last longer than plastic. The lid is plastic, but that doesn't bother me since the food in this drawer usually doesn't touch the lid. The product is made in the USA, too =) and has a Limited Lifetime Warranty. It is also oven-safe (Affiliate Link) glass, microwave-safe (Affiliate Link), dishwasher-safe (Affiliate Link), and airtight leakproof. Cool, right?
Check new arrival rugs at Boutique Rugs
I purchased two 6 cups /1.5 L food keepers (Amazon Affiliate Link) and four 4 cups / 950 L food keepers (Amazon Affiliate Link).
Clean the containers and let air dry
I cleaned the containers first and let them air dry. I prefer to let them completely dry rather than dry them myself because if I miss an area and there is a wet spot in the container, adding food will make the food go bad faster. Moldy food is no-bueno unless you like that sort of thing.
Remove the dividers from the drawer
The next day, I removed the affixed divider in the drawer and removed the food from the wrappers. I added them to the appropriate-sized containers.
How much can fit in a 4-cup container in the Refrigerator Drawer?
This container is the 4-cup version. It can hold one extra-large wholesale container of Kraft Shredded Mexican Cheese.
Label the Containers
I also added a label (Affiliate Link) to each with the date I purchased the food. You can also write the expiration date on the label (Affiliate Link) if you want. It usually finishes before the expiration date in our house, so it's not that important for us.
This photo is what it looks like when there are no labels (Affiliate Link).
Video Tutorial
Reveal
Here's the after picture. What do you think? It's much better, right? This change has made the drawer much more functional. Items don't move around as much anymore, and the food doesn't lie on top of one another.
***AD*** from Released Repurpose Reorganize: My List Simplified journal is a wonderful organizing tool for planning a move or a renovation. Use it to corral all the to-dos. 
I hope this refrigerator drawer organization helps you with your refrigerator drawer. Do you have one of these drawers? How did you deal with this large drawer? Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Pyrex Snapware 18-piece Glass Food Storage Set (Purple & Blue)
Buy Now →
Pyrex Snapware Glass Food Storage Containers with Plastic Lids, 10 PC
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon, and at no additional cost, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Below are some additional kitchen organization posts!
Ramona McKean says
Sabrina, you are so resourceful! Thanks so much. 🙂
Jason Butler says
That looks pretty easy to do. I need to take one of these Saturday's and organize my fridge like this.
Susan cooper says
I think I just need to hire you go come organize my entire house! If it looked like that drawer when you finished id be so happy. 🙂
Marquita Herald says
I do have one of those drawers and you've inspired me, Sabrina! Guess I know what project I'll be undertaking this weekend. Thank you!
Phoenicia says
We have a fairly big fridge freezer but could easily do with a larger model.
It is no fun squeezing containers in. Also you are likely to "hide" food without realising. One of my pet gripes!
Another great tip Sabrina!
William Rusho says
Another great time on organizing.
I am glad you attacked the problem of refrigerators, you also see posts and information about closets and rooms, but never something as important as your refrigerators, my clothes are not going to spoil in the closet.
Thanks for sharing.
lenie says
Sabrina, those are great ideas. The thing I picked up on was measuring everything ahead of time before buying the containers. I use containers often but it's very random and of course, this leads to a lot of wasted space. With yours, everything fits so nicely. Thanks for sharing, gotta go and measure my deli drawer LOL
Donna Janke says
Great suggestions for organizing a fridge drawer. I'd be embarrassed to show you my fridge most of the time. But you've given me some ideas that may help.
Sabrina says
I'm glad that this inspired you, Donna. Thanks for stopping by.
Doreen Pendgracs says
I hope my comment won't appear twice. The 1st one disappeared!
I admire your organizational skills, Sabrina.
We have a fridge with short drawers, so I Find I need to put stuff in bags when possible to conserve space.
Sabrina says
I only see one post, Doreen. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. =)
Catarina says
Excellent suggestions, Sabrina. You really know how to organize drawers in refrigerators. Honestly makes me feel like a true amateur when it comes to how my fridge looks. Not that it's messy but compared to the pictures. Think I have to do a spring cleaning in my fridge...
Sabrina says
Thanks for commenting, Catarina. I'm glad it gave you some inspiration.