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Home » Home Organization » DIY Projects For The Home » How to Transform A Refrigerator Drawer Like A Pro

How to Transform A Refrigerator Drawer Like A Pro

Last Modified: January 24, 2022 Sabrina Quairoli This blog uses cookies. It also has affiliate links. We earn sponsored content income.

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How to Transform A Refrigerator Drawer Like A Pro

A recent refrigerator purchase gave me a new dilemma - what to do with the wide deli drawer?  If you looked 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.

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 end up digging through the drawer to find the right item, hoping and praying the food didn't go back because we had forgotten about it for a few days.

before deli drawer

Next, I wrote down how many containers and what size I needed. I also made a note of the measurements of the drawer.  I start 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 made a note of these measurements because most containers show how much volume they hold. If items are flat, like lunchmeat, I measure the height and width and length of them.  This will help with determining the container size also.

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The best use for a large drawer like this 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 it contains the odor of the item if it goes bad.

I found these great Pyrex® Snapware® glass containers 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.  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 lids.  The product is made in the USA too =) and has a Limited Lifetime Warranty.  It also is oven safe glass, microwave safe, dishwasher safe and airtight leakproof.  Cool, right?  I purchased 2 of 6 cups /1.5 L food keepers and 4 of the 4 cups / 950 L food keepers.

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I cleaned the containers first and let them air dry. I prefer to let it completely dry as opposed to drying them myself because if I miss an area and there is a wet spot in the container, adding food to it will make the food go bad faster.  Moldy food is no Bueno unless you like that sort of thing.

glass containers - Pyrex

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. I also added a label to each with the date of when I purchased the food. You can also write the expiration date on the label if you want. It usually finishes before the expiration date in our house so it's not that important for us.  Here's the after picture. What do you think?  Much better, right?  after deli drawer

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Making this change has really made the drawer much more functional. Items don't move around as much anymore. And, the food is not laying on top of one another.

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How to Transform A Deli Drawer

I hope this helps you with your refrigerator drawer.  Do you have one of these drawers? What did you do to deal with this large drawer?  Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.

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Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ramona McKean

    April 15, 2016 at 2:11 am

    Sabrina, you are so resourceful! Thanks so much. 🙂

  2. Jason Butler

    April 14, 2016 at 9:06 am

    That looks pretty easy to do. I need to take one of these Saturday's and organize my fridge like this.

  3. Susan cooper

    April 13, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    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. 🙂

  4. Marquita Herald

    April 11, 2016 at 5:25 pm

    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!

  5. Phoenicia

    April 11, 2016 at 1:12 pm

    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!

  6. William Rusho

    April 11, 2016 at 12:42 pm

    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.

  7. lenie

    April 11, 2016 at 6:30 am

    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

  8. Donna Janke

    April 10, 2016 at 9:56 pm

    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

      April 11, 2016 at 8:05 am

      I'm glad that this inspired you, Donna. Thanks for stopping by.

  9. Doreen Pendgracs

    April 10, 2016 at 8:13 pm

    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

      April 11, 2016 at 8:04 am

      I only see one post, Doreen. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. =)

  10. Catarina

    April 10, 2016 at 11:21 am

    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

      April 10, 2016 at 11:35 am

      Thanks for commenting, Catarina. I'm glad it gave you some inspiration.

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