Buzz
As a passionate home cook and collector of Better Than Bouillon, my refrigerator struggles to accommodate my lofty organizational aspirations. With winter dragging on and an abundance of pickles, I ended up purchasing numerous bins, each tailored to fit my fridge’s dimensions. I removed mustards, eggs, jars, wrapped proteins, and cheese, meticulously placing them into bins and returning them to the fridge. The result was a clean and orderly appearance—until I noticed the remaining items on the counter that simply didn’t fit.
I came to understand that my fridge’s less-than-perfect appearance stemmed from owning a standard-sized appliance, shopping weekly, and lacking the expansive fridge space enjoyed by the wealthy. Bins tend to reduce usable space rather than enhance it. My fridge is 21 inches deep, yet no bins match this depth, resulting in wasted space. Additionally, prepping fruits and vegetables to look neat and storing them in containers proved inefficient. Dedicated containers for blueberries or celery often left unused space or excess produce that didn’t fit.
Strategies for efficiently organizing your fridge using plastic bins
What proved effective was abandoning my cheese drawer for a deeper bin and dedicating another bin to store all my weekly proteins. The towering pile of styrofoam and wax paper disappeared, allowing me to access what I needed quickly without sacrificing space, as I could stack items within the bin. Additionally, this method ensured that any leaks were confined, keeping the rest of the fridge clean.
A stacked Lazy Susan revolutionized how I stored my Better Than Bouillon collection and numerous pickles. The Lazy Susan efficiently utilizes space and, with its rotating design, made accessing all my jars effortless. Placing it at the back of the fridge prevented losing active space, and by moving the eggs out of the way, I could easily spin it to find what I needed—a far superior solution.
Long, narrow bins that extend from the front to the back of the fridge and slide out were perfect for organizing the top shelf filled with miscellaneous items. Though shallow, these bins allowed me to slide them out entirely to retrieve what I needed and then push them back seamlessly.
Aesthetic appeal does not equate to better organization
At one point, I noticed I was carefully placing eggs into a plastic bin that occupied double the space of the original carton. After some reflection, I reached an obvious yet striking realization: Companies excel at designing packaging that saves space, is easy to identify, and protects its contents. A plastic bin rarely outperforms such thoughtful packaging.
Soda cans are packaged in boxes specifically designed for efficient dispensing, while blueberries come in breathable containers perfectly sized for their contents. Both of these are stackable, and since vertical space is often underutilized in fridges, organizing items into stackable formats is crucial. However, uniformity isn’t necessary for effectiveness. Combine the original food containers with clear bins for items that don’t stack well.
