I Had No Kitchen Drawers in My Apartment — This $40 Organizer Fixed That

When I moved into my current New York City apartment, I truly felt like I’d struck gold. It has everything I wanted: a dishwasher, beautiful kitchen counters, in-unit laundry, reasonable rent, and a living room big enough to host a few friends comfortably. But it did lack in one area: kitchen drawers. 

Shockingly, this isn’t my first drawer-less rodeo. My previous apartment had the same issue, so by now I consider myself something of an expert in creative kitchen storage. My latest solution? A $40 Amazon kitchen storage gem I genuinely don’t know how I lived without.

My roommate and I were looking for better kitchen storage shortly after she moved in, because our setup desperately needed an upgrade. At the time, we were keeping a basic silverware tray tucked inside a cabinet, which made grabbing a fork feel like a blind treasure hunt. 

After some late-night scrolling, we stumbled upon a wooden storage organizer on Amazon. It’s technically designed to store Nespresso pods, but we saw potential beyond its intended use. The organizer is made of wood and features two drawers and six open storage slots. It measures 16 inches wide, 12 inches deep, and 3.66 inches high; it’s compact enough for small kitchens, but substantial enough to make a real difference. 

First and foremost, it fits perfectly on my countertop. I use the drawers for silverware, chopsticks, and glass straws, while the open slots keep everything neatly separated and easy to grab. The real genius move? I turned it into a mini-coffee-and-matcha station. I was initially worried about sacrificing precious counter space (a serious concern in NYC), but I still have plenty of room to prep and cook. My Nespresso machine, tea kettle, and matcha essentials sit right on top, which maximizes vertical space.

Another major plus is the natural wood finish. It’s cute as-is, but it’s also totally customizable. My roommate and I are planning to create some DIY magic with contact paper eventually, but you could easily paint or safely stain it to match your kitchen aesthetic. 

For just $40, this little organizer transformed an empty stretch of countertop into a functional coffee bar and gave me the drawers my apartment forgot to include. In a city where space is everything, this feels like a win. 

Buy: DDYURI Store Kitchen Storage Organizer, $39.99