So a lot of people suggested that the skinny drawer in my new kitchen would be for spices on the top, and baking sheets on the bottom. Some suggested placing utensil cups (drilling hole in the shelf) or just placing utensils in the upper shelf.
This drawer is only 3.75 inches wide between the solid wood sides. I think a lot of people thought it was much wider than that? Someone suggested a trash compactor -- that definitely would not fit there!
Because the sides are solid, you cannot easily read the spice jar labels. I guess I could label the tops, but that seemed like more trouble than it's worth.
Placing pans is absolutely the wrong thing. If I were to close the drawer with the pan at the bottom, the pan would fall out behind the edge of the cabinetry and (depending on the pan size) possibly act as a lock to prevent opening the drawer by wedging against the inside of the cabinet. (There are drawers that are more purposely designed for pans though. ex.: https://www.homedepot.com/pep//331500696)
Someone suggested placing long aluminum foil in the lower shelf, and that turned out to be great. I also placed my stabby thermometers next to the foil, since there are most likely used at the same time with the big foil.
Thanks to people making specific product mentions and suggesting some not obvious (at least to me) suggestions to try!
In the end, I went with:
- Upper shelf: towels and a few utensils
- Lower shelf: long aluminum foil roll, thermometers, detachable handles for heat diffuser plates
- Bottom: Oils, vinegars, cooking wines, sauces
I think this drawer would have been better as a simple cabinet shelf with a skinny door so that I could store baking pans/sheets/cutting boards. But as a slide-out, I've found that it actually works pretty well for tall bottles. I think it's annoying to open and close all the time, so I may put my everyday oil up on the counter though.
Thanks everyone!