Most people consider these cupboards useless. Here’s the right way to utilize them.

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Most People Consider These Cupboards Useless. Here’s the Right Way to Utilize Them.

Let’s talk about those awkward, too-small, too-high, too-deep cupboards in your kitchen—the ones you skip over because they’re either impossible to reach, a pain to organize, or just plain weird in shape. You know the ones: above the fridge, next to the floor, or tucked way in the back like a kitchen secret.

Most people consider these cupboards useless. But here’s the thing: they’re not. You’ve just been using them wrong.

With a little creativity (and some clever kitchen strategy), those “useless” spaces can become the most functional and charming parts of your kitchen. And to prove it, I’m going to show you not just how to use them—but share a few recipes that were inspired by transforming those neglected nooks into organized, ready-to-go cooking stations.

Step 1: Identify the “Dead Space”

First, find your troublemakers:

The above-the-fridge cupboard — high up, awkward, hard to reach.
The bottom drawer or skinny pull-out — narrow, often ignored.
The deep corner cupboard — things go in and never come out.
The tiny vertical cupboard next to the oven — what is it even for?

Instead of seeing them as useless, reframe them: They’re specialized zones waiting for a purpose.

Step 2: Give Them Jobs

Here’s how to reassign those awkward spaces:

Above the Fridge → “Occasional Pantry”
Store backup baking supplies, seasonal snacks, or overflow spices you use occasionally.
Skinny Bottom Cupboard → “Recipe Staples Drawer”
Use it for jars of lentils, rice, oats, or cans of beans—ingredients that are shelf-stable, versatile, and build the foundation for easy meals.
Deep Corner Cabinet → “Batch Cooking Station”
Store your Dutch oven, soup pots, and big mixing bowls for your cooking sprees.
Vertical Cabinet → “Hot Drink Hideaway”
Organize teas, cocoa mix, marshmallows, mugs, and spices for your nightly wind-down routine.

Once I organized my “useless” cupboards this way, it didn’t just make cooking easier—it inspired me to try new things. Here are three recipes I now make straight from my newly organized stash.

1. Pantry Chickpea Curry (from the Staples Drawer)

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp cumin
Salt to taste
Olive oil

Instructions:

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.
Add spices and stir until fragrant.
Pour in tomatoes and chickpeas, simmer for 15–20 minutes.
Serve with rice or flatbread.

This recipe comes together almost entirely from shelf-stable items—perfect for the “useless” drawer turned MVP.

2. Lazy Oats & Seeds Breakfast Bars (from the Deep Corner Cupboard)