DrawerVac: Built-In Under-Counter Vacuum Drawer

Here's something new: an undercounter vacuum for your kitchen! We couldn't quite believe this when we saw it, so we had to show it to you too.

This "vacuum drawer" is designed to be part of a central vacuum system, a feature in some newer homes these days. Instead of lugging around a vacuum cleaner, you have a central vacuum motor in the basement and outlets around the house that you can plug a hose into. We have never used one of these systems so it's sounds almost sci-fi to us.

The drawer, then, is designed to pulled out from under a countertop so you can sweep away food, crumbs, and other kitchen debris. It looks fabulously convenient, but a luxury that we can't imagine having. We'll stick with our dustpan for now!

Have you ever seen a vacuum drawer in action? Or a central vacuum system, for that matter?

• Find out more: DrawerVac

(Images: DrawerVac)

Comments (8)

In the home I used to live in we had a central vac system. As much as it is neat to not carry around a vacuum, it is nearly as clumsy to carry around the vacuum hose from room to room. It also sounds strange from the rooms that aren't being vacuumed in.

The kitchen version sounds a lot less bulky than the hose, and if you already have a central vac system, it sounds like a great addition.

posted by LizWong on November 9th 2009 at 12:06pm
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My parents installed a central vac in their home, and it is pretty nifty. The vac lives in the garage and various tubes connect to it. You have hoses that you attach to 'sockets' in the wall. They also have a vent on the floor in the kitchen which you can sweep dirt into. This drawer would be a neat addition.

posted by kirsten44 on November 9th 2009 at 12:42pm
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Food scraps should be composted, not put into the garbage.

posted by Bushidoka on November 9th 2009 at 1:20pm
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Hmmm... an undercounter chute to a compost bin: now THAT I would pay good money for!

posted by faith on November 9th 2009 at 2:20pm
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Apparently, central vacuums predate the portable vacuum. My boyfriend grew up in a house with one, though I've never used one.

That scrap drawer is a little crazy; I'd think the food would start to smell up the central vacuum system. What's wrong with just sweeping the garbage from the counter into the trash can? Plus, what if you spill food on, say, any counter space other than the one directly above the drawer?

posted by eprewitt on November 9th 2009 at 4:27pm
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I too grew up in a home with a central vac system, so it's not that new. We never used it that much, and I think as the years went on we used it less and less. As LizWong mentioned, carrying around the house (and containing it neatly) is much more annoying that carrying a regular vacuum. I love the central vac systems that have the chute on the floor and you can sweep into- that I would love, more so than one for the counter. Although this did catch my eye...

posted by rach1007 on November 11th 2009 at 7:49am
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I dunno, this just seems annoying and unnecessary. Seriously? You're already sweeping the stuff onto that shelf - why not just allocate it where it should go yourself (recycling, compost, bin)?

posted by RubyB on November 11th 2009 at 12:58pm
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LOL -- when I first saw this post, I thought it was a built-in FoodSaver™. Now *that* would be handy!

A built-in food waster sucker sounds kinda dumb. I grew up in a house with central vac. I never used it, but do remember those wall sockets and clumsy hoses. I don't think it worked better or easier than my beloved Dyson (which, incidentally, are worth every damn penny).

Now... about that built-in FoodSaver™... I think this is an idea that should be worked on...

posted by ilovebutter on November 14th 2009 at 1:15am
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