The $17 OXO Organizer That Finally Got My Narrow Utensil Drawer in Order

If you know one thing about me, it’s that I love dogs. If you know two things about me, it’s that I love dogs and that I have ridiculously narrow kitchen drawers. Seriously these two about-me facts come up a lot! The dog part is fun; the narrow drawers, however, are decidedly less so.

You see, I only have a grand total of five drawers in my entire kitchen — four of them are less than eight inches wide while the fifth is a whopping 11 inches. I’ve struggled for years on how to best use the narrow drawers for utensils, gadgets, and tools, and I’ve only ever found one organizer that fits and takes care of the silverware problem: Joseph Joseph DrawerStore, which I tested and reviewed here. Now, I can finally add another to the list: OXO GG Expandable Kitchen Drawer Organizer. (Yes, I realize how nerdy it is to be excited about drawer organizers, but check them out with me and I guarantee you’ll be excited, too.)

OXO introduced a new line of drawer organizers in 2021, many of which are expandable to fit narrow drawers. There are seven different organizers, each with a different configuration and purpose. For example, there’s a super-narrow one for utensils, another with slots for knives, a tiered style for spices, and even one for long-handled tools. Then, there’s the one that I’m most excited about: the OXO GG Expandable Kitchen Tool Drawer Organizer.

The OXO GG Expandable Kitchen Tool Drawer Organizer has two main compartments, a pull-out side tray, a removable storage cup (that gray piece with all my measuring spoons; yes, I know I have a lot!), and a removable utensil sorter (which I actually pulled out to use separately in a different drawer!).

I tested one of these last year and it’s been a game-changer since day one. At about 7.5 inches wide, I knew that it would technically fit my 8-inch wide silverware drawers, but it was only when I physically put it into my drawer that I felt a deep sense of calm. I was pleased with my silverware setup though, so I moved onto the wider 11-inch drawer.

That fateful day, I emptied out the drawer, dropped the organizer in, and was so shocked that I was still able to use the pull-out side tray. Again, I knew the math suggested I’d be able to, but it’s not something I’m used to in my kitchen, so I didn’t want to get my hopes up. It was time to finally get all my cooking utensils in order! Spatulas here, tongs there, Microplane there, and so on. Soon enough, I was able to fit all the same stuff back in the drawer — only, this time, in a much more organized fashion.

Home cooks with narrow drawers will find a ton of utility with OXO’s expandable drawer organizers. If you happen to have wider drawers, well, good for you. (Kidding!) What I meant to say: You can use a few of these in a single drawer and get creative with how you lay things out.

These drawer organizers have been so helpful that even Millie is pumped about them! C’mon, you knew I was going to work a dog into this story somehow …