Lori's Weekly Bella Bling- 3 Carat Knife Accessory

  Here is my selection for the last knife holder accessory we will be looking at, rated at 3 carats, the pullout knife holder.  I give it the highest rating because it fits in a 3”, 4” or 6” wide space.  Instead of designing a 3” filler, make the space accessible and usable.  The unit is also available as a pull out cabinet – 6” or 9” wide, further stretching the possibilities.  Place a 3” pullout on either side of the cooktop and you have easy access to the knives where they are needed most.

  

Dura Supreme's version of this pullout also offers four front decorative options.  An overlay (plain) panel, a ¾” thick column, an overlay that is styled like the cabinet door, or a pilaster/post.  Their unit is constructed of natural maple and pulls out on a full extension ball bearing system.  There are 18 slots for knives, varying in size, including a square hole for the sharpening file.  An added bonus, there is a small “tray” at top for excess knives, long meat forks, or short spice containers.  Again, all organized in as little room as 3”.

 I’m going to give you 2 disadvantages.  The first is that the slots are predetermined, so if some of your large chef knives don’t work, you are out of luck, unless you cut larger slots.  Second, if you have small children, I do not recommend placing knives in base cabinets that are easily opened.

Next week we will continue focusing on accessories for bases – specifically rollout trays.  

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling- The Knife Drawer

We are starting a new series of accessories this week and turning the focus to knife storage. 

My choice for the 1 carat rated knife storage is the carved knife insert from Dura Supreme. You order the wood insert and then the knife set. It is a good quality knife set – J.A. Henkel’s 8 piece Twin Four Star II knife set, but the insert lacks flexibility.

 What if you already have a favorite chopping knife? – will it fit in one of these already carved out shapes?  What if one of these matching knives goes missing? You will have to buy another one that fits into its “shape”.  I am not a gourmet cook by any means and I own 15 knives (a set of steak knives is included in this count), so this accessory would not work in my household. But, for that very neat, orderly person, the knives all match and have a “place”. This set made it on my “bling” list because of its great quality and a great way to organize in one convenient drawer. 

 

Next week we will move on to the 2 carat rated knife insert.  Again, it is one that fits into a drawer.

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling

Item: Spice Pull-Out Wall Unit

Rating: 3 Carats

The picture to the left shows the pull-out spice unit closed, giving the view as it is shown attached to a hood mantel unit. This is a great focal point in the kitchen. The pull-out unit can also be placed as a standard wall cabinet that does not need to extend down to the counter top.

However, the application in the picture gives better access to the spices than if they were placed 54” off the floor. Notice how the center shelf is adjustable – great flexibility for oils or taller spice bottles. Shorter spice tins and bottles can be placed at the top and center shelves, while oils rest on the bottom shelf. The mechanism on which this unit operates is sturdy and glides with ease. If located next to the cooking surface, the unit can remain open for ease of accessibility as I cook.

I have shown all the available wall spice storage options and can not wait for next week as I move onto options for spices below the counter top.

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling

Item: Door Spice Storage     Rating: 2 Carats

The door spice storage rack hangs on the inside of a wall cabinet door and once the door is open, you have full visibility of all of your spices.  The shelves inside the cabinet are reduced in depth to allow room for the spice rack. This is a great area to organize the salt, large spice containers, dry baking goods, and oils. The shelves in the cabinet are adjustable and depending on the cabinetry manufacturer, the spice rack shelves may be adjustable as well.  It received a 2 carat (and not a 3 carat rating) because the door unit shelf is less than  4” deep  and depending on what spice brand you buy, they may not fit in the space.  In addition, the wide horizontal wood bar on the unit may obscure some of the spice labels, making them hard to read.  Also, as I said before, the door unit shelves are fixed for most manufacturers.  But, none the less, this is an ideal accessory to organize all your spice bottles in one cabinet.  This may be a little over board, but I have all my spices alphabetized.  Doesn’t take long to do, and once done, they are always easy to find.

Some manufacturers even offer this door rack storage in a wire/metal version.  Ideal for the contemporary looking kitchen.