When you’re redesigning your kitchen, it can be easy to overlook the humble cutlery tray. Cutlery trays have come a long way since the basic plastic cutlery tray, and you can now choose from a variety of materials. If you’re still not convinced, here we’ll explore some of the benefits offered by a cutlery tray.

Getting Organised

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to prepare a meal and being unable to find the right utensil. Or you may have suffered the embarrassment of having a dinner party and being unable to find your bottle opener. A cutlery tray helps you to organise everything, so it is easy to find when you need it, saving yourself time and frustration.

Improved Hygiene

Even with the best dishwasher that can sanitise your cutlery, there is still a risk of bacteria spreading through your items. We have germs on our hands and can compromise other items when we’re searching through a drawer to find something. Imagine a situation where you’re preparing a meal and dealing with raw meat and then need to go in the drawer to get something. You could spread germs throughout the drawer. Putting your cutlery into separate compartments means that you don’t need to touch multiple items every time you reach into the drawer.

Improved Aesthetics

Even if you have an exquisite set of cutlery, if it is put in an unarranged drawer, it will not look. Additionally, your costly cutlery could be at risk of damage, as the items are slammed into each other and other utensils every time you open the drawer.

Reduced Risk of Injury

Cutlery items and other utensils can be sharp, so without a cutlery tray, you’re putting yourself at risk each time you put your hand in the drawer. Even a basic plastic cutlery tray will allow you to separate your knives and other sharp items, so you know where they are when you reach into that drawer.

Considerations for Choosing a Cutlery Tray

Since there are so many cutlery trays to choose from, there are some considerations before you make your purchase decision. This includes:

• The Material: The choice of materials ranges from the simple plastic cutlery tray to metal, wood and high quality plastic. High quality plastic doesn’t react to moisture, will not harbour bacteria and is long lasting. Wood provides a more classic look and can showcase your cutlery. However, you need to ensure that you take proper care of your wooden tray to avoid moisture problems. This can also be an issue with metal trays that can corrode or rust if you fail to properly dry your cutlery before putting it away.

• Size: You also need to consider what size of tray is best suited to your kitchen. You not only need to consider the size of your drawer but also whether you want a full width tray or would prefer one that allows gaps at the sides for larger items.

• The Number of Sections: You also need to think about how many sections or compartments you need. Having more sections will allow you to get really organised to keep everything neat and tidy.