Big drawers (kitchen!) - advice needed

In our previous bungalow we had a new kitchen fitted 2 years before we moved and as I didn’t realise at the time we would move so soon after we had it done for us. I’ve had 2 big back surgeries and need 2 new knees, hubbies had 2 knee replacements so getting on the floor to get to the back of a cupboard is a no no. We had a beautiful Wren kitchen fitted and had 12 drawer units fitted in it, I loved it. It held everything mugs, plates, food absolutely everything and it was so easy to use. We are in process of moving hopefully to our forever home this time and a fitted out ‘drawer’ kitchen is definitely top of my list again. The drawers are also very easy to wipe out and keep clean, you wouldn’t regret it.

My kitchen is ancient but I’ve got 60 cm deep pan drawers under the hob which are still going strong. I do envy my dd her 90 cm drawers under hers (nice new kitchen) though - with a shallow drawer at the top, for all the utensils.

Any base unit drawers are so much better than cupboards IMO - but I had to argue with our kitchen designer bloke who said I’d ‘rue the day’ if I didn’t have any ordinary base cupboards, except under the sink and a swing-out bin one.
I would have rued the day if I’d listened to him!

I also have loads of deep pull out drawers, for pretty much everything. They are brilliant and very sturdy. The kitchen was put in 13 years ago, and all still works fine, even the soft close. I also put in a vertically divided cupboard for things like trays, baking trays, wire racks, chopping boards etc which previously were in a drawer, but on top of each other, so the one I wanted was always at the bottom of the pile! Now it's so easy, I would highly recommend. Maybe put in a 20cm one of those next to a 80cm pull out drawer set? Just a thought. Good luck with whatever you decide to go with!

Im live in rented accommodation so am unable to change my kitchen. My solution to the 'pan drawer' was to get some crates (only about £3 each in Tesco) and use these as drawers.
I have all my glass bowls, trifle, mixing, pudding etc in one drawer so it's quite heavy but it shows no sign of collapsing under the strain. It certainly helps with the knees and not having to scrabble around at the back of cupboards!

We have a stainless steel plate rack above the sink for plates of various sizes, some shelves too for tea pots, veg. Dishes and hooks for mugs, really good

Pan drawers...the answer to everything. I have tins jars and spices in one dry items in next one up and top one I had a wire grid put in bottom of for veg. Other set I have 8 piece dinner service in...plus cups and saucers in bottom one. Tea towels, cleaning cloths...bin bags etc in next one and cutlery in top.

We had a new kitchen 2 years ago and opted for drawers of all different widths an£ depths NO cupboards at all. We love them and one drawer takes dinner plates, tea plates, dishes of all sizes etc., and must weigh a ton. However, it glides in and out beautifully and I hardly have to bend at all. Next kitchen (if ever) I would like the dishwasher at waist height instead of on the ground. I hate loading and unloading it.

We have two 1000 drawers with heavy loads of crockery. Three 600 for pots and pans. One drawer contains 3 Le Creuset casserole pots to give you an idea of the strength of the drawers. Howdens, fitted 9 years ago thankfully as having to bend into cupboards is quite a task nowadays. ?

We had the pull out thingy in the larder cupboard replaced by individual pull out drawers in the bottom and two shelves in the top. Much more practical. We are about to change 2 600 cupboards into drawers - makes sense I think.

Thanks everyone for the really helpful suggestions and taking the time to reply. It's great to hear users say the 1000mm wide drawers are sturdy.
SpringyChicken where did you get your kitchen? 55kg capacity sounds great; they must be very strong.

Jaxjacky glad my post has been helpful! As you're at the design stage, perhaps these comments will help too:
The kitchen DS has inherited has a tall, narrow pull-out larder unit. We all find it a bit disappointing (I've used it a lot when I've been helping out with the new baby). As Callistemon said they're very heavy to pull out and we think there's a lot of wasted space ie above each of the wire shelves. This'd be ok if you've got a big kitchen and tons of space, of course.
DS and DIL are also really disappointed with integrated appliances. Soon after moving in the dishwasher and washing machine had to be replaced and, in the process of being removed, the cupboards were ruined.
Our family (in France) have a tall 600mm wide larder cupboard. It has pull out wire shelves and everyone thinks it's better than a sliced baguette!
They also have 400mm wide deep drawers. One of the drawers has an in-built system for vertical plate storage, which is fantastic. It's well-designed as it doesn't waste any space. Perhaps I need to emigrate!

Another vote for drawers rather than cupboards. An extra suggestion is a peg system if you’re wanting to store crockery in a drawer. Brother in Canada has it, a bit like a large scale cribbage board and it means piles of plates etc are held in place and don’t shift when you open the drawer.

Auntieflo thanks for the suggestion - it's worth considering as we only want one set of drawers, and we know a carpenter!

I have a new Howdens kitchen with this type of draws fitted and its fantastic! The draws are so strong, the 1000mm unit has three full widthdraws and a top cutlery draw. The 600mm has just two extra deep pan draws. If you have the space, the 1000mm version is the most practical.

New kitchen for me, fitted 18months ago. Small kitchen, limited space. Built in double oven with microwave above that. Lovely! Carousels in corner cabinets for pans in one & store cupboard tins in other. Fabulous! Drawers everywhere else at lower level. Wonderful! Would never go back to under worktop cupboards again. Drawers for me every time because they hold so much & offer such ease of access.

I have six 600 deep drawers. Plus wall and floor cupboards and cupboards over fridge /freezer and above the oven and microwave. Love the deep drawers.

We have 600 deep pan drawers and a tall pull out larder. They are fantastic and I would not have anything else now. I keep pans, baking trays, cake tins, plastic boxes and serving dishes in the drawers.
Tins, packets etc in the pull out larder.

I’ve got two 600drawer units and one large one under the hob for pans.
They are fantastic. We did buy the whole kitchen at once from John Lewis. The units came ready assembled so I would think would be easy to fit in if you have the right size space.
I have got a couple of corner cupboards with very good pull out carousels, they are good too.
I really wanted a pull out cupboard but the layout wouldn’t let me so I had a tall 300 unit with drawers in the bottom bit. I find that really useful too.
IMO drawers are so much more useful.

I'd love some big drawers!

If they are going to be 1000mm wide then check they are made of sturdy material and perhaps that they have a support down the centre of the bottom too?

DD has one of those tall narrow pull out units, it is good for storage and extremely strong, but I find it rather heavy to pull out. She also has mainly drawers for other storage too - so much neater than my kitchen cupboards.

I would definitely go for deep drawers as they are so much easier than Cupboards.
In my previous kitchen I had pull out wire shelves and these were also better than normal cupboards but I don't think they would have taken the weight the drawers do. I have a Howdens Kitchen now

Northernlass sorry, I can’t help, but you’ve helped me. Just having kitchen designed and I must check this!! Thank you.

P.S. You'll fit more in the drawers than in a cupboard and the convenience is wonderful.

We have 5 sets of three drawers, all 1000cm wide and they are very stable. I don't know if each drawer unit is attached to the adjacent ones or to the walls but even if all three drawers from one unit are open at the same time, they don't budge. Each drawer can take 55 kg weight (I was told). Mine hold crockery, groceries, saucepans, etc. If the unit moves, I would guess it's the way it was installed that's the problem

We have 2 sets of deep pan drawers One 60 mm wide, the other 1000 , I think. Both very stable and bought from Ikea .

In my previous house, I ruined a lovely deep drawer by overloading it. I now have a much larger kitchen with two deep drawers but I am very careful re what I put in them and they would not take plates- may be one but not the whole caboodle.