Both Lazy Susans and pull-out drawers are designed to solve the same fundamental pantry problem: making things at the back of a cabinet visible and accessible. But they do it very differently, and the right choice depends on what you’re storing, what type of cabinet you’re working with, and your budget. Here’s how we’d decide between a Lazy Susan turntable vs pull-out drawer for a pantry, based on actually having used both.
What Each One Actually Does
A Lazy Susan rotates on a central bearing so items come around to you as you spin the platform. A pull-out drawer extends the whole shelf toward you on slides so you can reach items at the back without any rotation. Both solve the “can’t reach the back” problem, just by different mechanical means.
When a Lazy Susan Is the Better Choice
A Lazy Susan works best for round or relatively short items — jars, tins, bottles of spice — where the rotation action doesn’t cause things to topple. It’s particularly well suited to corner cabinets, where the rotating motion can sweep items from a hidden corner into view without requiring a separate mechanism for the blind section. It requires no installation, costs significantly less than a pull-out drawer system, and suits renters and budget-conscious approaches well. We cover what makes a genuinely good turntable in our dedicated guide on the best Lazy Susan for a pantry corner shelf.
When a Pull-Out Drawer Is the Better Choice
A pull-out drawer is better for tall, irregular, or top-heavy items — cereal boxes, tall bottles, bulky packaging — that would topple or be awkward to manage during rotation. It’s also better for deep straight-run cabinets (as opposed to corner units) where a turntable’s rotation doesn’t make sense geometrically. We go into the installation detail and cost expectations in our guide on pull-out pantry shelves for existing cabinets.
Key Differences to Help You Decide
- Cost: A Lazy Susan typically costs £10–£40 for a freestanding model. Pull-out drawer systems start around £20 for basic DIY kits and run to £150+ for professional installations.
- Installation: A Lazy Susan needs none — you simply place it. A pull-out drawer requires mounting slides into the cabinet, ideally level and square.
- Contents: Lazy Susans suit round, uniform items. Pull-outs suit any shape.
- Cabinet type: Corner cabinets suit Lazy Susans. Deep straight cabinets suit pull-outs.
- Tenancy: A Lazy Susan is fully portable. A pull-out drawer involves minor screwing into the cabinet that most landlords would accept but worth checking.
What We Use
We use a Lazy Susan in our corner cabinet for jars and condiments, and pull-out drawers in our deep straight base cabinets for heavier, bulkier items. They serve genuinely different purposes in our kitchen and we wouldn’t swap one for the other in its specific location. If we could only choose one for a standard, non-corner pantry cabinet, we’d choose a pull-out drawer for the flexibility it offers with different item shapes. For a corner unit specifically, the Lazy Susan wins by a clear margin.
Our Honest Advice
Lazy Susan vs pull-out drawer for a pantry isn’t a universal winner-takes-all decision — they’re complementary solutions for different situations. Identify your specific cabinet type and what you’re storing first, then choose accordingly. If you’re dealing with a corner cabinet and mostly jars and bottles, start with a Lazy Susan. If you’re dealing with a deep straight cabinet and a mix of item sizes, a pull-out drawer will serve you better.