How to Organize Coffee Pods in a Small Kitchen

The short version

Keep about one week of pods near the brewer and store the rest out of sight. That one rule shrinks the pod pile on the counter to something a small organizer can hold.

Then pick the spot that matches your kitchen. A pod drawer under the brewer uses no extra counter. A kitchen drawer hides pods completely. An upright holder or caddy keeps them in view. A door organizer or pantry bin handles the bulk boxes.

• Count how many pods your household uses in a week
• Keep one week's worth near the brewer
• Sort by type: regular, decaf, flavored, tea or cocoa
• Store bulk boxes in a pantry, cabinet or on a door
• Use the oldest pods first

Count first: how many pods to keep out

Most pod clutter is simply too many pods in the wrong place. Buying in bulk makes sense, but a box of 72 or 100 pods does not belong on a small counter.

Work out your weekly number: cups per day for each person, times seven, plus a few for guests. Two people who each have two cups a day use 28 pods a week. Add four or five spares and you need room for about 33 near the brewer, which is why many pod drawers and holders are sized at 35 to 50.

If you live alone and drink one cup a day, a week is only seven pods. A small jar or one row of a drawer is enough, and a big organizer would just invite more clutter.

• 1 person, 1 cup a day: about 7 to 10 pods out
• 1 person, 2 cups a day: about 14 to 18 pods out
• 2 people, 2 cups a day each: about 28 to 33 pods out
• Family of 4 with guests: 40 or more, or two spots

Sort pods so the right one is easy to grab

Sorting by brand is what most people do, but it is not how anyone chooses a cup in the morning. Sort by what is inside instead, so everyone in the house can find their pod half awake.

1. Pull every pod out Empty boxes, baskets and drawers onto the counter, including the stray pods at the back of the pantry.
2. Check the dates Pods carry a best-by date on the box or lid. Set the oldest aside to use first.
3. Group by type Make piles for regular, decaf, flavored, and tea or cocoa. Split regular into light and dark if you drink both.
4. Keep decaf apart Give decaf its own row or section with a clear label, so nobody grabs it by mistake late at night, or the other way around.
5. Load oldest in front Put older pods at the front of each row and new ones behind.
6. Label the rows A small label on the drawer front or shelf edge tells everyone which row is which.

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Under the brewer: a pod drawer

A drawer that sits under the coffee maker is the best pod storage for a small counter, because it uses space the brewer already occupies. The machine sits on top, and the pods slide out underneath.

For K-cup style pods, the Mind Reader 3-drawer coffee pod organizer holds 36 pods in three drawers, so you can give each type its own drawer, for example regular, decaf and flavored. For Nespresso OriginalLine machines, the Amazon Basics capsule drawer holds 50 capsules and sits under the machine the same way. Nespresso Vertuo capsules are larger and shaped differently, so an OriginalLine drawer will not fit them.

Check the height before you buy. A drawer raises the brewer by its own height, and many single-serve brewers load from the top. With the brewer on the drawer, the lid still needs to open fully under any cabinet above it. Upper cabinets usually sit about 18 inches above the counter, so measure your brewer with the lid open, add the drawer, and compare.

Raising the brewer also raises the spout. Make sure your tallest travel mug still fits underneath, or take the drip tray out when you brew into it.

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In a kitchen drawer

If there is a drawer right next to the brewer, it may be the tidiest pod storage of all. Nothing shows on the counter, and you can store more pods than a countertop holder takes.

A K-cup pod is about 2 inches across and a little under 2 inches tall, so it stands upright in most top kitchen drawers. Plan on roughly one pod for every 2 by 2 inch square of drawer floor. A 12 by 16 inch section holds about 48 pods standing lid up, which is more than a week's supply for most households.

Loose pods slide around every time the drawer opens, so divide the space. The Vtopmart clear drawer organizers come as 25 pieces in four sizes, which makes it easy to fit one long tray per pod type and a small tray for stirrers or tea bags. Measure the drawer, lay the trays out on the counter, then move them in as a set.

Store pods lid up so you can read the flavor at a glance. Nespresso capsules are small enough to lie in rows, and a drawer of them looks neat when each color has its own lane.

On the counter: an upright holder or caddy

If you like seeing your pods, or there is no drawer close by, a compact holder keeps them in view without spreading across the counter. The TreeLen K-cup holder keeps 35 K-cups upright in a small footprint, which covers a week for most two-person households.

If cups, lids and stirrers also crowd the counter, a combined caddy can replace several containers at once. The Mind Reader cup and condiment station is a black countertop organizer for cups, lids, stirrers, sugar and pods. It measures 17.9 by 9.5 inches, so measure the space beside your brewer first.

Wherever the holder sits, keep it out of direct sun and away from the stove or the brewer's hot plate. Pods are individually sealed, but heat and light do coffee no favors.

Store backstock off the counter

The bulk boxes are what actually overwhelm a small kitchen. Give backstock a home away from the coffee bar, and refill the near-brewer spot once a week.

The back of a pantry or cabinet door is often empty. The Simple Houseware over-the-door pantry organizer comes as a 2 pack with 15 clear pockets each, and pods can go one type per pocket so you can see what is running low. Check that the door still closes with it hanging.

On a pantry or cabinet shelf, clear bins that pull out like drawers keep pods grouped and visible. ClearSpace clear plastic pantry storage bins stack, so one bin can hold regular pods and another decaf or flavored.

Once the pods are out of their bulk boxes, flatten the cardboard right away. A half-empty box takes up the same shelf space as a full one.

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Used pods, guests and upkeep

Used pods are the other half of the clutter. Keep a small lidded container beside the brewer for spent pods and empty it every day or two, since damp grounds start to smell and can grow mold if they sit.

If you recycle pods, the usual routine is to let the pod cool, peel off the lid and empty the grounds. Rules vary by town and by pod type, so check what your local program accepts before you set up a sorting system.

For guests, set out a small bowl with five or six pods of different types beside the brewer. It saves them from opening your drawers and saves you from explaining the system.

Once a week, wipe out the drawer, holder or caddy. Coffee dust and the odd cracked pod leave grounds in the corners, and a quick wipe keeps the organizer looking new.

Which method fits your kitchen

Each method trades counter space for convenience a little differently. Pick based on where you have room, not on which looks best in photos.

Many small kitchens combine two: a week of pods under the brewer or in a drawer, and the bulk on a door or pantry shelf. For the wider coffee bar, including mugs, beans and syrups, see our guide to coffee bar organization ideas.

• Pod drawer under the brewer: no extra counter, raises the brewer
• Kitchen drawer: hidden and roomy, needs a drawer nearby
• Upright holder: easy to see, uses a small patch of counter
• Cup and condiment caddy: pods plus cups and stirrers in one
• Over-the-door pockets: great for bulk, needs a free door
• Pantry bins: holds the most, farthest from the brewer

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A low, medium and splurge plan

Low: no new purchases. Use a lidded jar or a small bowl for one week of pods, divide a drawer with boxes you already have, and flatten the bulk boxes into a shelf.

Medium: one organizer that fits your space, either a pod drawer under the brewer or a compact upright holder, plus labels for decaf.

Splurge: a pod drawer under the brewer, clear trays in the nearest kitchen drawer and an over-the-door organizer for backstock, so every pod in the house has a set place. Everything here works for renters, since none of it needs drilling. For more low-cost swaps, see coffee bar on a budget.

Common pod storage mistakes

A few habits undo even the best organizer.

• Keeping the whole bulk box on the counter
• Buying an organizer far bigger than a week's supply
• Raising the brewer so high the lid hits the cabinet
• Mixing decaf in with regular pods
• Storing pods in a sunny window or beside the stove
• Putting new pods in front of old ones
• Buying an OriginalLine drawer for Vertuo capsules