Refrigerator turntables

How a turntable gives you access to the back of the fridge

A turntable for the fridge is a round plate that rotates 360 degrees, allowing you to reach items at the back of the shelf without moving everything in front. For example, you can place mustard, jam, dressings, small jars, and containers on the turntable, and when you need something, you give it a little push to spin it around. What used to be hidden at the very back now comes to the front by itself.

This is precisely where most people lose track in the fridge. Half-open jars and small containers get pushed further and further in, and suddenly you have three open pestos because you couldn't see that there was already one. A turntable gathers such items in one place and makes them visible again. You are not the only one who has experienced throwing away food that was lost at the back.

In this collection, you will find four versions in clear plastic: a turntable with a low rim, a turntable with a high rim, a compartmented turntable with a high rim, and a two-tier turntable. The clear plastic was chosen so you can see the contents from above and from the side, and so that it blends into the fridge visually rather than taking up space.

High rim, low rim, or compartmented: which turntable is right for you?

The choice between the four models mostly depends on what you want to place on the turntable and the height between the shelves in your fridge.

The turntable with a low rim is the most flexible for low clearance and for items you want to quickly lift on and off, such as butter, a carton of eggs, or small jars. It doesn't take up much vertical space.

The turntable with a high rim, on the other hand, is for tall, unstable items: bottles of dressing, sodas, tall glasses, and jars that would otherwise tip over when the turntable spins. The rim keeps them in place during rotation.

The compartmented turntable adds fixed zones in addition to the rotating function. This makes sense if you want to keep categories separate, so the cold cut tubes don't mix with the jam, but can still be rotated together.

The two-tier turntable utilizes height where you have it. If you have a shelf with good clearance, you get two levels to distribute items instead of one, giving you both an overview and more space on the same footprint.

Before you choose, measure the height between two fridge shelves and the width of the shelf you want to use the turntable on. This way, you'll know if there's space for the high rim or the two tiers, and that the turntable can spin freely all the way around without bumping into anything.

A turntable is not just for the fridge

Even if you are looking for a turntable for the fridge, the same turntables can create order in kitchen cabinets and on the counter. In a deep cabinet, the back is always what gets forgotten, and here a turntable does exactly the same as in the fridge: you just spin it around instead of emptying the entire shelf.

On the kitchen counter, it serves as a central station for oil, vinegar, and the spices and sauces you use often, so they are in one place and readily accessible. If you want to read more about the many ways to use it, we have compiled it in our guide to turntables in the kitchen and a review of how a turntable creates order in the kitchen, fridge, and bathroom.

So, a turntable is not a one-time investment for a single shelf. If you change your mind, you simply move it somewhere else where you lose track.

Can the turntable go in the dishwasher?

A turntable in the fridge will eventually catch drips and spills: stickiness from a jam jar, a drop of dressing, a little from a leaky tube. The advantage of clear plastic is that you can take the entire turntable out, rinse it under the tap, and put it back, without having to wipe down the entire shelf.

We recommend checking the product page for the individual turntable before putting it in the dishwasher, to ensure you follow the instructions for that specific model. If in doubt, a quick wash by hand with warm water and a little dish soap is always sufficient, and the low rim makes it easy to access the bottom.

The ease of cleaning is part of the point. A turntable you bother to take out and rinse will continue to keep your fridge neat. A cumbersome one will end up sticky and forgotten, and then you're back to square one.

The turntable is one piece of a complete fridge organization

A turntable solves the problem of small, round, and tall items, but it works best in conjunction with fixed places for everything else. Bins take care of cold cuts, vegetables, and large packages, while the turntable handles the jars and bottles that would otherwise get lost at the back.

If you want to organize your entire fridge at once, you can combine it with our fridge bins and read our step-by-step guide on how to organize your fridge. The idea is the same throughout: give things a fixed place, make them visible, and let the system do the work, so you don't have to.

You don't need to overhaul your entire kitchen at once. Start with one corner of the fridge where jars usually disappear, put in a turntable, and feel the difference. If you have questions about which model suits your shelf dimensions, we are ready to help.