Yes, if your drawer's inside width is between 18 and 21 inches. The two trays in this 2-pack expand to fill that range, so each tray sits side by side instead of sliding around. If your drawer measures narrower than 18 inches or wider than 21 inches, this set won't work — that's the one hard limit here.
Will it work in a small rental kitchen with a shallow drawer?
Rentals are where this tray usually earns its keep, because you can't rip out cabinets or drill into anything. Here's how I'd check your drawer before ordering:
- Pull the drawer all the way out and measure the inside width, wall to wall — not the drawer front. You want 18 to 21 inches.
- Measure the inside height with the drawer closed. Each tray is only 1 inch tall, so it clears drawers and shallow cabinets that taller racks can't.
- Check the depth against the tray's 15.4-inch length. If your drawer is shorter front-to-back, the tray will stick out and block closing.
- Count your jars, not your slots: each tray is 11.8 inches across and holds up to 20 standard spice jars, 40 total across both. Wider jars cut that number, and the last section below shows by how much.
- Set the two trays in, slide them apart until they touch both sides, and load the back row first so you're not reaching over full rows.
One thing renters ask me a lot: does it scratch? It's food-safe PP plastic, so it wipes clean and won't rust or leave marks the way a wire rack can. Nothing is mounted, so you lift the whole thing out when you move.
Two separate trays or one wide rack — which should you pick?
It comes down to your drawer width and whether you want flexibility later.
Go with this 2-pack of expandable trays if: your drawer is 18–21 inches, you want to split the set between two drawers, or you need that 1-inch profile. Two trays also let you pull one out and carry it to the stove, which a single fixed rack can't do.
Go with a single wide rack instead if: your drawer is wider than 21 inches — this set simply won't span it, and you'd be left with a gap where jars tip over. A custom-width or built-in rack wins there.
Go with a tiered countertop rack if: your drawer is under 18 inches or you have no drawer at all. No expandable drawer tray fixes a drawer that's too narrow.
Black or white? Both wipe clean the same way. Pick black for darker drawer liners and white if you want to spot crumbs fast.
What cabinet width actually gives you an 18 to 21 inch drawer?
Almost everyone measures the drawer front and comes back with a number 2 to 3 inches too big. The tray sits inside the drawer box, so the number that matters is the clear width between the two side walls, taken at the top edge.
On a standard framed US base cabinet, the drawer box runs about 5 inches narrower inside than the cabinet's nominal width: 1.5 inches of face frame on each side, roughly an inch of glide clearance, and about 1.25 inches of drawer sides.
| Cabinet width | Drawer inside width, framed | Does the 2-pack fit? |
|---|---|---|
| 15 in | about 10.5 in | No. Seven inches short. |
| 18 in | about 13.5 in | No. Four inches short. |
| 21 in | about 16.5 in | No. An inch and a half short, which is the cruelest one. |
| 24 in | about 19.5 in | Yes. This is the size the trays were built for. |
| 27 in | about 22.5 in | No. A little too wide, and jars tip into the side gap. |
| 30 in | about 25.5 in | No. Two sets, or a single wide rack. |
Six common widths, one clean fit. That is not a flaw in the tray, it is what "expandable" means at this size: the two trays overlap in the middle to span the drawer, and 18 to 21 inches is the span where the overlap still leaves both rows usable.
Frameless cabinets are the exception. With no face frame the box measures only about 2.5 to 3 inches narrower inside, so a 21 inch frameless cabinet can land at 18.5 and work, and a 24 inch frameless can land at 21 and just barely make it. Measure yours; the cabinet size on the door label will not answer this for you.
Will the drawer still close? The height check most people skip
The tray is 1 inch tall, which sounds like it clears anything. But the drawer still has to close over the jars standing in it, and that is where most spice drawer orders go wrong.
Add 1 inch to the tallest jar you own. That is the inside height your drawer needs, plus a little air.
| Jar | Jar height | Drawer inside height needed |
|---|---|---|
| 0.75 to 1.5 oz round spice jar | about 3.5 in | 4.5 in |
| 2.4 oz standard jar | about 4.8 in | 5.8 in |
| OkaNest 350 ml borosilicate jar | 4.3 in | 5.3 in |
| OkaNest 450 ml borosilicate jar | 5.5 in | 6.5 in |
A standard cutlery drawer is around 3 inches deep inside. One inch of tray plus a 4.8 inch jar is 5.8 inches of stack, so that drawer never closes, however well the width fits. If the only drawer you can spare is the shallow one under the counter, this organizer is not the fix; use the fridge door or a wall rack instead.
What "holds 40 jars" means with the jars you already own
Forty is two trays at 20 jars each: four stepped rows of five. Five jars across an 11.8 inch tray leaves each one about 2.36 inches, which is a small round jar, 1.5 to 2.25 inches across.
Wider jars cut the count fast. Our 3 inch borosilicate jars fit three per row instead of five, so the same 2-pack holds 24, not 40. Run your own numbers: take 11.8 and divide by the widest jar in your collection. 2.3 inches gives you five per row, 2.9 gives you four, 3.9 gives you three.
Square jars also waste more room than round ones here, because the rows are straight. Round jars settle into the corners of each slot; square ones leave a gap at both ends.
Quick takeaways
- Fits 18–21 in inside drawer width only; measure wall to wall, not the drawer front.
- 1 inch tall, 15.4 x 11.8 in per tray, 40 standard jars total across the 2-pack.
- Food-safe PP, no mounting, comes in black or white — lift it out when you move.
Ready to check your drawer against the real thing? The 4-tier expandable spice drawer organizer is the 2-pack this page is about, $20.99, 15.4 x 11.8 x 1.0 in per tray. If your drawer is out of range, the spice collection covers the other two answers: a 9.8 inch turntable for a counter corner, and a magnetic fridge-door rack for when there is no drawer at all. Still weighing drawer against wall? That comparison is here.
Can an expandable spice drawer organizer fit any drawer?
No. This one expands to fit standard 18–21 inch drawers, and it won't work in drawers narrower than 18 inches or wider than 21 inches. Measure your inside width first.
How do I fit a spice organizer in a small rental kitchen with a shallow drawer?
Measure inside width (18–21 in), inside height (needs about 1 inch of clearance), and depth (15.4 in). Set both trays in, slide them apart to touch the sides, and load the back row first. Nothing gets mounted, so it lifts right out.
Should I get two expandable trays or one wide spice rack?
Two trays win for 18–21 inch drawers, splitting between drawers, or carrying a tray to the stove. A single wide rack wins if your drawer is wider than 21 inches. Under 18 inches, neither drawer option fits — use a countertop rack. One exception: an 11–17 in drawer is not dead space — bamboo drawer dividers span exactly that range with spring tension, so a too-narrow drawer can still take a utensil lane instead of pushing everything onto the counter.
What cabinet width gives me an 18 to 21 inch drawer?
On a framed US base cabinet, the drawer box is about 3 to 4 inches narrower inside than the cabinet's nominal width. A 24 inch cabinet lands at 20 to 21 inches and fits. An 18 inch cabinet lands at 14 to 15 inches and does not. Frameless cabinets measure about an inch wider inside.
Will the drawer close over the spice jars?
Only if the drawer has enough inside height. Add the 1 inch tray to your tallest jar: a 4.8 inch jar needs about 5.8 inches. Standard shallow drawers are around 3 inches deep inside, so they will not close.
How many jars fit if mine are wider than 2.3 inches?
Fewer than 40. Each 11.8 inch tray fits five jars per row at 2.36 inches each. At 3 inches across, three fit per row, so a 2-pack holds 24.