If you've got "only" a dozen or so hot pads, and no drawer able to hold them, it might be time for a reality check about kitchen storage. It's usually not about too little space: It's about too much stuff.

Plastic bags, says professional organizer Scott Roewer. And food storage containers. And food — a problem among warehouse shoppers.

"A typical household cannot use 5,000 individual packages of sweetener or the 24-can case of chicken broth," says Roewer.

Way too many spices that are way too old, says Fernando Alban, manager at Chesapeake Kitchen Design in Washington.

Plus old utensils and gadgets, "like cheese graters pushed way back in the drawer," says Dana Souksavanh, a design specialist in Hyattsville, Md.

And don't get her started on placemats. So here's the word from the experts: Admit what you have too much of, and reclaim your space.

• Plastic containers: Sort by size and shape, then send the overflow to recycling heaven, says Roewer. Zipper bags work for almost everything and take a whole lot less space to store.
• Food: Set aside a cabinet as a dry pantry for pasta, cereal, jars and cans. Using one cabinet is more efficient than scattering food around the room.
• Knives: Knives you don't use are a waste of drawer space. Get rid of the ones you never reach for; store the rest in a wooden block on the counter; it looks good and protects the blades.
• Don't overstock cleaning products: Look for sink designs that position the drain and disposal toward the back wall, freeing up under-sink storage.
• Bottom line: Get realistic. "If you have a little apartment" says Alban, maybe you shouldn't try to make room for that turkey fryer."