Kitchen baskets allow you to store items such as vegetables / bread etc in a well-aerated drawer. They are useful and convenient in that they are self-contained and therefore can be removed with their contents intact to the central worktop, for example.

As a container, they are also very light in empty form and easy to carry from one room to another. The downside is that most kitchen baskets come in wicker wood. Others come in plastic or a compound of polypropylene and other materials that are easily cleaned.

With wicker-type baskets, there is always the possibility of food or vegetable residue causing contamination and raising the possibility of bacteria growth. Hygiene is critical in the kitchen and any food preparation area. Wicker baskets are very pleasing to look at but are difficult to clean properly. Plastic baskets, on the other hand, clean very easily and effectively.