How To Organize Pots and Pans
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How To Organize Pots And Pans
- Take all of your pots, pans, and their respective lids out of their current storage place, and place them on a large open surface so you can better evaluate the best way to organize them.
- Determine whether or not you’re using all of your pots and pans currently, and donate those which are not used. Throw away any damaged pans that are no longer usable.
- Clean any and all pots and pans if they have collected dust or grime — it’s always better to have a fresh start in the kitchen.
- Decide which of the storage ideas and solutions are most ideal for your cupboard storage space and current collection, from pot racks to pans organizers, peg boards are more. You may even want to have a dedicated lid rack.
- Install any necessary pot racks, shelves, or other organizing solutions and get to work organizing your pots and pans.
While some people decide to hire professional pots and pan organization experts, there are plenty of ways for you to reduce the clutter and make progress towards the kitchen of your dreams on your own. Below we’ll detail some of the organization solutions that exist out there, from DIY methods to ready-made organizers that take minimal-set up and get the job done.
1. What is the best way to store pots and pans?
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If you’re reading this article, you’re probably staring down a chaotic kitchen cupboard or shelf and wondering how to best store your pots and pans. You’re not alone — pots and pans are some of the hardest pieces of kitchen equipment to organize. Both bulky and frequently used, they require large amounts of space that is easily accessible. Luckily for you, we have several options.
Hook ‘Em High
When you’re trying to make the most of limited space, look upwards. By attaching hooks to the top of a cabinet, you can easily hang pots or pans. This leaves the base of the cabinet free to store lids or those pots too large to hang. In addition, you can attach hooks just about anywhere — a spare wall, or the sides of cabinets or doors. Once you start looking around your kitchen, you’ll realize there are plenty of spaces to install hooks for cookware storage.
Opt for an Open Wire Rack
Another way to get the most out of your vertical space is to use an open wire rack. The oversized shelves offer plenty of space to store your pots and pans and lids, along with the best storage idea for commonly used kitchen utensils such as spatulas or stirring spoons. With many large shelves to choose from, you can dedicate different shelves to different types of cookware. Try to avoid stacking if possible —- more on that below.
Consider a Pegboard
For those kitchens with a wall to spare, sometimes a stylish yet functional pegboard is the perfect upgrade. Offering extreme versatility — you can put the hooks in any of the pegs for a custom fit — you can organize your cookware to your needs. And if you draw chalk outlines of the pans for optimal storage, everyone in the kitchen will always know exactly where they belong.
Get a rail (or three)
A simple stainless steel rail, such as a common towel rod, can be the sleek and utilitarian solution that you’re looking for. Simply hang the number of rods you want to use on an empty wall, attach some s-hooks, and hang your pots and pans for easy reach. This will help keep even the messiest kitchens organized.
Spare Pantry
While most of us don’t have the luxury of a spare pantry, if you do happen to have an extra, consider dedicating it to your cookware. Both tucked away and easily visible, the many shelves of pantries allow you to store each pot and pan separately.
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2. How do you organize pots and pans and lids?
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Once you have your storage solutions set up, you’ll want to evaluate how best to organize all your cookware pieces. There are a couple of different things to take into account here.
- Determine which pots are used most and least frequently. Arrange them in the cupboard or rolling drawer taking this into account — placing the most frequently used cookware within easiest reach.
- If cookware is stacked on shelves, cabinets, or drawers, flip each lid upside down to protect their handles and provide a flat surface on which to stack other pots. Organizing every single pan lid is essential to them having a long shelf life.
- Reutilize towel racks or install wall-mounted shelves to store pot lids and keep them visible. If using a towel rack, double its usefulness by pairing it with s-hooks to hang pots below.
- Take advantage of the cabinet door by attaching small 3M or similarly-sized hooks to store lids next to their respective pots and pans. Organizing your drawer this way will maximize cabinet space.
3. Is it okay to stack pots and pans?
While often unavoidable due to the space and layout of a kitchen, it is not recommendable to stack pots and pans. Metal-on-metal contact causes a lot of scrapes and damage to cookware. Due to their high heat and scratch resistant material, the more durable stainless steel cookware fares better — especially pure stainless — than your average pot or pan. However, even pure stainless steel pots can be damaged during stacking due to their handles being slammed together, eventually causing leakage.However, if one must stack pots and pans, it’s better to flip the pot lids and put a cloth in between each pot and pan.
4. How do you organize a saucepan cupboard?
Opt for a Pan Organizer (or three)
Sometimes, the best solutions are the most obvious. Wire pot organizers allow you to stack all of your cookware in cabinets or shelves either horizontally or vertically, depending on how you install them. This makes them a versatile solution when you don’t have a ton of cupboard space.
Pick a Pull-Out Pot Rack
For those with reduced mobility or issues bending over, one of the best possible solutions is a pull-out cabinet organizer / pot rack. Fit into a kitchen cabinet shelf, the drawer-like organizer can be pulled out to reveal a rack with all the cookware hanging for easy access.
Use A Tension Rod
As a clever and cheap DIY workaround, it’s hard to beat small tension rods. Placed between the top and bottom shelf of a cabinet, they work to separate smaller pots, frying pans, cookie sheets, and pot lids to keep them upright and organized.
Divide Your Drawers
By placing thin pieces of plywood in your deeper drawers, you create small compartments to store your frying pans, skillets, saucepans, and more, avoiding the chaos and endless stacking and unstacking of the usual cookware cabinet.
Your Kitchen Deserves It
As one of the most frequently used spaces in your house — where culinary magic happens and friends and family are brought together — your kitchen deserves to be as orderly as possible. Whether organizing knives, keeping your clothes protected, or giving your pots and pans a place of their own, you can stock your kitchen with quality herniaquestions products to stay organized and make room for adventure.
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You can also check in with our Expert Knife Finder Quiz and get specific recommendations based on your needs.
Written by Evelyn Duskey
Born in Ohio and based in Buenos Aires, Evelyn loves sharing her grandmother’s midwestern recipes with unsuspecting Argentines.
