Storing pots and pans in drawers
10 ways to keep cookware neat |
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(Image credit: Neptune)
By Tara King
published
Organizing pots and pans is an essential part of creating a practical kitchen that runs smoothly day to day. Rummaging around in cabinets for that large frying pan you know is ‘in there somewhere’ is not an efficient use of anyone’s time, and certainly not conducive to a relaxed and enjoyable cooking experience. We can testify to that.
Organizing pots and pans can be tricky. They’re big and bulky yet require prime position when it comes to organizing a kitchen as they’re so often used. By keeping your cookware in an orderly state, you’re organizing your kitchen to great effect, ensuring they’re close to hand and easily accessible. Not to mention quick to put away afterwards, resulting in a neat, tidy and functional kitchen overall.
Organizing pots and pans
It may feel like a daunting task but establishing good kitchen storage and a hardworking organization system for pots and pans now will save you both time and effort in the long run. Here, we’ve compiled our own step-by-step guide – including top tips from experts – to ensure you organize pots and pans, perfectly.
1. Assess your current collection
(Image credit: Kitchen Makers)
Before planning any kind of organizational system for your pots and pans, you’ll first need to get everything out to see what you’re working with.
‘Start by taking everything out and laying it on a surface – that way you can see exactly what you’ve got and start to work out which storage systems might work well for you,’ says professional organizer Lucy Mansey , dubbed ‘the Marie Kondo of Britain’ by her celebrity clients.
2. Work out what you really need
(Image credit: Neptune)
Unless you’re a professional chef, the chances are you have too many pots and pans.
Having three frying pans when you only use one is not convenient – it’s just clutter. A good decluttering will cut down on unnecessary items and leave you with just the ones you use regularly.
‘Having a specifically-sized pot isn’t going to make your food taste any better, so be brutal,’ says Emma Cowburn, kitchen designer at Harvey Jones . ‘A small cookware collection is far easier to store and keep organized.’
As well as tackling multiples, think of items that could potentially play double purpose to keep things simple. Cast-iron pots that go straight from oven to table, or Pyrex baking dishes that go from oven to fridge, for example.
3. Stow away occasional cookware
(Image credit: Humphrey Munson)
During the streamlining process, you’ll likely come across pots and pans that you don’t use every day yet use often enough to justify keeping hold of – items you might use just for entertaining, such as oversized casserole dishes and baking trays, for example.
There’s no hard and fast rule that says all kitchen storage must be in the cooking zone, so think outside the kitchen for these items – particularly if you’re looking for small kitchen storage ideas or organizing a pantry. ‘I have a sideboard in the dining room, right next to my kitchen, where I store my bulky crockpot’, says Alexandra, co-founder and interior designer at Clairrow . ‘I don’t use it every day and relocating it means I free up storage space.’
4. Position pots and pans near the cook zone
(Image credit: Future)
Positioning your pots and pans carefully is key. Whether they’re in drawers or cabinets, locating them near to the stove and cooktop enables easy access when cooking, cuts down on wasted walking time and adds a general sense of continuity to the room. You might alternatively want some hanging up or on shelves to make them even easier to grab, but if you’ve been keeping any on working surfaces, move them to one of the above options as part of organizing kitchen countertops.
While you’re rethinking kitchen layout ideas, it’s also worth positioning non-cooking related kitchen items such as crockery, glassware and cutlery, away from your pots and pans. This is particularly important if you like to entertain. That way, two people can carry out tasks in the kitchen without tripping over each other.
5. Dedicate space in a deep drawer
A wide, deep drawer will likely allow you to store all your pots and pans in one readily accessible space, which is much easier than rummaging around at the back of a cabinet – particularly as you’ll be using them nearly every day.
‘Drawers can really come in handy for organizing and storing your pots and pans. Graduated drawer units like the ones in our Suffolk collection give you the option to neatly store lids in the shallower drawer at the top, and deeper pots in the bottom,’ says Stephanie Nix, kitchen designer at Neptune .
Organizing kitchen drawers properly for pots and pans can really pay off.
To avoid rattling when you open and close the drawer, consider installing an internal pan rack to allow easy access and space around each item. There are vertical and horizontal ones available so you can utilize the drawer space available to best effect.
Lining the bottom of the drawer also reduces noise as well as protect pots and pans from scratches. A pegboard liner is a clever hack. You can simply adjust the dowels to separate casserole dishes from frying pans, and so on – it’s great for keeping things organized.
For pots and pans that are used less regularly, you might want to consider making space for them when organizing deep pantry shelves.
6. Customize a corner cabinet
(Image credit: Neptune)
Organizing kitchen cabinets – and especially corner cabinets – for pots and pans can be notoriously difficult. They are particularly difficult for accessing and storing items in, but if you invest in clever kitchen cabinet ideas, they can become one of the most practical places to store your pots and pans.
‘Racks that slide along and out of the unit when you open the door make use of all available space in a user-friendly way, taking the stress out of heavy lifting from awkward angles and neatly displaying larger pieces like pots and pans’, says Graeme Smith, Head of Retail and Commercial Design at Life Kitchens .
7. Arrange by size on open shelving
(Image credit: DeVOL)
Open kitchen shelving is a great option for organizing (attractive) pots and pans and is extremely efficient in terms of speed and accessibility. Plus, it can make for a stylish focal point in your kitchen when done properly.
It’s worth noting that having everything on display, however, is an ongoing commitment. It’s vital that you keep things organized. Arranging pots and pans by size and use is easy to maintain and brings a neat, orderly feel to your kitchen.
As well as on open shelving, Heather Hoerzen, design editor at Havenly believes there’s also a styling opportunity to be had by displaying good-looking pots and pans on the cooker top.
‘My Le Creuset pan looks lovely enough to leave out daily; it brings little design love to our stovetop scene – and means our morning eggs that much quicker to make!’
8. Take a professional approach
(Image credit: Future)
Take inspiration from a chef’s kitchen by hanging pots and pans from the ceiling. It’s an effective way to corral them into order, while taking pressure off your cabinet space.
‘There are lots of options for hanging that can double up as a feature of the room. Pot rails enable them to be hung from a wall, cabinet or island, while a pot rack is a good option for high up storage, much like you’d find in a working restaurant kitchen,’ says Daniel Bowler, director of Eggersmann UK .
Arrange by size and use to make it easy to cater for crowds. However, if you’re not one for entertaining, this might not be an organizational tip for you – frequent use is the best way to eliminate dust.
9. Store lids separately
(Image credit: Future)
Storing your pots and pans with the lid on is not the most efficient use of space – something worth considering if you’re planning to organize a small kitchen.
It leaves no opportunity for stacking, plus they can separate easily and end up rattling around or lost at the back of a cabinet somewhere. Experts advise storing them separately for a more manageable organization system overall.
Speak to a kitchen designer about having bespoke organizer inserts or inner drawers installed for storing pan lids. Or for a less permanent solution, professional organizer Vicky Silverthorn of You Need a Vicky suggests ‘mounting a rack on the back of the cabinet door that you can slot lids into’. Position them opposite their counterpart so you can match them quickly and easily.
If you’re storing pots and pans in deep drawers, stack lids vertically along one side, using tension rods to separate them.
10. Stack sensibly
Pots and pans can be difficult to deal with when they’re stacked on top of each other. Ideally, you’d want to avoid stacking altogether, but there’s no denying it’s a space saver. To minimize hassle, implement an efficient stacking system.
First, group by use; frying pans, saucepans, casserole dishes, etc, then stack by size starting with the largest on the bottom. Stack one inside the other, or if you’ve got the height space, keep the lids on your pots but flip them upside down so the handle is facing downwards. This will keep lids and pots together, and makes for a flatter, smoother surface for stacking the next pot. Be sure to use protectors in between each pot and pan to prevent scratching.
‘You could consider investing in multi-use or stackable sets rather than holding onto a selection of mismatched pans which don’t all fit together can save copious amounts of space,’ advises Joanna Thornhill , interiors stylist, writer and author of The New Mindful Home (Laurence King Publishing).
How do you neatly organize pots and pans?
To neatly organize pots and pans, streamline what you’ve already got by cutting down on multiples and prioritize double-purpose items to create a smaller, everyday collection.
Store occasional cookware separately.
Group pots and pans by use: frying pans, saucepans, casserole dishes, etc, to enable ready access. Stack groups by size, starting with the largest on the bottom. If you’ve got the height space, flip the lids upside down to create a smooth surface for stacking the next pot. In cabinets, use internal pan racks and risers, and line drawers with a pegboard to keep items neatly organized.
Store lids separately. Slim inner drawers positioned above your pots and pans are ideal, but if this isn’t an option, consider an over-the-door rack to slide lids into, or stack them vertically in drawers, separated by dividers or tension rods.
If you’re displaying pots and pans out on show, arrange by size and use, and stay on top of organization to avoid a cluttered feel.
Where is the best place to store pots and pans?
Cookware should be positioned as close to the range or cooktop as possible whether you’re organizing a small kitchen or a large one – to ensure it runs smoothly, so it’s important to factor this in when deciding where to store your pots and pans.
Deep drawers are arguably the most effective storage option. They offer plentiful space for big and bulky pots and pans, pull right out so you can see exactly what you have and leave room for organizational helpers such as risers, dividers and inserts. Slim inner drawers positioned above also work well for storing pan lids separately.
Pots and pans can be stored in cabinets, however, consider installing pull-out racks that slide all whole way out, particularly in corner units, to ensure a more functional system – no one has time to scramble around in the back of a dark cabinet looking for lost pan lids!
You can also make a feature of your pots and pans by storing them out in the open, either on open shelving, ceiling-hung pot racks or hanging from rails. Bear in mind that they will need to be kept well organized at all times to avoid your kitchen looking cluttered.
For 10 years, Tara King worked as a Content Editor in the magazine industry, before leaving to become freelance, covering interior design, wellbeing, craft and homemaking.
As well as writing for Ideal Home, Style at Home, Country Homes & Interiors, Tara’s keen eye for styling combined with a passion for creating a happy – and functional – family home has led to a series of organization and cleaning features for H&G.
How to Organize Pots and Pans
The bane of every kitchen organizer: pots and pans that just won’t stack up nicely. Here's how to keep them orderly.
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iStock/MargoeEdwards
Turn cabinets to drawers
Drawers keep you from crawling on your hands and knees every time you’re searching for a pan, but no need to invest in an expensive kitchen remodel to organize your pots and pans. Simply add a pull-out shelf to your existing cabinet to transform it into a drawer that lets you access your cooking gear easily. Don’t miss these other pantry and cabinet storage ideas.
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iStock/Diane Labombarbe
Use a pegboard
Hang a large pegboard on an empty wall, then use hooks to let your pots and pans dangle from the wall.
Pretty the board up by painting it in your kitchen’s accent color, using semi- or high-gloss paint, which are easier to clean than flatter finishes. Here are more ideas for organizing anything with pegboard.
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Put a lid on it
If you’ve got the space, store your pots with the lids on but upside-down to create a stackable surface instead of the awkward heap you’d get by piling them when open.
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Make it pretty
With attractive cookware, you can keep pots and pans hiding in plain sight instead of tucking them into hard-to-reach cabinets and drawers. Invest in some enameled pots, pans, and baking dishes in a color you love, and display them proudly on a visible shelf. Don’t miss these tricks to declutter your countertop.
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Let them hang
Dangle pots and pans on your ceiling using hooks or a rod.
You’ll get a rustic look that saves precious cabinet space for dishes, appliances, and food. These organizational tools from Amazon will help you become the neat person you’ve always longed to be.
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iStock/Maria Bobrova
Add a tension rod
If you stash your pots and pans in a large drawer, keep lids from hogging space. Simply stick in a tension rod near the front of the drawer, then slip lids vertically between the rod and the drawer. They’ll stay out of the way while you’re digging out the right cookware. Keep it clean with these things organized people do every weekend.
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Divide drawers
Keep your pots and pans drawer organized by adding bars or thin pieces of plywood large enough to fit your cookware and lids vertically. Then slip in clean pans to keep them separated in a neat little “filing” system.
Here are more kitchen organization ideas you wish you’d knew sooner.
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Invest in lid racks
Lid racks have slots to keep your lids standing up straight without collapsing. Line them up by size with the largest ones in back so you can easily see the one you want.
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Make use of weird corners
If you’ve got an awkward corner shelf that you aren’t sure what to do with, use it to stash your pots and pans. Install hooks to the top of it, and let your cookware hang down, with the lids stowed under them. Make sure to get in the habit of these things clutter-free people do every day.
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Leave lids on doors
Install a lid rack on the door of your pots and pans cabinet so the tops are handy any time you want to cover your cooking.
Here are more inspiring cabinet door storage ideas.
Sources: realsimple.com, goodhousekeeping.com, apartmenttherapy.com, buzzfeed.com, purewow.com, thekitchn.com
Originally Published: September 23, 2016
Originally Published in Reader's Digest
Marissa Laliberte
Marissa Laliberte-Simonian is a London-based associate editor with the global promotions team at WebMD’s Medscape.com and was previously a staff writer for Reader's Digest. Her work has also appeared in Business Insider, Parents magazine, CreakyJoints, and the Baltimore Sun. You can find her on Instagram @marissasimonian.
How to store pots and pans in the kitchen?
How and where to store pots and pans in the kitchen? This question occupies the minds of many housewives. It is quite difficult to imagine a kitchen without such necessary things as pots and pans. And, as a rule, every housewife in the kitchen has more than one copy of these items necessary for cooking.
Indeed, in one pan we cook soup, another is needed for a side dish, a third for hot, etc.
The problem is that they take up quite a lot of space. If you are faced with the problem of storing a large number of pots and pans in the kitchen, we will give you some tips and show you examples of how you can store pots compactly in a small kitchen. nine0003
In order to avoid many inconveniences in the future, it is advisable to carefully consider the choice of pots even in the process of purchasing them. Choose dishes that fold compactly into one another. And this applies not only to pots, but also to other dishes - plates, bowls, glasses, etc. Leading cookware manufacturers make sure that your kitchen has as much free space as possible and offer ultra-modern and ultra-compact pot sets.
Great find - pots and pans with removable handles. nine0003
In addition to compact storage, the advantage of such dishes is that they can also be used for cooking in the oven.
Thus, you can save not only space, but also money.
This also includes cast iron cookware with cast iron handles that can also be used both for cooking on the stove and for baking in the oven.
So, as you can see, choosing the right dishes is already half the battle! In addition, you should reconsider the total number of dishes in your kitchen. Surely there are dishes that you use very rarely, or even never. It is worth getting rid of extra pots and pans to make room for things you really need. nine0003
The classic storage option for pots and pans is the shelf or the drawer. In terms of convenience, a drawer is preferable, since it is easy to get any pan in it, even the one that is stored in the farthest corner of the drawer. Lids can be stored in the same place, separating them from the main compartment with a partition.
There are also special drawer systems for pot storage and covers.
However, such storage systems are more suitable for spacious kitchens, since they themselves take up quite a lot of space and although it is convenient to store pots in them, this option for storing dishes is not the most compact.
Shallow pots and pans can be stored in narrow drawers.
Another storage option for pots and pans is wall mounted . nine0003
In a small kitchen, wall storage of bulky dishes is not the best solution, as pots and pans hanging on the walls overload the interior and visually make a small kitchen even smaller. But, in some cases, this storage option can even be advantageous. If you skillfully pick up the dishes and beat them correctly, hung pots and pans can be made a decor item and a highlight of the kitchen interior.
Pots and pans can be stored on the wall in different ways. With hooks on the wall, with railing or perforated board.
The choice depends mainly on the design of your kitchen and your personal preferences.
Another way to store pots on the wall is a small shelf. This method is suitable for you if you have a small amount of dishes. Pans and pots with long handles can be hung on hooks under the shelf, and pans with short handles and other utensils can be stored on the shelf. nine0003
For ease of use, do not place the shelf too high. Store pans at the level of your height, you do not want to climb onto a stool every time to take another pan. It will be very inconvenient.
In general, wall storage of dishes is most suitable for kitchens in the style of country, Provence and other ethnic styles. But not suitable for kitchens in a classic style, minimalist style, high-tech .
How to store lids, spices, and other things, read the article "Storage ideas in a small kitchen"
How do you store pots and pans? Share in the comments!
Like this article? Share with friends! :)
Storage of pots, pans and lids
An inquisitive mind is about us! Today, the Everything in Place team decided to deal with the storage of pots, pans and lids for them.
The idea for the article came about when one of the participants raised the issue of storing these kitchen utensils in our closed WhatsApp chat, and many supported her. nine0003
Pots and pans take up a lot of space. Their number in different families can reach a dozen, or even more. And covers are generally violators of order in many kitchens. You can’t put them in a neat pile: they are of different sizes, convex, and even the handles stick out ...
Well, let's see how others are and what ideas the browser search has thrown up.
Assessing the enemy
If you are thinking about how to clean up your kitchen utensils, then before reading the article further, do the calculations. The first action when putting things in order is to throw out the unnecessary. The second is to evaluate the rest. nine0003
We throw out the unnecessary.
I strongly advise you to collect all the supplies of pots and pans in one place and assess the condition of each.
Surely among them there are those that do not look very good: non-washable soot, dents, exfoliating steel bottom, chips on the enamel, Teflon coating with “tatters”. Do you like them? Are they fun to cook in? It is better to leave two or three neat pots and cook in them with pleasure!
Afraid you won't have enough cooking utensils? Simply transfer cooked food to reusable containers with lids before putting them in the refrigerator. With containers, by the way, it is more convenient to organize its contents. Round pots with domed lids take up a lot of space, you can't see what they contain, and transparent rectangular containers can be stacked one on top of the other. nine0003
Calculate the rest.
Even if you do not dare to throw something away, the "general meeting" of pots and pans will not hurt. You will be able to estimate the number of dishes and lids for them. And knowing the number, you can choose options for organizing.
Pyramid
A friend sent me a photo of her drawer of kitchen utensils.
She keeps pots and lids in sets: she flips pot lids upside down and puts them on top of the pot. You can put a smaller pan on the resulting flat area, an even smaller one on it, etc. Sort of a pyramid. nine0003
Pros :
• The method is suitable for deep and tall drawers (and there are many of these in our kitchens and it's always unclear how to organize them better),
• You take the pot and the lid is right there, no need to look for it in other places.
Cons :
• Not all pans allow you to treat yourself this way. For example, the lid on the steel pan at the very top of the stack in the photo is unstable (I have the same one) - you can’t put anything on it. nine0003
Saucepan + lid
A variation on the previous storage method - pots are stored together with lids without piling up on top of each other. For the happy owners of ample storage space in the kitchen. Please note:
1. Drawers are great for this method.
2. You can make dividers in the drawer, guided by the size of your dishes, so that you can return them to their place without thinking and choosing a place each time.
3. But even ordinary cabinets can be converted into pull-out shelves.
4. How do you use corner cabinets? If they are a perpetual mess, then think about the fact that pans on roll-out or spinning shelves would perfectly get along in corner cabinets. Search in your city, and you will surely find a company that re-equips ready-made kitchen sets.
5. By the way, is it necessary to put pots on ? If you have a large collection of saucepans (pots with long handles), then you can hang them. If the handles of the lids allow, then even together. And Teflon and ceramic-coated pans will appreciate such gentle handling. nine0003 Thus, Roof rails Speaking of roof rails! When storage space is scarce (like in my kitchen, for example), they can come in handy and provide an easy way to store pans and lids. nine0003 Pros : But the roof rails don't have to be visible. Attach them to the inside of the cabinet door, and the lids will be inseparable from the pans. At the same time, they are easy to take and return to their place. nine0003 Pay attention to an interesting life hack. The "hidden" storage shown above can be organized using Velcro hooks . Matryoshka But the most popular way, which is used by many participants in the discussion: put pots and pans one into the other, and store the lids separately. At the same time: 1. Covers can be placed side by side. nine0003 2. May be in an adjacent drawer (for example, in the lower deep pan, and above, in the "shallow", or in the additional section - the lid). Pluses : 3. Drawer dividers can be used. nine0003 4. Or dedicated holder organizers for both pans and pots and lids. 5. Speaking of lid holders. In a rare house there are no such devices.
Pluses :
• Convenient to take, easy to put back in place, dishes are immediately complete with a lid.
Cons :
• Requires roll-out drawers or special hangers that not every kitchen has (but rails are not a very expensive option).
• railings are inexpensive and multifunctional (if you don't like how the covers stand, you can hang something else).
Cons :
• Dishes stored on rails should look, if not perfect, then very decent. 
The lids are not too heavy and the hooks hold them perfectly.
• Pots stacked together take up minimal space.
Cons :
• This method does not guarantee order in the rows of caps. Therefore: 
