Organizing Tricky Items: Pots and Pans

Hello, and welcome to my new series, “Organizing Tricky Items”! Here’s the thing about organizing: I feel like about 80% of the problems are caused by 20% of the things. There are just a handful of items around the house that are SUCH A PAIN. So as much as I like to wait before buying containers, I think these tricky items are usually worth spending money on. Today we’re going to start by finding solutions for organizing pots and pans.

Ground Rules for Pots and Pans

First, a few ground rules for your pots and pans organization:

1. You must declutter down to what is truly necessary and appropriate for your family and your kitchen. Pots and pans are large items, so you cannot afford to hold onto them simply because it “feels” right to keep one in every size. Truly think about which ones you use the most often, and get rid of anything you don’t need. If you’re struggling to figure that out, I like to recommend keeping the biggest and the smallest option, while getting rid of the middle sizes.

2. You must choose a location to store pots and pans that is close to the stove. This should go without saying, but I can’t NOT say it. Pots and pans go by the stove. Period.

Organizing Pots and Pans in a Cabinet

If your pots and pans are stored in a cabinet, you have a lot of options. The best approach is to store them vertically using one of these solutions, so that each individual piece can be accessed without having to move others around.

YouCopia StoreMore Adjustable Rack Cabinet Organizer

Heavy Duty 5-Tier Rack Pan Organizer

If you don’t quite have the space or the budget for a full system to utilize vertical space, then try one of these options for separate lid storage, and stack the pots and pans without the lids.

Simple Houseware Pot Lid Organizer Rack

Joseph Joseph CupboardStore Cabinet Door Pan Lid Organizer

Organizing Pots and Pans in a Drawer

We have our pots and pans in a drawer, and it’s a challenge. If you have a drawer that’s deep enough to store vertically, then I recommend one of the solutions above. But the standard drawer is not deep enough. So what I recommend (and this is what we do) is to flip the lids upside down, keep them with their pot, and stack 2 or 3 high. I also like to group by size: the smallest pan under the smallest pot, the largest pans stacked together, etc. This just helps with fitting everything in one space.

Hanging Pots and Pans

If you have the right configuration for it, you might also want to consider the option to hang your pots and pans on a rack or a pegboard. This is a great use of vertical space! It clears them out of your cabinets and drawers completely. Plus you can hang other items that are air drying from that space. If you like the look of it and it makes sense in your kitchen, it would really be a very functional system.