How To Store Pots and Pans and Save Space Too!

When you move into your new home or apartment and start to unpack kitchen essentials, it’s usually a “no-brainer” when determining where to put your dishes and cups, right? It’s typically an easy-to-reach cabinet near the dishwasher (easy to put away!).  

Then comes time to unpack some of the harder items like clunky appliances, entertainment platters, and pots and pans…

Pots and pans can be tricky because they are typically used often, can take up a lot of storage space and be a hassle to store. That is why finding smart storage solutions to store pots and pans can make all the difference for an efficient kitchen!

What is the best way to store pots and pans? 

What I like to do first when organizing pots and pans, is to have them ALL out of the moving boxes or previous storage locations for me to see. I want to be able to see what I am working with and start identifying how often I use each pot and pan.

This is usually the best time to ask yourself, “Do I even use this?” or “Does this earn a spot in my kitchen?”

Determine Frequency

If you can really confirm that you use certain pots and pans daily or weekly, then these should be considered priority items. When you go to store pots and pans, these are the ones that earn an easily accessible space in your kitchen. 

If you store pots and pans that often end up at the bottom of a large pile, they might be considered infrequently used or maybe they are just acting as the “pile holder” for those that you actually use. We often have more than we need and store pots and pans that simply take up our valuable space. If you haven’t used them in months or years, it might be time to finally get rid of them.

Once you have determined frequency, you can start to look at the space that you are working with to see where you can store pots and pans that are used most often. 

This can be in a kitchen cabinet, drawer, or even hanging from a wall or the ceiling based on your storage options.

How do you organize your pots and pans in a cabinet? 

If you are able, my favorite way to store pots and pans is vertical. Vertical storage is a great way to use the space you have efficiently and make it an easy task to grab or put away your pots and pans. 

Pan Rack

Check to see if your cabinet offers the vertical space needed to accommodate a pan rack. 

These are a great solution to allow for vertical storage and easy access to the specific pan you need, rather than having to dig to find the one you are looking for!

Lid Organizer

Lids can also be a stacking nightmare! That is why I love to use a lid organizer. 

Shelf Riser 

When you need just a little more space, you can add additional shelving to maximize your cabinets

Where should heavy pots be stored? 

When looking to store pots and pans, the heavy ones may need to take priority over others for easy to reach storage space. 

For safety reasons, it is good to avoid cabinets that are higher up for the heavy pots...It would not feel good to have those crashing down on you while on a step stool trying to reach them! 

However, you should still consider the frequency of use compared to other pots and pans. If you have heavy pots that you use frequently, it is ideal if you can use a large kitchen drawer or corner lazy susan to store them in. That way you are able to grab them with minimal reach and are able to keep them spaced out rather than piled up on each other.  

If you have heavy pots that are used less frequently, or for special occasions - like dad’s favorite chili, you may even consider storing them in a space outside of your kitchen. Consider the garage or basement, but only if they are truly less frequently used. This will save more space to store pots and pans that you use daily or weekly.

How do you store pots and pans in drawers? 

If you are lucky enough to have deep drawers in your kitchen space, these can be a great storage solution for pots and pans. 

Start with placing the largest pots and pans before moving to the smaller ones. If you have space, you can leave the matching lids inset with the pot or pan. That way it is convenient to grab the whole set when needed. 

If you are limited in drawer storage, you can nestle more frequently used pots and pans within larger less frequently used pots and pans. Just make sure if you stack that it will be most convenient for you, with the most frequently used pots and pans located at the top of the pile. It is also not a bad idea to protect your pots and pans when stacking with something like this.

Lids can also be stored in a separate drawer that is less deep than the one saved to store pots and pans. This allows for more space in your pot and pan drawer, but also allows for them to be conveniently located nearby.

How do you store pots and pans in a small apartment?

Small apartments aren’t the only homes with small kitchens. If you are limited on kitchen space, you may have to get a little creative to store pots in pans and make everything fit. 

Of course, the less you are storing the better! So don’t forget to look at each pot and pan critically to determine how frequently you use it. 

Look at the rest of the frequently used kitchen items you have to store in your kitchen to determine what cabinet, drawer, or pantry space you have to work with for your pots and pans. 

When you are limited on cabinet space, you may consider looking at how to utilize every inch of each cabinet. 

Use The Cabinet Door

There are many creative ways to utilize a cabinet door to store lids. There are products you can buy, or even some DIY tools such as 3M hooks or towel racks that can get the job done! 

If you do decide to creatively utilize the back of your cabinet door for lid storage space, make sure to measure and make sure that you have enough clearance from the cabinet frame and pots and pans within to close the door. 

If you are unable to fit all that you have in the available cabinet, drawer, or pantry space you may have to consider using other space within your kitchen, like wall or ceiling storage, or even storage outside of your kitchen space for the less frequently used items.

If you are looking for more smaller kitchen storage solutions, check this out. 

When it comes time to store pots and pans, all you need are some storage tips that help you build systems for those you use most frequently. You’ll be surprised by the space you can save when you simplify your pot and pan collection and find the right storage solutions for your kitchen space! 

For more kitchen organization tips follow me on @lifemadesimpleathome!