Organizing Ideas for Pots & Pans

Purge and Sort Them

• Pull all of the pots and pans that are currently in your cupboards, including their lids. If you're holding onto old or overly scratched pans, throw them out and replace them if needed. Donate cookware that is in good condition but never used; give the pieces away or sell them online through Internet auction sites. Verify that the lids are all intact and that the knobs or handles that are used to lift them are not loose. If your lids are overly damaged, replace them. Sort everything into like groups. For example, keep all lids in one group, saute pans in another.

Store Them Properly

• Keep heavy large pots and pans in the bottom shelf of your cabinets. Place pots and pans that you frequently use in the cupboards that are closest to the stove so that they are easy to reach when needed. Stack them by size and type so that they are nestled together, largest to smallest. Placing a sheet of paper towel or a paper plate between each pot will help to prevent scratching the surface of the item beneath it.

Keep Lids Organized

• Buy a lid organizer to keep all lids together and separate from the pots and pans. Several different types of organizers are made just for this purpose. Place lid shelf racks inside of the cabinet in a location that is near the pans and pots. Another option is to buy a door-mounted lid rack. This type of rack is hung on the cupboard door and has slots facing inside the cabinet for your lids to rest in. Door-mounted lid racks are useful when space is limited inside of the cabinets where you are storing your pots.

Add Dividers, Organizers and Pan Racks

• Place divider racks in your cabinets to hold cookie and baking sheets upright or on their sides so that they are easy to slide in and out. Alternatively, place small tension rods in the cabinets between shelves to create several rows or slots. Slide muffin tins and baking racks between each rod divider. Buy a sliding shelf or organizer to install in the lower cupboards to make reaching hard-to-reach pots easier. Use tiered racks to place flatter pans, such as skillets and saute pans, for easy removal.