9 Top-Rated IKEA Products That Are Perfect For Organizing Pots And Pans
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IKEA is an industry leader for affordable home goods. This brand manufactures aesthetically pleasing furniture, decor, and housewares for all budgets. Among their most highly reviewed items are their kitchen storage solutions. This Swedish home goods company offers several collections and standalone products designed to help organize the most cluttered cabinets and drawers. More specifically, many of their products are perfect for propping up and separating kitchen pots and pans, as well as their matching lids.
Below are nine IKEA products to implement in your kitchen to organize a mess of cookware and bakeware. The selected products have a minimum of four out of five stars and are specifically useful for organizing pots and pans. These items are highly rated by multiple people and have glowing customer testimonials to match. You can find further explanation of how these products were chosen in the methodology below. If you pair these kitchen solutions with other affordable IKEA items perfect for organizing drawers and cabinets, you can truly optimize a kitchen space. Read on to find out what these products are, how to use them, and what honest and real customers have to say.
Best for organizing cookware lids: OSTBIT plate holder
Don't let the name deceive you — IKEA's OSTBIT plate holder has organizational potential beyond standard dishware. This product is made of naturally moisture-resistant bamboo wood with an acrylic lacquer finish and has six spaces between rows of rungs for propping dishes up on one side. The tight rungs are perfect for propping round pot lids up sideways, which keeps them from sliding around and causing chaos in a deep kitchen drawer. Set the plate holder in a deep drawer and tuck the lids inside, leaving the rest of the space open to hold their matching pot bottoms.
Over 800 IKEA shoppers gave the OSTBIT bamboo plate holder an average 4.7-star rating, appraising its simple but useful design. Customers use it for a variety of kitchen purposes, with many utilizing it for pan and pot lid organization. One customer says it has a "Multifunctional design[,] as I am using it for pot lids and pans storage in my cabinet." Another states, "This item is very well made. I'm using it to hold pot lids in a cabinet. Makes everything neat & accessible. I plan to purchase more of [these] items to neaten my cabinets."
Best simple hanger for pots and pans: HULTARP rail
If your kitchen walls are empty, why not take advantage of the space to create more kitchen storage? You could decorate this area with a gorgeous kitchen backsplash or take a more functional approach and hang a wall rail that holds excess pots and pans. IKEA's powder-coated steel HULTARP rail is compatible with other accessories from the same collection and is a durable and versatile holder for hanging pots and pans with handles. It comes in a black, nickel, or brass color, making it easy to match with other kitchen appliances and fixtures. You can also choose between a 23.5-inch or 31.5-inch long model, depending on the size of your kitchen and available wall space. This organizational solution also frees up cabinet space for other kitchen storage.
The HULTARP rail has a 4.7-star average from over 550 reviewers, with more than 98% of customers leaving a positive review. When paired with the HULTARP hooks, this DIY installation is perfect for hanging pans with handles and pots with a hole in the handle. Several customers appraise its use, with one person claiming that they've been using this method long-term. "Been using these bars in my kitchen for years. I have moved 4 times and put them in every house. If you don't have enough cupboard space for your pots and pans you can hang them on these. They make cooking VERY handy!"
Best kitchen rail and shelf unit: KUNGSFORS suspension rail
The HULTARP rail lays horizontally and may not work in a narrow kitchen. If you have a lot more vertical space than horizontal space to work with, try a suspension rail with vertical shelves instead like the KUNGSFORS. A stainless steel rail and shelf unit might match your kitchen fixtures (if you have a predominately stainless steel kitchen). This wall piece makes it possible to organize your most used pots and pans as well as your favored kitchen utensils in one place, keeping them within reach while cooking. This is also a great alternative if you're trying to cut costs on kitchen cabinets but still need more storage space.
The KUNGSFORS stainless steel suspension rail with a shelf and wall grid has over 40 reviews and an average 4.2-star rating. Nearly 90% of these reviews are positive, applauding its aesthetics and usefulness in small kitchens. One reviewer gave this item four stars, citing that, "The shelves are very sturdy. They look great. It makes the kitchen look like a kitchen that you actually cook in." However, they docked one star because the contraption isn't easy to install. If you aren't very handy, you may need help assembling it and adhering it to the wall. IKEA also warns that this product is only as strong as your wall — if you live in an apartment or older home with flimsy drywall, it may not be able to support this durable pot and pan shelf.
Best portable cookware storage and prep surface: BROR utility cart
Sometimes, kitchen layouts make it difficult to organize and store items practically. In these situations, it can be helpful to add an additional kitchen island. A rolling kitchen island is both portable and maneuverable, keeping all pots, pans, and lids within easy reach. It also frees up storage in small kitchens with limited cabinet and drawer space.
Tuck a pot and pan collection into the two shelves on the BROR utility cart. This mobile kitchen island has a 4.7-star rating from over 400 happy customers. 97% of the reviews are satisfied with their purchase, making comments about its usefulness for bulky kitchen items. As one customer said, "Looks amazing and holds lots of kitchen wares. Love that it can be moved around so easily for various uses." The only caveat is that it only comes in two color variations; black and pine plywood or gray-green and pine plywood. Therefore, it may be challenging to match kitchens with clashing design schemes.
Best simple divider for pots and pans: UTRUSTA partitions
The smallest addition can have a huge impact on your kitchen cabinet organization. Inserting a partition like the UTRUSTA can keep pans separated or together as needed to make your home organization a breeze. IKEA's silver partitions match most stainless steel kitchen appliances and can be used to prop pans and their accompanying lids sideways. They simply need to be screwed into the bottom of your cabinet with enough space left between to hold your pans. Try grouping your pans by shape and then separating your muffin trays, cake pans, cookie trays, pizza stones, and any other pan-shaped kitchen items accordingly.
The item described is an UTRUSTA silver partition, which is another IKEA product with a 4.7-star average. 93% of the over 40 reviewers left satisfactory ratings after installing these in their cabinets. Many reviewers use them to store pans, cookie trays, and cutting boards. One reviewer said, "We got these to arrange pans in a cupboard. We got several and arranged them to fit the pans we have rather than a premade size and arrangement. Worked great." Another person agrees that this is a great cabinet installation but mentions one potential downside to keep in mind: "These work great when your cabinet doesn't have a top to anchor dividers (just the bottom of the drawer above) on top and bottom. The loop is too large for small items though."
Best expandable pot and pan lid holder: VARIERA pot lid prganizer
Pots and pans are large and clunky, making them difficult to organize, especially if you have several different sizes and lids to match. An expandable pot lid organizer like the VARIERA is adjustable to fit in most drawers and cabinets. This contraption extends to be short or long in length, and it has small prongs to prop up pot and pan lids. The stainless steel is likely to match most of your kitchen fixtures, and if you keep lids arranged inside, it leaves more surrounding space to store pots and pans in a nesting formation. An expandable lid organizer also keeps lids from sliding around when drawers are opened and kitchen items are moved around.
The VARIERA stainless steel pot lid organizer is one of IKEA's most popular products designed for this purpose. With 96% positive reviews from over 1,200 people, this product has an average 4.6 rating. Customers applaud that the design is practical in ways you wouldn't expect: "We've got two of these for our kitchen and I love them. I especially like the open middle so the lid knobs don't have anything to get caught on." Others appraise its multifunctional uses: "I love that this lid and pan organizer is heavy enough to keep things grounded. It can be used to organize so much more than just pans and lids too. Easy assembly and adjustable."
Best shelving unit for bakeware and cookware sets: OMAR shelving unit
In small kitchens, it doesn't matter how hard you strategize and organize — there may never be enough cabinet and drawer space. When your cabinets and drawers aren't cutting it, your best option may be to install a whole new shelf in an empty spot nearby, like an OMAR. The 6-foot-tall galvanized steel shelf unit is sturdy and spacious for even the largest metal and glass pot and pan collections.
Don't sleep on the OMAR one section shelving unit that has over 500 customer reviews. Over 95% of reviewers are satisfied with this product, giving it an average rating of 4.6 stars. One customer affirms its sturdiness, stating, "Great storage rack. We use it as a baker's rack in the kitchen ... it holds the microwave and a great deal of my kitchen goods." The silver color should match most standard kitchen fixtures, but you improve its aesthetic appearance by adding a 14-inch wide drawer liner, such as the GMSweet Marble Printed Kitchen Drawer Shelf Liner.
Best corner cabinet storage: UTRUSTA corner base cabinet carousel
Corner cabinets seem like a practical use of corner space but are ultimately frustrating to organize and store items efficiently. Fortunately, there are plenty of organizational solutions to make the most out of a corner kitchen cabinet. One of those ideas is installing a Lazy Susan-style cabinet carousel, like the UTRUSTA. This feature makes it possible to rotate shelves, bringing hidden items to the front so they aren't lost in the depths of the cabinet. As long as these shelves are sturdy and have a moderate weight limit, you should be able to fit several pots on each level.
The UTRUSTA corner base cabinet carousel is the perfect fit for corner cabinets that are at least 35 inches deep with space for a 32-inch wide diameter. It has two shelves that hold up to 26 pounds, and customers are overall pleased with this product. Over 90% of the 140 reviews resulted in an average 4.5-star rating. One person confirms its use for storing pots and pans, saying, "Easy to install & works fine in the corner cabinet. Great for my pots & pans." If there's still space aside from your pots and pans, you can also follow a pro organizer's advice for what items to store in corner kitchen cabinets.
Best customized pot and pan drawer organizer: UPPDATERA pegboard drawer organizer
When the urge to reorganize your kitchen strikes, easily satisfy that desire with a pegboard drawer organizer like the UPPDATERA. The pegboard drawer organizer sits flat in a deep drawer and features individual pegs that are adjustable and removable as needed. Whether you add or take away pots and pans from your collection, a pegboard organizer can be re-customized to still offer optimal storage. You could also DIY a genius storage DIY to contain pot and pan clutter.
The UPPDATERA pegboard drawer organizer comes in a single black color and has a 4.5-star rating from 25 reviewers. There isn't a single one-star rating or negative comment on the product. Customers seem overall satisfied with this purchase, using it for their pots, pans, and lids alike. One person said, "Easy to [use]. Keep[s] my pots and pans in an upright position. The size works well and I'm glad I found this piece vs making them. This is great fit for my custom made drawers." Another customer wrote, "I have been looking for a cure to my lid avalanche every time I open the cupboard. This is it!"
Methodology: How we chose the perfect IKEA products for organizing pots and pans
Before selecting the IKEA products, we set the ground rules for a minimum of five stars and 20 reviews. The final roundup of products had 4.2 stars or higher and had a minimum of 25 positive reviews praising its usefulness in the kitchen. Over 89% of reviewers left three, four, or five stars, making it safe to conclude that negative reviews were outliers. All the items feature product images that demonstrate their use in organizing pots and pans, which go hand in hand with customer testimonials that attest to their effectiveness.