The 5 Best Ways To Store And Organize Pots And Pans For A Clutter-Free Kitchen

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Whether cooking is the highlight of your day or a necessary chore that you grit your teeth and get through, one thing is true: a cluttered kitchen makes cooking a whole lot more difficult. Having your pots and pans out where they're easy to grab can add to the feeling of clutter, but also, having to do advanced yoga positions to get them in and out of the cupboard won't necessarily help either. What you need is a clever way to store your pots and pans that keeps them accessible, organized, and aesthetically pleasing. The good news? You have some options!

Deciding which of these solutions will work best for you will take a quick assessment of your current cabinets, open wall space, and what feels cluttered to you. If your cabinets are full to bursting, you can clean out non-essentials to make space for your pots and pans, or move some items around to figure out a more suitable use of the area. Keeping pots on display may not be the best idea for those who prefer the clean lines of minimalism.

Also, factor in whether your pots and pans are new and shiny, or if they're looking a bit old and tired. Depending on your style, hard-worked pots may just fit your aesthetic and could add to the vibe, in which case, opt for visible storage. If they're more likely to be an eyesore that becomes a pain point every time you see them, in-cabinet storage is the way to go!

Kitchen cabinets offer great storage possibilities, except for awkwardly shaped sections such as corners and blind corners. These cabinets are often used for stashing random items that you know you won't need often, such as plastic containers that have lost their lids, empty glass jars, or that strange mug from an aunt that you can't bring yourself to toss.

It's possible to reclaim those difficult-to-reach spaces, but you'll need some clever hardware to do so. For blind corners, consider a Kinchoix Blind Corner Cabinet Pull Out Organizer. The shelves are shaped and mounted on hardware that lets them slide in and out of the previously inaccessible space. Each shelf is fitted with chrome railings to prevent your pots from sliding off and adds a gleam of sophistication to your cabinetry. 

Simple corner cabinets can be just as tricky to make efficient use of. Those back corners are often just out of reach and prone to gathering lost lids, dust, and spider webs. With the right installation, corner cabinets make ideal pot and pan cupboards. Install pie-wedge-shaped rotating shelves and spin them to access the pot you need. Based on the design of a lazy Susan and modified to suit the shape of the cabinet, they may the contortion out of cooking. Those who prefer to come up with their own designs can build a sliding DIY that creates the ultimate solution for organizing pots and pans that works in your cupboard.

When storing pots and pans in a cabinet with extra-tall shelf space, it can be tempting to stack pots on top of one another to make the most of the room, then shove a tower of frying pans in next to them. This solution may seem ideal as they're hidden behind closed doors, relieving visual clutter. However, it all stops making sense when you need the pot right at the bottom, and the only way to get to it is to take all of them out. Every single time. Save yourself the arm muscle workout and frustration by investing in a set of cabinet racks.

This is a simple solution that can make an enormous difference to in-cabinet clutter, as well as making cooking and packing away clean dishes less of a chore. Many of these racks are vertically and horizontally adjustable so that you can set them up to suit your collection of cookware. It's the kind of simple fix that you don't think you need, until you've used it and realize how much you struggled before.

Another style of in-cabinet racks has a central vertical column that supports metal racks on both sides, such as the Komfora 8-Tier Adjustable Pan Organizer Rack. The racks are fully customisable and can be re-adjusted should you add new cookware to your collection. Be sure to opt for a set of racks that is versatile enough to be used horizontally to suit your changing cabinets.

Deep drawers for pots and pans are convenient, easy to use, and provide sturdy storage options for heavy-duty items such as soup pots. They also pair well with the top-rated IKEA products that are perfect for organizing pots and pans. Deep pot drawers often give you enough space to keep each lid on its pot for ultimate convenience. Another design approach is to install a slim pot lid drawer just above the pots. 

Some drawers have dividers that create compartments within the drawer. Wide compartments stop items from sliding around as you open and close the drawer. Narrow compartments allow you to slip in your pots and pans to sit vertically, which is a clever use of the space. You can store the correct lid with the pot or pan, making it quick and convenient to grab and easy to pack away after washing up.

Another drawer-style pot storage solution is the use of cabinet corner drawers. These drawers are installed at a 45-degree angle where two cabinets meet in the corner. The front of the drawer is a deep, inverted V-shape to align with the cabinets to the left and right. These drawers offer convenient cookware storage with extra space as they run on the diagonal. Drawer base cabinets are slide-out drawers contained behind closed cabinet doors and are another popular option for kitchen storage.

Smaller cabinets without much height may not seem ideal for storing pots and pans. However, by adding a horizontal cookware organizer, you can easily fit pots and pans. These handy supports are great for keeping the lids organised as well, particularly those racks with shaped wire dividers that support pot lid knobs. Invest in as many as you need to give each pot, pan, and lid its own slot.

These organizers work brilliantly within a cabinet, but can also be used for cabinet-top storage. If you have a spacious kitchen with countertop space to spare, this could be the solution you're looking for. Invest in an organizer that complements the design of your cookware. Whether it's chrome, matte black, or brushed copper, they'll add a tangible gleam to your countertop by interacting with your cookware to enhance the colors and mood of your kitchen.

More than aesthetics, shop for an organizer that isn't flimsy, as you don't want it to topple over when you stack your items into it. One that has adjustable supports is ideal as this allows you to customize it by creating the right number of gaps and the right-sized spaces for your cookware. You can pair them with other pot solutions, for example, using one for holding pot or pan lids in a corner cabinet's rotating storage. They work well for other kitchen items such as dinner plates, breakfast bowls, baking sheets, or baking tins.  

Pots and pans can be used to add to the decor of a kitchen, particularly if they are beautifully designed or crafted from visually appealing metals such as copper, cast iron, or stainless steel. A hanging display works well in a kitchen with a large expanse of open wall space or high ceilings with a vast overhead area that feels empty.

Adding rustic appeal to your kitchen with an easy DIY hanging pot wall often involves mounting a strong bar along a wall and suspending the cookware with hooks, such as the DaylyFav Solid Copper Brass S-Hooks. Using S-hooks allows you to play with spacing and hang as many items as will fit comfortably. If sans a ventilation hood, a convenient space to hang your pots and pans over the stove where you'll be using them (bear in mind this could mean extra cleaning from cooking splatters, grease, and dust). 

To fill an overhead area, install a horizontal trellis that hangs from the ceiling over the central food preparation area. You can opt for a rustic wooden appearance, such as the one created by the J. Jackcude Rustic Wood Pot Pan Rack Ceiling Mounted Hanger, or a stylish black metallic rack for an industrial edge. You can add to the visual appeal by lighting it and including some greenery. Using a flat, overhead rack provides a ton of extra space for hanging pots and pans, as well as kitchen utensils. This type of storage also uses versatile S-hooks.