Where Should You Store Heavy Pots? [8 Options Explored]

Heavy pots can be cumbersome, taking up valuable storage space in your kitchen cupboards, drawers, or pantry. Where is the best place to store these? If you want to get your kitchen organized, we’ve got some great storage solutions for you to keep pots from cluttering your kitchen. We researched to find the best places for you to keep these necessary but difficult to store pots.

Places you should store heavy pots are:

1. Hanging rack.
2. Hanging shelf.
3. Wall-mounted pegboard.
4. Hooks.
5. Deep drawers.
6. Sliding rack.
7. Lazy Susan.
8. Cabinet & pantry organizer.

Keep reading for some great ideas on how to incorporate organizers for pots and pans into your kitchen’s design.

1. Hanging Rack

A hanging rack is a sturdy rod, mounted to the wall or ceiling, with several detachable hooks. Most of the handles on pots and pans have either a hanging hole or wide-grip handles that you can easily loop onto a hook. Dangling pots and pans are heavy, so install the hanging rack either by using wall anchors or mounting to studs in the ceiling.

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Get creative, and fashion a DIY hanging rack using up-cycled materials.

 

An overhead lighting fixture with a hanging rack is an excellent dual-purpose installation over a countertop or kitchen island.

 

2. Hanging Shelf

Go for a combo hanging rack with a top shelf, or simply install a wall-mounted shelf on an empty wall in your kitchen. Either way, you will be able to store large, heavy pots securely atop the shelf. Make sure to install hanging shelves by mounting with wall anchors.

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Shelving keeps your pantry tidy by making good use of overhead spaces to store pots and pans.

 

3. Wall-Mounted Pegboard

Unused walls prove valuable storage spaces when you install a wall-mounted pegboard. Painted wooden pegboards can either accentuate with bold color or blend to coordinate with kitchen walls. Metal pegboards give a professional look to modern kitchens. Hang specialized hooks particularly spaced for your diverse collection of pots and pans.

 

Once you hang your pots and pans, accessorize the pegboard with hanging baskets, shelves, racks, and double-straight hooks. Pegboards are versatile enough to use for hanging kitchen utensils, measuring cups, sieves, dish towels, and any other cooking tools that occupy precious storage space in your cabinets and drawers.

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4. Hooks

Single hooks are great storage solutions for pots and pans, especially in smaller kitchens. Make use of narrow walls, space beneath a countertop, or an empty backsplash by installing hooks. Coordinate hooks with your kitchen hardware. Install using screws to hold heavy pots, or for lighter cookware, use 3M peel-n-stick hooks.

 

5. Deep Drawers

Keep pots and pans out of sight in deep drawers, leaving plenty of room to store the lids on top. Drawers provide easy access to pans and keep heavy pots low, so you do not risk toppling an overhead pot as you reach for it.

 

6. Sliding Rack

Quickly transform your cabinets into sliding storage for pots and pans. Sliding racks keep pans from being stacked, provide ample space for lids, and let you easily retrieve heavy pots by gently gliding them toward you.

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7. Lazy Susan

Maximize corner cabinet space, ideal for large pots and pans, by installing a lazy Susan. This handy turntable lets you browse and retrieve pots from your collection of cookware. There’s no need to stack pots, plus have ample space for storing matching lids on top.

 

8. Cabinet & Pantry Organizer

Cabinet organizers give you room to spare by stacking pots and pans neatly on adjustable shelves. Keep heavy pots at the bottom, lighter pots at the top. Organizers give you the flexibility to size cabinet space precisely for your cookware collection. Use in cabinets, pantries, or deep drawers.

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How Do You Store Pots and Pans in a Drawer?

Customize kitchen drawers to neatly fit pots and pans by using organizers to separate cookware so that each pot and pan has its own, nestled space. Remember to measure the width, depth, and height of the inside of the drawer before selecting an organizer so you will get a proper fit.

Umbra Peggy Drawer Organizer

Set the base of this organizer into the bottom of your deep drawers, then position the pegs to hug your pots and pans. Each piece of cookware gets its own, permanent place. If your storage needs change, simply reposition the pins.

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DecoBros Kitchen Cabinet & Pantry Organizer

Neatly store 6-pieces of cookware in this steel organizer rack—ample space for bulky pots and lids to sit together inside a deep drawer without stacking.

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Practical Comfort Adjustable Drawer Organizer

Sleek dividers are easy to adjust to fit each pot and pan inside of deep drawers. Lightweight aluminum does not add to the weight of heavy pots but keeps pots organized so you can grab what you need when you are ready to cook.

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Check out our blog, “Do You Store Tupperware With the Lids On?” for even more excellent kitchen drawer storage ideas.

How Do You Store Pots Without Scratching Them?

If you must stack pots and pans for storage, prevent scratches by putting a protective layer between them. Pan protectors are spongy, non-skid pads designed to fit the contour of various sized pots and pans. Alternatively, you can use items from your kitchen like a paper towel or cloth dish towel to cushion between stacked pots and pans.

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Can You Store Pots and Pans in the Oven?

Before you store pots and pans in the oven, make sure every piece of the cookware is made from oven-safe material.

Handles & Lids

Of course, most pots and pans are intended for stovetop use at high temperatures, but what about lids and handles? Some plastic handles can melt if left in the oven. Be especially cautious of glass lids because even tempered glass can shatter when exposed to temperatures above 400°F.

Non-Stick

The non-stick surface that makes your stovetop pan user friendly for cooking and cleaning might have temperature restrictions. Teflon coatings, for example, can be damaged if exposed to extreme temperatures above 500°F. But, enameled and ceramic-coated pots and pans are typically oven-safe.

If you use your oven with stored cookware or bakeware inside, check with the manufacturer to make sure pots and pans are oven-safe so they will not be damaged or ignite.

Can You Store Pots and Pans in a Warming Drawer?

That deep drawer under your oven is intended for warming food; think big, multi-course meal prep to keep casseroles, baked goods, and the main course warm so you can serve everything at once. But if your household is like most, the warming drawer is used so infrequently that it is far more tempting as a storage space.

You can store pots and pans in the warming drawer, but keep in mind that it does get hot down there while the oven is on. So, make sure that any cookware you store below is made from oven-safe material.

The warming drawer is not always easily accessible because it does get hot and can be cumbersome to maneuver being at floor level. Retrieve any cookware you need from the warming drawer before you turn on the oven. Or, use the warming drawer to store infrequently used cookware and bakeware.

Check out our blog, “Types of Pots and Pans,” for everything you need to know to equip your well-organized kitchen fully.