Where To Store Plates In The Kitchen

You may be wondering where to store plates in your kitchen? Do you store them vertically or horizontally? In a drawer or a cabinet? Maybe you want an entirely different piece of furniture for your plates. Is there a best solution? We scoured the internet to find the best storage solutions for your dishware!

Though there are multiple rules of thumb for plate storage, the best places to store your plates are:

• The cabinet nearest your dishwasher
• A pull-out drawer made for dinnerware
• A wall-rack for easy access and to show them off
• A china cabinet

Let's dive a bit deeper into some of these solutions, and hopefully, you'll figure out which is best for your kitchen.

Where To Store Plates In The Kitchen

Many people think that kitchen design should follow the function of the kitchen. Thus, you want your plate cabinet handy to your dishwasher for ease of unloading. Or perhaps, if you have children, you want the plates in a lower cabinet or drawer to make it easier for them to reach.  There are some smart drawer design options specifically for the storage of plates.

Pegboard Deep Drawer System For Plate Storage

A pegboard insert system is an excellent choice if you want lower-level drawer access to your dinnerware. Use a pot drawer or other deep drawer, these inserts fit into the bottom, then use the included pegs to you create sections for each size plate. When you open and close the door, the plates remain secure in their sections, reducing the risk of breakage or chipping.

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Cabinet Shelf Racks

If you're going to use your upper or lower cabinets for plate storage, one way not to worry about stacking too high is to use shelf racks. Available in a multitude of configurations and sizes, these versatile racks increase the useable space inside of your cabinets, allowing you to customize and organize in the best way for your dinnerware and plate collection.

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Vertical Shelf Plate Racks

If you prefer to store your plates vertically, these simple wooden racks are attractive enough for a countertop or in a cupboard. Each peg separates the plates from one another to reduce chipping or breakage when putting the plates up or taking them out.

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Wall Racks For Plates

Perhaps you have a collection of beautiful vintage plates that are not only in constant use but are also easy on the eye? Then consider a wall-mounted plate rack for easy access and as a piece of wall decor. This piece is 37.5-inch H x 22-inch W x 9.25-inch and crafted of iron and rustic wood. It holds approx ten dinner plates, ten salad plates, and then cups and saucers on the bottom shelf. This one is unique, and artisan-made, so expect a slight variation from piece to piece.

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China Cabinets And Hutches For Plate Storage

A china hutch is a great idea for a vintage-inspired kitchen or one lacking in shelf space. This versatile piece of furniture will not only provide valuable storage but extra countertop space that can be used as a buffet when entertaining. This particular piece even has handy storage for wine bottles at its base. Glass doors and open-fronted upper cabinets, as well as drawers and closed-door lower cabinets, give lots of options for kitchen or dining room storage. This beautiful piece is white-finished solid wood, and the countertop is an easy to clean stainless steel.

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Can You Stack China Plates?

Because china is fragile, you want to give careful consideration to how you store china plates. Often fine china will have gilt edges or a lovely pattern. It may be an heirloom you've inherited from a family member and irreplaceable. But because of space limitations, you may find it necessary to stack your china. Can you?

Yes, you can stack china plates, but remember, larger pieces should go at the bottom and don't stack too high. To protect your beautiful china plates, think about using felt plate protectors in between each plate. This simple storage technique will help prevent scratching and protect your investment.

Felt protectors come in packages that include several sizes for all of your types of plates. This set of 48 includes protectors for dinner, salad, and saucer or bread & butter plates.

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How Many Plates Can You Stack?

Though it's really up to you, a general rule of thumb is no more than 10-12 in a stack, and less is better. The more plates you put in the pile, the more weight there will be on the lower plates. This will increase the risk of breaks or chipping. It's best, if you're going to stack, to put like plates with like plates. For instance, don't stack small plates on top of bowls. Keep your stacks to the same shapes, and even better, the same sizes.

There are many storage type boxes available for your dinnerware. This handsome box holds no more than a dozen dinner plates, which will help make sure you don't have breakage and that it doesn't get too heavy when you need to move it in or out of your pantry. This one comes with included felt protectors and a peek-a-boo window, so you don't forget which plates are stored inside.

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How Do You Pack Plates For Long Term Storage?

Perhaps you've got a move ahead that's going to mandate putting unnecessary items into storage, including some dinnerware. What is the best way to pack plates for long term storage?

According to this packing guide, you first want to make sure you have the appropriate materials. Plates need to be both padded well, and stored in heavy-duty boxes. Heavy boxes mean that you can potentially stack the boxes without risking the contents. Moving companies will often use what is called a dish barrel box, which is essentially a double thickness of cardboard for packing kitchens. If you can find wooden crates, this will give you an even higher degree of protection.

Wrap Each Individual Plate For Long-Term Storage

You'll want to place a layer of padded and crumpled paper at the bottom of the box before adding the plates. Then make sure your plates are wrapped individually. Foam packaging sleeves are a great way to have easy and secure storage for dishes in long-term storage. Lastly, be sure not to overcrowd your boxes. Less in the box is more when it comes to storing plates long-term. Leave space for padding on all four sides of the box contents. Think of your plates as a fragile egg nesting inside of a crumpled paper nest.

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There are dish moving kits available like this one. They come with a heavy-duty box, foam dividers, and even cardboard dividers inside the box for extra stability.

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It's so much fun to organize your kitchen and make it function precisely how you need it to best work. And nowadays there are so many super cool ideas out there for ways to store plates and other dinnerware. If you liked these storage ideas, then check out a few others that we have here on KitchenSeer.com below:

15 Awesome Under-Kitchen-Sink Storage Ideas

13 Types Of Food Containers You Should Know About