15 Clever Pots & Pans Storage Ideas for a Tidier Kitchen

Get excited to cook in your newly organized kitchen with pots, pans, and lids that are easy to find.

Published February 27, 2023
Pots and pans in kitchen

Keep your kitchen organized with clever pots and pan storage ideas. No more searching for missing lids or facing the risk of a cookware avalanche. Cooking in your kitchen and keeping everything tidy is a breeze when you organize your pots and pans like a professional.

Hang Pots & Pans Near Your Cooking Area

Copper utensils hanging on the wall

Keep everything you need within reach while cooking by hanging your most used pots and pans near your stove or range. Hang cookware in a row displayed against beautiful tile or stagger a few hanging racks near one another to accommodate the size of your collection or the space on your walls.

Hang Pots & Pans Over Your Island

Cooking utensils hanging in the kitchen

If wall space isn't abundant for you, you can use the vertical space over your kitchen island. Hang pots and pans and other kitchen tools overhead. This can double as a beautiful focal point for your kitchen and draw the eye upward.

Use Under-Cabinet Hanging Racks

Three saucepans hanging from hooks

Racks that install beneath your upper cabinets by sliding onto the shelving are a quick and affordable way to gain some storage space for your pots and pans. Try to install these sorts of racks beneath shorter cabinets so your kitchen doesn't feel cluttered. If you don't have the vertical space to spare, you can also find racks that attach to the wall with shelving for your pots and a few hooks that store your pans.

Hang Pots & Pans Extra High

County style kitchen with pots and pan hanged extra high

For small kitchens that don't have an extra amount of wall space or an island, you can hang your pots and pans high from the ceiling. This is a great way to display interesting or unique cooking equipment. You might need to grab a step stool to reach some of your pans, but this storage method keeps your counters and cabinets free of clutter.

Stash Large Pots in Your Pantry

Storage Room With Organised Pantry Items

For pots that take up tons of cabinet space or pans that are too bulky to hang, stash them in your extra pantry storage. You can still grab them easily while freeing your cabinets of the extra bulk. This trick is also handy for storing heavy cast iron skillets.

Store Pots & Pans in Your Dining Room

Country style dining room

The hutch, china cabinet, or buffet in your dining room are useful for far more than decor and table linen storage. Stash your bulky pots in the cabinet or tuck small sauce pots into the drawers. Use this idea for overflow storage of pots and pans or keeping your bulkiest items away from your everyday pieces.

Use a Multi-Tier Rack

Kitchen cabinet and multi tier rack

There are many clever storage racks that will help you declutter your pots and pans. Look for large, free-standing tiers that can sit in your kitchen or tuck into your pantry for a way to store all your pans in one place. You can also slide smaller tiered racks into your cabinets or attach them to your wall for a way to keep your most-used cooking tools organized and tidy.

Place Risers in Your Cabinets

Stackable Wide Countertop Organizer

Risers are handy for many cabinet organization hacks. Use a few in your cabinets to create more vertical space for pots and pans. You can also use risers to keep your lids organized with their pot or pan mates.

Install Organizational Cabinet Equipment

Organizational cabinet equipment

Some storage solutions require a bit more assembly, but they are totally worth the extra time. Maximize your pots and pans storage with a swing-out cabinet shelf or a wire rack that can pull out for easy access and storing all your pots and pans efficiently.

Use a Deep Drawer

Metallic pots in kitchen drawer

The deep drawers in your kitchen can hold large pans and bulky pots. Stack pots and pans to get the most out of your drawer space and keep your most-used cookware toward the front of the drawer so you can grab them quickly. Try to use the drawer closest to your cooking area.

Add Drawer Dividers for Organization

Drawer Organizer

If you want to maximize your drawer space but avoid stacking your pots and pans, drawer dividers can help. Fashion these in a narrow pattern so you can store your pans on their sides. Saving on space with your pan storage will leave plenty of room for your deep pots and all your lids.

Install Extra Shelves

Containers And Ceramics Arranged In Shelves At Kitchen

You can use shelves on the wall of your kitchen or extra shelving in your pantry to create storage space for your pots and pans. You can also add additional shelving to your cabinets so you don't have to stack your pots and pans on top of each other. With plenty of shelving, you can keep your cooking equipment neat and organized without having to dig into the depths of your cabinet to find what you're looking for.

Store Lids on Cabinet Doors

Holder For Lid

Pots and pans are only part of the organizational puzzle. You also have to figure out a solution for the lids. Try storing your lids on the inside of cabinet doors where you keep the pots and pans. Install wire racks, pockets, and hooks on the inside of your door to keep your lids tidy.

Keep Lids Sorted With a Rack

Pot Lid Rack Holder

A rack that sits inside your cabinet will keep your lids organized and easy to find. You can even use this sort of product to organize your slim pots and pans in the same cabinet.

Leave Some Pots & Pans Out for Display

Green pots on kitchen stove

Some of your pots pans may be used so frequently that you keep them on your stovetop at all times. This is especially true if you have a pot or pan that matches your kitchen design perfectly. You can stylishly display one pot or pan thoughtfully on your stovetop. Keep your dutch oven, tea kettle, or cast-iron skillet on your cooktop for simple and decorative storage.

Choose Beautiful Pots & Pans

Beautiful pan

Whether you're leaving them out for display or tucking them into a cabinet, beautiful pots and pans will help you stay motivated in keeping your kitchen organized. Try to find unique designs, eye-catching colors, or elegant styles that make you love to cook and prioritize keeping your pots and pans tidy.

  • Find truly unique cookware designs on Etsy.
  • Add elegance and color with the Beautiful collection by Drew Barrymore.
  • Discover gorgeous designs in cookware from Anthropology.
  • Learn why everyone gushes over the Caraway cookware.
  • Go thrift shopping for cookware that is vintage and timeless.
  • Check into local artists and businesses for one-of-a-kind cookware pieces.

Get Your Pots & Pans Organized

Once all your pots and pans have a designated space, cooking will be far more enjoyable. Your nightly kitchen cleanup routine just got easier with a thoughtfully organized collection of cookware.

15 Clever Pots & Pans Storage Ideas for a Tidier Kitchen