Are you tired of digging through stacked pots and pans every time you cook? Let us show you how to organize your pots, pans, and lids in a kitchen cabinet!
I used to stack my cookware in the cabinet under our stove, but I was tired of removing several items to get to the one I needed.
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
Stacking them was causing scratches on my pots and pans!
I also hated all the noise and clanging that took place regularly!
It’s taken us many years to get our cookware organized and stored functionally.
We could not afford to buy every organizer we wanted at once.
So, I would prioritize our needs and buy one item each year to help control the clutter!
This year we re-organized our lids as part of our Winter Home Organization Challenge!
I can’t wait to show you what we came up with!
Here are our favorite storage solutions for cookware!
Our favorite storage ideas for pots, pans, and lids
Save time and frustration by incorporating these simple ideas to store your cooking essentials.
The secret is to maximize the vertical space inside your cabinet, on the walls, and on the doors!
Skillets
Using an organizer to store skillets vertically is a game changer!
No more unstacking and pans clanging!
Pots and pans
When I opened this organizer and put it together, I was concerned it would not work or hold up very well.
It was a bit unstable and I didn’t think the wire shelf would be able to hold the weight of my bigger pots.
I’m happy to report I was wrong!
We’ve had this for two years and it works great!
Lids
First, we’ll share how we were storing our lids and then you can see how we re-organized them in a new space!
We were using two items to store our lids in the cabinet next door to the pots and pans.
The black organizer is a mail file you would typically see on someone’s desk but we repurposed it to hold our flat Calphalon lids.
*Tip- Always search your house for storage solutions before spending money on a new organizer!
The white organizer was made specifically to store lids.
Both of these options worked great for several years.
However, I need to free up the space in this cabinet, so we will relocate the lids back into the cabinet with the pots and pans!
There’s only one problem, these organizers will block the pots and pans, so we need to come up with a different solution!
It’s time to utilize the walls and inside of the doors!
Pot lid rack
We purchased this lid organizer for our heavy glass lids and our cast iron burger smasher.
Rich screwed it into the cabinet wall and we have no worries of the glass lids falling and breaking.
Add Command Hooks to the cabinet door
We used Command hooks to hold our flat lids to the inside of the cabinet doors.
To place the hooks, think of a clock face and adhere them at the 4:00 and 8:00 positions.
Our lids leaned outward, so we added another hook to the top.
You can place the top hook in either the 10:00 or 2:00 position.
How to Organize Your Pots, Pans, and Lids
We have been organizing our home for years so now, we only have to tweak our storage systems a bit each year!
For those of you who are just getting started or organizing for the first time, we have a great strategy you can use to organize any space in your kitchen!
We call it the 6/P strategy because you do six easy steps that start with the letter “P”!
1) PREP
Gather the following items:
- Trash bag
- Cardboard box
- Laundry hamper
2) PURGE
Remove all items from the cabinet and place each in one of the following categories:
- Trash-Throw any broken or unwanted items in the trash bag
- Donate-place any items that you no longer use but are in great shape in the box to be donated
- Relocate- Place anything that doesn’t belong in the cabinet in the laundry hamper
- Replace- Place any items that need to stay in the cabinet on the counter or a table. Arrange items into categories.
3) POLISH
Take this opportunity to clean the cabinet.
Consider adding a liner to keep your cabinet from getting scratched.
4) PERSONALIZE
It’s time to decide how you will organize your pots, pans, and lids.
Look at the categories of items that need to go back inside your cabinet and decide how you will store them.
We highly recommend using storage organizers that maximize the vertical space of the cabinet.
If you are going to purchase an organizer, you need to measure the cabinet first to make sure it will fit.
Consider using the doors to store lids.
5) PLACE
Now it’s time to place everything in its new spot!
- Trash-discard in your garbage can
- Donate- Don’t procrastinate, take items to your local donation center right away!
- Relocate- take the laundry hamper and deliver items to the room they belong in.
- Replace-place every item in the spot you have found for it.
6) PUT BACK
Remember, if you don’t put each item back in its appropriate place after each use, you will end up with a cluttered mess again!
Use our Home Organization Printables
Did you know we have a FREE resource library with printables to help you organize every space in your home?
They don’t cost anything for our email subscribers.
Click here to sign up and gain access to the printables!
In Conclusion
So glad to have this project complete!
Now, we can check off another goal from our Winter Home Organization Challenge!
We hope our tips on how to organize pots, pans, and lids have been helpful to you!
If you would like access to our free printables or you enjoy the blog, please sign up for our email list so you won’t miss a post!
Until next time, follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram!
Blessings, Donna and Rich
Pin It For Later
Dn’t forget to pin this so you can remember it!
More Home Organization Inspiration
Here are posts on how to organize other spaces in your house:
- Brilliant Ways to Organize Your Office Supplies
- 21 Best Closet Organization Ideas for Your Home
- Simple Ways to Organize a Bathroom Drawer and Cabinets
- Tips to Create a Beautiful and Organized Laundry Room
- The Best Way to Organize Medicine in Your Home
Get The Look
If you can’t find items for this project at a store near you, we have provided affiliate links to similar items we found on Amazon.
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
Wow!! How amazing it must be to have everything stored in such a clean way! I love how each pot, pan, and lid has it’s own place and you know exactly where it goes when you are done using it. Brilliant, Donna!
Thanks Rachel! It’s taken me years to get it this way but I’m so happy with it!! Take care!
Do you have any tips on getting husbands to put things back in the correct location Donna? Ha! Your cupboards look great. Organization is a tricky one, what works for a year, may not the next year. Or that is the way it seems to be for us. You always have so many wonderful tips to share with us. Have a wonderful weekend!
Hi Cara! I completely agree! That’s why I tweak all my organization systems each year! It’s fun to make needed changes and add a storage item as I can afford it!
Such a fabulous idea, Donna! We store our lids in a basket next to the pots and pans and it makes keeping things organized so much easier. We don’t have as many pots and pans as you do but my parents could definitely use a system like yours so I can’t wait to pass it along to them. It’s would be a huge help! Hugs and thanks for the great tips, CoCo
Hi, CoCo! Love your tip for using a basket to store your lids! That’s a great idea! Thanks for stopping by!