Every Pan in One Cabinet, and No More Clatter: A Calmer Way to Store Cookware

Few spaces in a kitchen cause more daily friction than the pots and pans cabinet. You need the medium saucepan, and it is under three other things. A few changes can turn that cabinet into one you open without bracing yourself.

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Take everything out. Put back only what you have used in the last few months. Duplicates, warped pans and pieces with peeling surfaces can go. Most home cooks rely on a handful of pieces: a large skillet, a small skillet, a saucepan or two, a stockpot and a Dutch oven.

Nest by size

Stack pans largest to smallest so each sits inside the next. Put a soft pan protector, cloth or paper towel between pieces with delicate surfaces to prevent scratches. Cookware designed to nest, with matching sizes and removable handles, saves the most space.

Handle the lids separately

Lids are the hardest part to store. A simple lid rack mounted inside the cabinet door, or a file organizer standing upright on the shelf, keeps them visible and stops them sliding around.

Store by how often you cook with it

• Front and center: the pans you use several times a week.
• Behind or below: the stockpot and roasting pan you use for holidays.
• Elsewhere entirely: anything you use once a year.

Use vertical space

A wire shelf riser doubles a deep cabinet. Pull-out drawers, if you have them, beat fixed shelves because nothing gets lost in the back.

The test of a good setup is simple: can you get the pan you need with one hand, without moving anything else?

This is an editorial guide. It is not sponsored, and no brand paid to appear in it.