52 Places In 52 Weeks: Organizing Your Pots and Pans
When you are needing a pot or pan, do you open the cupboard or drawer wondering how in the world you are going to be able to get it out without them all crashing or falling out? Do you find yourself using the same pans over and over again, while rarely using others?
For me personally, I used to have more pots and pans than I ever needed. In fact, I found myself using the same few over and over, while rarely using my bigger pots and smaller skillets. I wasn’t sure I wanted to completely get rid of them, but organizing them in such a way where they didn’t get IN the way.
Whether you keep them in the drawer below the oven or in a cupboard, pots and pans can be a frustrating mess. Here are a few ideas on how to organize them:
How:
1. Take all of your pots and pans out, from wherever you store them.
2. Lay them all out so that you know what you are working with.
3. Ask:
- Do I use it? When was the last time?
- Do I have a duplicate?
- How many of each do I need?
- Do I have something else that will work?
- What is it’s purpose?
- It is worn out? (peeling, scratched, etc.)
- Is it deformed?
- Do I have a lid to correspond with the pot?
- Does it need to be fixed?
- If your non-stick pans are flaking or peeling, get rid of them – you probably ate what is missing!
4. Store the pots and pans that you only use on occasion in another spot, if space is tight (such as large casserole dishes or large cooking pots).
5. Organize! You can organize by type of use – baking pans together, bowls together, and so forth. Find the best way that works for you, maximizing the space you have. You can also use a wire rack or hang them, if that is easiest for you.
6. Do not stack too high – one of the biggest hassles with pots and pans is stacking them so deep that they are a pain when you have to use the middle pan.
7. Try a few different systems if needed, to get the result you are happy with. The biggest thing is to not keep pots and pans for when you “might” use them someday – you probably won’t.
I used to have so many different sized pots and and pans. I realized though that it was pointless to store them all because I NEVER used them all. In fact, if a recipe called for an odd size like 9×10, I would just use a 9×13 and guess what? The food still tasted the same. Granted there is a difference between an 8×8 or a 9×13, but you can always double the recipe if you are going to use a 9×13 (been there, done that)! Work with what you have and do not clutter your home with things you never use!
