Hang 'Em or Hide 'Em: 10 Stylish Ways to Store Pots and Pans

There's more to designing a kitchen than selecting cabinetry, appliances and surface materials. Numerous smaller details must be taken into consideration, including how and where you store your kitchen tools. Pots and pans pose a particular challenge, due to their size and bulk. You want them stored in a way that makes them easy to grab for cooking, but you may not necessarily want them on full display in your kitchen. And stacking them three or four deep in a closed cabinet is just not optimal, especially if you cook often. Here's help finding the best storage option for you, your kitchen and the way you cook.

The first thing to decide is whether you want your cookware on view or hidden. This is a personal preference; some people like the look of hanging pots and pans, and others prefer a clean, uncluttered look. If you don't cook often, I'd recommend storing your pots and pans in a pantry or closed cabinet, so they don't collect grease and dust.


If You Like Your Pans on View
Suspended pot rack. The obvious on-view storage option is a pot rack suspended over an island or peninsula. Make sure the pot rack is mounted high enough that everyone's head clears the cookware, but not so high up that you can't reach everything.


I've seen pot racks fashioned from old wooden window frames (without the glass), doors, ladders etc. for a charming, one-of-a-kind storage solution.


Linear wall rack. For a more streamlined look, arrange your pots and pans in a line on the wall using a linear rack.


Linear racks are nice if you want your pots and pants easily accessible yet not necessarily taking center stage — as they tend to do with a traditional pot rack hung in the middle of the kitchen. This is also a better option in a galley or smaller kitchen, as it takes up much less space.


This gorgeous copper-clad cookware definitely deserves to be seen. But again, in a tighter space you may not be able to suspend a large pot rack from the ceiling. Double up on linear racks and you can store a large number of pots and pans on the wall.


Above-range shelf. If you use your cookware daily, you may want to store it on a shelf right above the range. If you opt to store cookware in the open and you cook often, you'll want to have a vent hood that can pull grease out of the air and exhaust it to the outside, so that your pots and pans don't end up covered in grease.


Window display. Normally I'd be opposed to hanging something in a window that obstructs the view out or light coming in, but there is something so charming about pots and pans hung in a kitchen window. For many this may be the only place to hang cookware, and it could help obscure a less-than-ideal view.


Pegboard. Try making your own pegboard pot rack. It's a great DIY project, and you can customize the rack with the exact size, color and hook configuration you desire.


Hung under the island. Not sure you want pots and pans hanging prominently, but don't necessarily want to store them away in a cabinet? Here's a nice hybrid option — hang your cookware underneath the island.


Pots and pans suspended underneath a countertop don't have to look industrial or utilitarian. This cookware is easy to fetch (and put away) but remains tucked away in a niche under the island for a clean, modern look.


Open-base cabinet shelves. This is another good option for those who want their cookware visible and handy but not on full display. Again, dust and grease accumulation can be an issue if you don't use the cookware often and if you don't have adequate kitchen ventilation.


If You Like Your Pans Hidden

Deep drawers. Deep drawers work well for storing cookware, but if you love to cook, be sure to have enough drawers so you can set your pots and pans in one layer, so they'll be easier to see and pull out. A separate area for lids also will keep the drawer neat and easy to use.


If you have a cooktop or range top, you can use the drawers in the cabinet below for storing your cookware. Make the bottom drawer deep enough to store your pots, with the corresponding lids stored in a shallower drawer above.


Corner cabinets. Corner cabinets can be a great storage spot for cookware, especially if outfitted with a wire-rack lazy Susan. You can clearly see everything stored on both shelves, and then spin the rack to access whatever you need.


Pantry wall. Here's my own solution to storing cookware. My pots are stored in deep drawers in a base cabinet, and my pans are hung on a pegboard inside my pantry.

Now I'll be the first to admit this isn't very pretty, but I wanted to find a use for this small section of wall inside my pantry and realized it was the perfect spot for skillets and sauté pans.

It was an affordable DIY project using pegboard, some 1-by-2 pieces of lumber and paint. As you can tell from the wear on the outside of my pans, I cook a lot. I wanted them to be accessible without necessarily being on display. This solves the storage challenge nicely — they're out of sight yet easy to get to, and they make use of an underutilized wall in the pantry.

Tell us: How do you store your pots and pans?

More: The 15 Most Popular Kitchen Storage Ideas on Houzz

More ideas for potracks in the Products section

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