How To Pack Pots and Pans for Storage
If you’re trying to figure out how to pack pots and pans to store or move, this post has everything you need including a few tricks to make your life easier!
HACKS & HOW TO
How To Pack Pots and Pans for Moving or Storage
In the several days that it’s taken me to pack up our kitchen for our renovation starting soon, it’s made me realize that I hope we really never have to move again.
The number of boxes, the stress of trying to make sure I remember what’s in every box and pack things in a way that makes sense – it’s a pain.
When it comes to packing pots and pans, there were some tricks I figured out along the way that I thought I’d pass on to you.
Materials Needed to Pack Pots and Pans
A reminder that we are packing for storage, not a move. However, most of this will apply if you’re moving as well. You just might need to take a bit more precautions if you or someone else will be loading these things onto a truck to move from one location to another.
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- Heavy-duty moving boxes
- Dish towels
- Packing tape
- Newspaper or packing paper
The good news is that there’s no need to wrap them all in paper with most pots and pans. You can simply stack and nest them as needed.
Your first step is to assemble your box. Make sure with pots and pans that you choose a heavy-duty box. I always add several layers of tape as well as an added protection so that I’m not running the risk of the bottom of the box falling out a la Kevin McAlister in Home Alone when he’s walking home with groceries and the bags fall apart.
Any movie fans? Okay, let’s keep moving. Literally.
Start with the largest or widest pans you have. For us, that is our cast iron skillet and a giant stainless steel pan.
You do not have to wrap your pots and pans, but since I knew I would be stacking on top of our cast iron skillet, I didn’t want to mess that up, so I added the dish towels to wrap around it.
The key in packing the first pans is to make sure that the handles are facing in. If your handles are facing the outside of the box, they could potentially poke through.
Add the rest of your pots and pans, nesting as you go. Note that you’ll most likely not be able to get things flat or level in the box because you may have gaps where the handles overlap, but it won’t affect how the items are protected.
Once the height of your pots and pans has reached about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to the top, stop adding your pots and pans.
Pots and pans are super heavy, so just make it easier on yourself and don’t fill the box all the way to the top.
Instead, wrap your pot and pan lids in newspaper or packing paper and put those on top of your pots and pans. If you have other kitchen items like more dish towels, sponges, or softer items like silicone baking sheets or pot holders, you can add those in between the spaces of your pots and pans to help them from clanging around.
Snap a quick photo of what the box looks like before you close it up. Then write on the image in your phone so that you know what’s in it.
This is especially helpful if you’re going to be putting things in a storage shed for a bit like we will, so if you need something out of the box, you know what it is and where to find it.
Close your box and make sure that you label it as fragile because even though your pots and pans aren’t likely to break necessarily, it doesn’t mean they need to be thrown around either.
Another trick I like is adding a colored dot sticker or blue painter’s tape under the word fragile when I write it on the box so that if I’m not the one handling the box specifically, I can ensure that it is handled with care.
Even though we aren’t moving houses and have all our necessary kitchen items, if you’re moving for the first time and need help knowing any and everything you might need, check out this AMAZING new house checklist to help with your shopping!
Hopefully, these tips help you on your move, whether you’re planning a big move to another city or state or just a short-term move into storage like us!
