Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
imgodsgrl

Pan Lids

imgodsgrl
14 years ago

I'm wondering how you store your pans and lids. I just got a new set of pans and I find that my lids stacked keep falling over and scratching them and the pans and I want to keep this set nice. Do you set lids up on their "sides"? And for the pans do you stack them inside each other. I need to conserve space, but I also want to keep them nice. thanks for any help you can provide me.

Comments (17)

  • justgotabme
    14 years ago

    If you have a Lowes they have wonderful pull out storage for both pans and lids. They aren't cheap, but do the job. With the help of the little racks to add an extra "shelf" to your cabinets I'm able to keep the lids on each pan. If this way will work for you, it's a lot less expensive. I'll try to take photos later. It's about dinner time now.

  • imgodsgrl
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Oh, I'd love to see it. I looked at the thing from Lowes online and it looks nice, but yikes the price is high. I'd really be intereseted in seeing your set up...and knowing how you like it or if you'd change anything. Thank you so much.

  • bspofford
    14 years ago

    I do stack some pots and pans, but if they have a non-stick coating, it can scratch it. I use to put a cardboard circle in a frying pan before I stacked a smaller pan inside. Now I use a corner stack unit I got at the container store. It holds the three frying pans I use most, and no stacking.

    I have also put a lid on the pot upside down, and then stacked a smaller pot on the lid.

    Barbara

  • oilpainter
    14 years ago

    Good idea with the racks!!
    I do have some of them in other cupboards. I have one that holda 2 baskets for little things like extra spices and things like jello and puddings. My baggies and saran and stuff sit below. I have a small one that holds pie plates and my 9x13 pan and square cake pans stack below. I have some in my plate cupboard. However I never thought to use them for pots and pans. I think a trip to the hardware store is in order

  • imgodsgrl
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Oh, a corner rack...I could put two in the back corners and take care of the frying pans and then maybe one in the front corner for a couple of my stock pots. Today I found a thing for separating the pan lids or cookie sheet kinds of things...I used it for now for pan lids, but the corner things would let me keep the lid with the pan and then I could move that rack over and put some of my pampered chef stuff in it so they aren't stacked inside each other....I'm going to have to look into that....thanks for the great idea!

  • sherwoodva
    14 years ago

    Except for the frypans, my pots are all stainless steel with no teflon. I put the three big pots inside each other with the lids stacked on top. (We have very deep, tall shelves under the counter top.) The smaller pots are also stacked in the same way. The teflon coated fry pans go in the drawer under the stove with a dishtowel between each. Eventually, I hope to replace them with pans that do not have the non-stick coating.

  • karinl
    14 years ago

    Lids were once the bane of my existence and my kitchen life changed when I took a removable plate rack out of my dishwasher and realized it would work to hold lids. I put it in the cupboard above the stove and put lids in it - it sits sideways, so I can see all the lids from the side. The dishwasher is long gone (as per my other thread about drawers in its place) but I cling to that rack from it.

    My mom just bought what I think is actually a holder for a paper towel roll (the roll would lay in it sideways) from Ikea and hung it on a rail above her stove... that's where her lids are now destined to live. For me that would expose them to too much spatter, but I may be a messier cook :-)

    My pots are placed upside down in a drawer with the bigger ones fitting over the smaller ones. That works better the closer the handles are to the top of the pot, wouldn't work as well if they attach at mid-height.

    KarinL

  • jakkom
    14 years ago

    This is the vertical storage of my frypans, of which I have many (doubles of four sizes plus a large wok, chicken fryer, and paella pan). This is a 30" base cab on the RH side next to my range:

    The pots and other lids are in this cart which serves as a center island. I don't have a photo of both doors open, sorry. The blue 'stackers' are cloth/foam starburst forms that allow you to stack non-stick. I never stack more than 3 pots high anyway as I'm always grabbing one of them! The closed door side has a small-lid organizer on the inside of the door, and a shelf. The shelf holds vertical organizers for the big heavy lids that fit various frypans. The bottom (floor) shelf holds a duplicate stewpot and duplicate 3-qt saucepot, again stacked with the blue cushioning.

    My kitchen is a U-shape with the range at the center. With the base cab and cart holding all the cooking pans, it's just a step or two to grab whatever I need. Baking equipment and roasting/cookie sheets are in vertical organizers in both upper and base cabs to the left of the range, as my baking ingredients are in the left corner Lazy Susan. The KA mixer, blender and food processor are hidden from casual sight by the refrigerator (you can just see the very edge of the refrig on the far LH side of the photo). I can keep them plugged in and ready to use, without having them in the way of my prep space.

    Our kitchen, which we remodeled originally in 1989 and then updated again in 2003, is large for the size of the overall house. This is a small 2 bd cottage and when we redesigned the 850 sq. ft. main floor into an open plan, the kitchen was expanded to a 9x13 U-shape. The room is another 4' deeper but we keep that as open aisle space since it leads to a back staircase we use all the time. This photo shows how the range, RH base cab and cart are all within a few steps of the sink and DW.

  • justgotabme
    14 years ago

    Sorry about leaving you here after making the comment. I've been sick. I'll try and get pictures this weekend.

  • marie26
    14 years ago

    I have been using a plate as a lid for those pots that are not oversized. I was able to get rid of many lids with this method.

    Jkom51, I love your way of organizing the frying pans. I've seen those "holders" and could never figure out what they'd be good for. Now I know.

  • mariend
    14 years ago

    I downsized my pots and pans, kept what I use most of the time, matched each lid with a pot, threw out the rest, and they are stored on a revolving stand. Same with frying pans, downsized them, and got 2 lids. All others went out.
    After all, you usually can cook 4-6 pans at a time.

  • idie2live
    14 years ago

    I've picked up some great ideas. I have quite a few pots and frying pans that I never use from year to year. I have lids that have not been used in years. Typically, when I cook, I use a piece of foil to cover my pot because I don't want to look for the lid. I think I'll go through them and get rid of everything I have not used in 2 years.

  • justgotabme
    14 years ago

    Sorry it's taken me so long to get this picture posted, but every time I thought of it there was at least one pan in the dishwasher.
    I have a one set of pots a deep pot for corn on the cob and a couple saute pans. The saute pans don't have lids, but I have some from my set that work so I use them. The saute pans are under the cooktop. I didn't take pictures of them since they just sit inside each other. Nothing special.

    {{!gwi}}

  • User
    14 years ago

    I just use a small plastic tub and put the lids on their sides.

  • kristenrjackson
    14 years ago

    The other thing to consider is a universal lid. I've seen them in kitchen gadget stores all over. Just know what size pots/pans you use with a lid. They can save a lot of space, and time (where's the right lid for the right pan)

  • agnesd
    14 years ago

    I put my lids in the drawer below the range oven. It's works better than anything I've ever tried. Let's face it whatever I stored there before was just junk.