Any ideas on how to organize pots, pans and backing stuff better?

Question

I have an old house from the 50s so not a lot of cabinet space. The ones by the sink are super small and I have all my dishes in there. I have one big floating cabniet that I think someone made in the 70's. It's just a big empty space with a very small shelf a the back that only extends for half the size of the cabinet. Right now I have all my baking and cooking stuff- shoved into this thing and it's a mess. Is there any way to organize it better? Keep in mind my kitchen is super small and I can't hang anything on the walls or from the ceiling. It's crazy, it's the size of an apartment kitchen! We plan to redo but for the first 5 years it has to stay like this.
Any suggestion or website you can recommend would greatly help!
Thanks!

Answer 1

I did two things recently that helped me get organized: First, I bought those plate stands that have several rows of wooden double pegs, sometimes you see china plates displayed on these at the stores. I have one for the lids of pots and pans and they are now accessible from largest to smallest in the front. I did the same thing to store my cookie sheets, cooling racks and cutting boards. Also my Corning ware glass lids.

The next thing I did since I have open (wire mesh?) shelves in my pantry, bought several S shaped hooks like ones you use 2 hang pots and pans from a ceiling rack...well, I have those S-shaped hooks on the edges of one shelf in my pantry and there I hang my cast iron skillets.

Answer 2

My dad put drawer shelves in our pan cabinet. It's basically a shelf with a lip that pills out so you can get all the way to the back of a deep cabinet. the lip keeps things from falling off. If you put several in the big cabinet you should have room for all the pans and baking stuff.
If you can't do that get a set of bookshelves and set them up in your dining room for the regular dishes and keep the pots and pans in the kitchen cabinets.

Answer 3

Perhaps, since you don't have a lot of room, you could do the following:

Evaluate your pots and pans as to whether or not you will need all of them. Try to be objective by asking yourself if each item will be used in the next 6 months and can one pan do the same job as another pan.

See if some of these items will fit into others.

Use a container that will keep all your pot and pan covers in the same place.

Answer 4

I sat and attempted to visualize your predicament and I think that I understand.. I would go crazy without space for dishes, pans, etc etc.. I MUST MUST MUST have lots of space so at this moment, I can think of absolutely NO solution for you except to really consider enlarging your kitchen by knocking out some walls and(although I do not know how your house is laid out), possibly including the dining and living room into the kitchen

Answer 5

There is a great site that helps you with organize your kitchen cabinets. http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/lv_household_tips/article/0,2041,DIY_14119_2275121,00.html
Even if you have a small kitchen there are some great ideas and solutions there that can make your life a lot easier. I had a similar problem with lack of space and this site helped me get things into order. There is nothing better than a well organized kitchen!

Answer 6

Uh, no. If you like to bake and cook all you need to do is clean up after you are done with whatever you have prepared.Put the dishes in the dishwasher right after cooking or baking and after eating your meal. Wipe down counter tops after the dishes have been clean up. All mail that is sitting on the counter should be disposed of or placed in other areas, so not to lose track of important pieces. Keys should be hung up after entering the home. Set aside a large bowl or basket for others to go through to find things that might have been misplaced or thought of as lost.

Answer 7

I think that what you can do to organize your pots, pans and backing stuff better if you don´t have enough room is if you have another room with drawers or a big closte you can put them in there.