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Kitchen Organization - Pots & Cast Iron Pans

Pantry cabinet

Having a very small kitchen means we have to be creative with storage. Every inch of counter space is prime real estate. Cabinet space is priceless given that we have to store so many utensils, tools, and gadgets.

So, where do we store those big /heavy items? Where do big pots and heavy pans go when we have a small kitchen? 

Ha, until recently most of those items were relegated to the basement. That's true, my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and all the big pots were stored in the basement. Thank goodness that's not the case anymore!

Below you can see a small video I made - with a little parody of this problem and the solution.

Those big pans & super heavy cast iron pans that my son is now collecting (He loves to cook with cast iron) weren't banished to the basement. Nope. As you can see in the picture below, they were stored inside the stove! 😫

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kitchen organization- Cast iron pans

Those pans are HEAVY!

How to organize cast iron pans

Having those cast iron pans inside the oven was the main reason for me to go and organize that little nook behind the door in our laundry room, a few steps away from the kitchen.

I went the easy route and bought a completely assembled pantry cabinet from the Home Depot and slid it right here. Work smarter not harder guys!

kitchen storage - big pots and pans

The outside was painted white and it flows so nicely with the surrounding area. Just yesterday I installed the pulls. Much better!


HEAVY-DUTY PAN ORGANIZERS

The first items that had to go inside the pantry cabinet were those heavy pans! 
Now, I didn't want them stacked one on top of the other. That's why I bought these heavy-duty pan organizers which are supposed to hold up to 50-LB. They are made of strong metal steel.

I bought two racks. One for 5 pans and the other for six. I wanted to check which one would fit better. In the end, I kept both, they both work for my needs.
How to store cast iron pans
| Pan Rack-5 Tier | Pan Rack - 6 Tier |

When I bought this set of heavy-duty pan racks, they were advertised for use vertically or horizontally.

I put them to the test vertically and this is how it looked here on the counter, holding three cast iron pans on the lower racks and two lighter pans on the top.

The weight of the pans was making the rack lean sideways and it didn't look too stable. I DO NOT recommend this pan rack be used vertically when storing cast iron pans.
pan racks

However, using these heavy-duty racks horizontally is the way to go!
cast iron storage inside cabinet
| Electric Hand Mixer | Magic Bullet | Apple Peeler | Cast Iron Pan |

Perfect!!
Heavy duty pan rack
Pan Rack-5 Tier | Pan Rack - 6 Tier |


I went to the basement to retrieve those big pots! Even my Crock-Pot (it's ancient) got brought out upstairs from the basement. 
Small Kitchen organization
| Crock Pot | Pasta Pan |

Love how organized and handy it is!
Cristina Garay - Pantry cabinet

I pushed those two big pots on the lower shelves all the way to the back of the cabinet and now the stand mixer and the Dutch oven also fit in here. :)
Kitchen organization
| Cast Iron Pan | Dutch Oven | Stand Mixer | Pantry Cabinet |


Just like that, my kitchen got a little bigger! :D

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Loving your cast iron pans? Here are some of the gadgets that I recommend for using them and keeping them in tip-top condition:









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4 comments :

  1. We had to laugh---at you and dealing with those pans. WE have multiples, in multiple sizes...and ended up hanging them on a wall with other 'stuff'...and yes they are heavy---but iron really cooks some things better (at high) heat, sorry Cuisinart...Fun post and if I had room for that rack, I would use one...!Great post! Sandi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha yep. It was a pain getting those pans out of the oven every time we were going to use it. My son was the one that started buying cast iron and now I also love them. I thought the cleaning was going to be harsh, but no, it's even easier than with the other pans.
      Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comment Sandi!

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  2. HAHA! Cristina, I had to laugh because you look like me getting all my pans out of the oven. I store all my baking pans, cast iron pan and pan with oil in my oven and every time I want to use it, ALL of that needs to come out. Wish I could find a spot to store all that stuff. I have to build something in the Laundry room soon to store my pots and kitchen appliances. How far in relation to your kitchen is that closet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! :D They had to wait a top the kitchen island for the oven to cool down to put them back there again.
      This little area is one step away from the kitchen table - The pictures were taken standing right by the kitchen island.
      Yes, if you can get a little area in your laundry room to install a cabinet for all those kitchen appliances, go for it! 👍

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