| Pot racks are the best solution for pot and pan | | | | with ceiling lighting. You don't want to cook in the |
| storage if you lack space in your kitchen cabinets. | | | | shadows of your kitchen.---Consider your ceiling |
| If you spend a lot of time digging through piles of | | | | height. Is it higher or lower than average? In that |
| pots and pans while looking for the one you want | | | | case you may need more chain for a ceiling pot |
| to cook with, pot racks also solve this problem. | | | | rack or decide to go with a wall-mounted pot |
| They're good kitchen organizational and storage | | | | rack instead. Your height may also determine the |
| tools. The only difficulty arises in choosing a pot | | | | convenience of these factors.STEP 4: CONSIDER |
| rack. And that's because stores offer an | | | | THESE POT RACK ATTRIBUTES |
| overwhelming amount of pot and pan storage | | | | ---Do you like to clean and polish a lot? Get |
| choices. Here are six steps to organizing your | | | | chrome if you do and wood if you don't.---How do |
| pots and pans and choosing pot racks:STEP 1: | | | | you feel about stains, including greases stains, or |
| EVALUATE YOUR POT STORAGE NEEDS | | | | scratches? Placement of the pot rack may help |
| Collect all of your pots and pans and place them | | | | you to avoid most stains (e.g. away from the |
| on a table. Put any pot or pan that you have not | | | | stove). Scratches are inevitable and may show up |
| used in one year in a pile. Add any pots or pans | | | | more on some materials.---Which pot rack |
| that are in bad shape to this pile. Put excessive | | | | material holds weight appropriate to your |
| duplicate pots and pans in this stack also, such as | | | | needs?---What pot rack materials or finishes do |
| three of the five frying pans that are the exact | | | | you favor for all the reasons discussed above |
| same size. Divide this pile accordingly among the | | | | plus for your personal viewing pleasure: wrought |
| trash, charity and bin storage in your garage for | | | | iron, stainless steel, metal, wood, painted/stained |
| future usage. Your other stack that was created | | | | finish, hammered steel, chrome, graphite, |
| by what wasn't eliminated is actually your active | | | | copper...---What's your aesthetic pleasure? Do you |
| pots and pans, the ones for which you're buying | | | | like a wooden rustic or countrified look in your |
| the pot rack.STEP 2: ASSESS YOUR POTS AND | | | | home? Or a contemporary sleek silver chrome |
| PANS | | | | appearance?STEP 5: KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE |
| Look at the stack of pots and pans you actively | | | | IN POT RACKS |
| use. In general, determine and consider these | | | | ---wall mounted pot rack - with or without an |
| factors, which will help you choose a pot rack and | | | | accessory shelf for cookbooks.---corner pot rack |
| place it appropriately in your kitchen:---What are | | | | - makes good use of a crevice in your |
| the dimensions of your pots and pans?---What | | | | kitchen.---ceiling pot rack --shapes include circle, |
| are their individual weights (so you get the right | | | | oval, rectangular, square octagonal, half round, half |
| individual hooks)? Or determine collective weights | | | | circle and with or without a grid (hang moveable |
| if they're to be grouped together on a single pot | | | | hooks on the grid). Also you can get fancy with a |
| rack.---How many pots and pans are | | | | dome or crown-shaped ceiling pot rack.---ceiling |
| there?---How many of the pots and pans have | | | | bar pot rack - a straight line/bar shape.---wall |
| handles appropriate for hanging from a hook? | | | | mounted bar pot rack - also a straight line/bar |
| How many do not? You can store ones that don't | | | | shape.---freestanding pot rack - also called pot |
| hang on a freestanding pot rack.STEP 3: DECIDE | | | | stands, cookware stands or etageres. These can |
| WHERE YOU WILL PUT A POT RACK | | | | have vertical shelves or tiered shelves. They set |
| Now that you know which pots and pans require | | | | on the floor.---lighted pot rack - comes with |
| storage and what characteristics they have, your | | | | shaded lights or downlights that may replace your |
| next step is to decide potential places for a pot | | | | regular lighting---silhouette pot racks - also called a |
| rack. Pot racks can be wall-mounted, | | | | decorative scroll pot rack, this is a ceiling- or |
| ceiling-mounted or freestanding.---Measure any | | | | wall-mounted rack with a scroll border design such |
| available space in the kitchen as well as in the | | | | as a wilderness theme, oak leaf scroll, etc.---"not |
| dining room. Consider floor space, wall space and | | | | pot racks" - If the official product name isn't pot |
| ceiling space plus corner/crevice space.---Know | | | | rack that doesn't mean it can't be one. Consider |
| where your wall studs and ceiling joists or ceiling | | | | using appropriately shaped plant stands and sturdy |
| beams are located.---Consider your needs. Do you | | | | shelving products you find in any section of the |
| crave convenience and time-saving attributes? | | | | store.STEP 6: FINAL WORDS OF POT RACK |
| Then you want pot racks nearby when cooking. | | | | WISDOM |
| But if you infrequently use stock pots, for | | | | You should hang pot racks in a sturdy fashion |
| instance, then put those in the dining room.---If | | | | and in a place where guests won't accidentally |
| you want to hang your pots and pans, would you | | | | whack their head on a pot when they're sneaking |
| prefer to hang them nested and turned sideways | | | | into your kitchen at midnight for a snack. Always |
| (holds more but less easily viewed) or front-facing | | | | buy hooks or hardware components that support |
| (holds less but more easily viewed)? Or do you | | | | your pot and pan weight needs. Read the |
| want each pot and pan to hang at different | | | | packaging for this weight support information. It |
| lengths? All of these choices can be accomplished | | | | seems like a lot of work to plan properly for a |
| with various sizes and types of chains and hooks | | | | pot rack but in the end you're meeting a storage |
| on your walls, ceilings or pot racks. For example | | | | need that you'll use for probably the lifetime of |
| you can get a grid pot rack that uses movable | | | | your home. So choose a pot rack for your |
| hooks or double hooks or use screw-in angled pot | | | | kitchen organization needs that is functional but |
| hooks on the wall or screw-in ceiling hooks with | | | | also choose pot racks that add to your home |
| multiple chain lengths.---Make sure the pot rack | | | | decor.Karen Fritscher-Porter writes about home |
| won't block a kitchen cabinet door from | | | | organization solutions at Go to to shop for pot |
| opening.---Make sure the pot rack won't interfere | | | | racks. |