Pots & Pans Put Properly Away

Dear Katie & Kelly: My daughter has this mess of pots & pans under her cooking range that drives me crazy when I visit to help out. I told her she needs those pull-out drawers to make it easier to reach the back but she insists that it’s not a big deal and my problem is that I’m just older so it’s only hard for me. Can you give me some ammunition to win her over to my side? Gratefully, Old in Oysterville

Dear Old: For shame your daughter blaming your age for her messy cupboard. Although, we admire her chutzpa. Of course, she needs a pull-out drawer for her deep cupboard(s)! EVERYBODY does. Pull out drawers offer a little structure to what can easily become a pots & pans mosh pit. We use good quality, cheap, customized wood drawers from Shelves That Slide or pre-made ones from The Container Store.

Next step? If it’s packed in there, separate out lids from the pots and get rid of duplicate lids. Get a lid holder to mount to the back of the cabinet door or a different cabinet door nearby. Mount the pots & pans — you can sometimes do two levels of drawers with customized ones. When putting away pots & pans, keep in mind that it’s easier to slide pans stacked on top of each other versus stacked pots, e.g. you can stack 4 pans and not have too much trouble grabbing one but stack 4 pots and it’ll be quite a process to grab one.  All our best! Katie & Kelly