Packing up the home is one of the most challenging tasks of the house moving process – and packing the kitchen is one of the most challenging tasks of the packing process. With so many fragile and delicate items, oddly shaped pieces and large appliances, the kitchen takes a lot of time and effort to pack – as well as plenty of packing supplies and plenty of space in the moving truck. So do kitchen pots and pans, in particular.
Unlike plates, glasses, and other breakables, pots and pans are durable, so they’re generally easy to move. Just like kitchen utensils and many other kitchen gadgets, however, pots and pans are awkwardly shaped, so they’re hard to pack – and take up a lot of space.
Yet, you probably won’t want to leave your pots and pans behind and replace them after the move – chances are you’ve invested significantly in your cooking containers and want to keep them (besides, they will be some of the first items you’ll need in your new home as you begin cooking after the move).
In that case, you need to know how to pack pots and pans for moving safely and easily – the expert tips below will help you achieve this feat.
How to prepare to pack pots and pans for a move
Before you start packing your pots and pans for moving, you need to take some preparatory steps:
Step 1. Decide which of your pots and pans you want to move
If you’ve lived in your current home for many years, you’ve probably accumulated a lot of cooking containers – big and small, multi-purpose and special-purpose, cheap and expensive, etc. You may have bought new items without disposing of old and damaged ones and your kitchen cabinets and cupboards may be cluttered with pots and pans.
Pots and pans, however, are heavy, difficult to pack, and take up plenty of space – and you don’t want to waste time and effort packing useless old items and to pay higher moving costs for relocating unneeded things (moving costs are based on the weight/volume of your shipment).
So, before you start packing, you need to sort out your pots and pans and decide which of them are worth moving to your new home. Get rid of damaged items (badly scratched, dented, chipped, or warped, with loose handles or missing pieces, etc.), items that are too worn out to be used ever again, cheap low-quality items, items you hardly ever use and items you don’t really like and pack for moving only practical, high-quality pots and pans in perfect condition.
Step 2. Clean and dry your pots and pans
Your next step is to clean and dry the pots and pans you’ve decided to take to your new home. Give them a thorough cleaning – if any grease remains, it may saturate the wrapping materials and soak through the cardboard box, compromising the integrity of the carton and staining other items.
Make sure the pots and pans are perfectly dry – moisture can damage the packing materials and the other household items in your shipment and in the event of a long-distance move may even cause mold growth on your cooking containers. It’s a good idea to wash your pots and pans at least 24 hours before packing them and leave them on a drying rack overnight.
Step 3. Gather adequate packing materials
When packing pots and pans for moving, you’re going to need:
- strong, medium-sized moving boxes;
- packing paper and bubble wrap (as well as some newspapers);
- dishtowels (or old clothing, linen, etc.);
- packing tape and permanent markers.
Some heavy-duty garbage bags may also come handy, especially when moving locally.
Step 4. Take care of fragile elements
If any of your pots or pans have glass lids or other fragile elements, wrap them with packing paper and add a protective layer of bubble wrap (or use a dishtowel). Secure the wrapping with packing tape.
See also: How to pack fragile items for moving
Step 5. Wrap your pots and pans
Even though pots and pans are sturdy pieces, they can be easily damaged if they come in direct contact with each other (or with another sharp object) during the move – and even a tiny scratch or dent can affect their performance (a scratch to the surface of a non-stick pan, for example, can ruin it completely).
You’re, therefore, advised to wrap your pots and pans in packing paper and line the cooking surfaces (the most valuable areas of the items) with dish towels or bubble wrap – wrapping your cooking containers will keep them better protected during the move and will decrease the risk of damage to other items within the same box.
Once your preparations are complete, it’s time to proceed with the actual packing. Here is how to pack kitchen pots and pans in a convenient and space-efficient way.
How to pack pots and pans for a local move
While the best way to pack pots and pans for moving is to put them in sturdy boxes, these items can be awkward to pack into cardboard boxes. So, when moving locally, you can make packing (and unpacking) faster and easier by putting your pots and pans in garbage bags.
Just make sure you wrap any sharp corners (such as the rear ends of handles) in bubble wrap or dishtowels so they don’t poke through the plastic material, stack your pots and pans in one another (see below for details), place the stacked containers in heavy-duty garbage bags (make sure longer handles are facing towards the bag’s opening), and secure the bags well.
If you’re using opaque trash bags, make paper labels and adhere them to the bags with clear packing tape over the fronts of the labels. If the bags are clear, you won’t need labels.
Keep in mind though that if you’ve hired professional movers to help you relocate, you’ll be required to pack your pots and pans in boxes – even if you’re only moving across town.
How to pack pots and pans when moving long distance
When moving across the country, you need the best possible protection for your items. Garbage bags won’t do – you need to pack your pots and pans in boxes, so they survive the long trip safe and sound.
So, how to pack pots and pans for shipping?
1. Reinforce the boxes – Pots and pans are quite heavy, so you need to make sure the boxes you pack them in won’t collapse under their weight – get sturdy cardboard boxes and apply strips of packing tape along the seams of the cartons for added strength.
2. Line the packing boxes – Place some bubble wrap or crumpled newsprint on the bottoms of the boxes for cushioning and protection.
3. Nest your wrapped pots and pans within each other – Pots and pans take up less space when they’re stacked together:
- Put a couple of dishtowels in the largest pot (pan);
- Place a slightly smaller pot (pan) inside the big one;
- Put some dishtowels on the bottom of the second container and place a smaller pot (pan) in it;
- Do the same for all the pots (pans) you want to stack together – this will not only prevent them from scratching one another, but will also keep their handles level;
- Finish off the stack by placing the lid to the smallest pot on top (upside down).
Bonus tips for nesting pots and pans:
- It’s considered best to stack your cooking containers in groups of three.
- When nesting your pots and pans, be sure to align the handles for greater space efficiency.
- Pack some safely sealed spice containers and spice bags in the top pot of the stack (See also: How to pack spices for moving).
- If a pot or pan is very valuable (or particularly vulnerable to damage), avoid stacking it with other items – pack it individually in a separate box with plenty of cushioning inside.
See also: The nesting dolls packing method
4. Place the stacked pots and pans into packing boxes of adequate sizes and provide plenty of cushioning – Add soft kitchen items, such as sponges, cleaning cloths, and dishtowels, into the empty spaces in the boxes to provide cushioning around your pots and pans and ensure that they don’t shift during the move. Make sure you put the lids in the same boxes with the pots they belong to and use lightly balled up newspaper as a protective buffer around them (take extra care with glass lids).
5. Add smaller lightweight items in the boxes with your pots and pans – If there is room, add some smaller lightweight items on top of your pots and pans (pantry items, plastic kitchen items, etc.) to optimize the available space and to keep the items in the boxes securely in place during transportation. Just make sure you don’t over pack the cartons and don’t make them too heavy.
Bonus tip: Do not add heavy items in the boxes with your cooking containers – pots and pans are already heavy and any extra weight can cause the cartons to collapse. So, be sure to only pack light items in the boxes with your pots and pans to fill the remaining space without adding too much weight – the packed cartons should not weigh more than 45 lbs.
6. Tape the boxes securely and label them clearly – Seal the cartons well, label them with their contents, and note which side should be up. Do not just write “Pots and pans” – be more specific, so you know exactly what is in each box (“Casserole dishes”, “Cast iron pans”, etc.). If a box includes fragile items, mark it as “Fragile” and write any necessary handling instructions in big, bold letters. (See also: How to label moving boxes)
Now that you know how to pack your pots and pans in the safest and most efficient way possible, packing your kitchen for moving will be easier and less hassle. Good luck with your moving preparations!
