As the holidays draw near, vital kitchen storage spaces start to feel just a little bit more chaotic to use and navigate.
So, I asked professional chefs how they manage to keep their cookware organized when their cooking for a crowd.
How Chefs Organize Cookware for the Holidays
1. Tuck Summer Essentials To The Back
Keep lesser used appliances out of the way to reduce the need to dig through cabinets.
Marissa Stevens, founder and recipe developer at Pinch and Swirl, suggests a seasonal approach to organizing kitchen appliances.
She shares, 'Around a week or two beforehand, I pull everything out and temporarily tuck away the things I know I won’t use – grill pans, ice-cream maker, anything summery.
'That frees space for the tools I'll use most: Sheet pans, Dutch oven, roasting pans, big mixing bowls. If I have to dig for something when the kitchen’s busy, I know I didn’t set it up right.'
This approach can also help you reduce visual clutter in a kitchen to make cooking less overwhelming. Consider adding some appliance cord organizers, from Walmart, to the backs of appliances to make storing them on shelves easier without risking damage to wires.
2. Secure Lids
Use the backs of cabinet doors to secure pan lids out of the way.
Fall and winter are the seasons of leftovers, but organizing the plastic containers you need for them all can be a struggle.
To avoid a tsunami of clutter, Joanne Gallagher, co-founder and recipe developer at Inspired Taste, says, 'I double-check all my lids and reusable containers for leftovers. The holidays always mean more food storage, so I like to organize that drawer ahead of time.
'I’m terrible at matching lids and containers on the fly, so organizing early saves me from fumbling later.' The Joseph Joseph expanding cookware organizer from Wayfair can help to keep these containers stacked neatly between uses.
Alternatively, Joanne sticks to using matching glass containers from Amazon so that everything goes together seamlessly.
Don't forget about lids when organizing pots and pans, either. These adjustable pot lid holders from Amazon stick to the inside of cabinet doors for simple storage that doesn't take up unnecessary space.
3. Give Small Tools Dividers
Don't let cooking utensils in large drawers become a mess.
When you are cooking more, and possibly trying new holiday recipes, ease of access is more important than ever – especially for those smaller utensils or specialist tools.
Marissa says, 'I use bamboo drawer dividing trays [available at Walmart] so every tool has its place: Microplanes, measuring cups, peelers, thermometers. Extra towels, parchment, and foil are in a shallow drawer next to the oven. It looks plain but keeps me from wandering mid-recipe.'
Joseph Joseph offers a 10-piece customizable drawer organizer set at Wayfair to help you tailor your kitchen storage to your needs.
4. Store Trays By Shape
After completing a fall pantry reset for the baking season, the next step is to arrange and store bakeware.
Joanne shares, 'Over the year, baking sheets and pans tend to get stacked haphazardly, so I always take a few minutes to organize them by size and shape before the holiday baking marathon begins. It saves me a lot of stress once the kitchen gets busy.'
You can also tackle our ultimate fall decluttering list, which addresses how to spot duplicates and what to do with them.
Marissa adds, 'I can't imagine my kitchen life without vertical dividers for trays, baking sheets, cutting boards, and cooling racks. It's space-saving, yes, but I can see at a glance what's clean and ready to use.'
I love the Umbra Peggy Kitchen Organizer Trays, available at Amazon, as they are fully customizable and work in both cabinets and drawers. I use mine to keep pans and trays stacked neatly without scratching and chipping.
What to Shop
The Umbra Peggy Organizers can be fully customized to fit any pots, pans, and trays in your cabinets and drawers, keeping them neatly stacked without damage.
This bamboo drawer organizer expands from 6 to 8 compartments to help keep smaller kitchen tools and utensils neat and easy to access during the peak holiday cooking period.
You need to keep your cookware neat after cooking, too. This expanding dish drying rack with water spout will keep your drying dishes tidy and your countertops neat for a less overwhelming kitchen.
This set of eight heavy-duty glass food containers is all the same size, so you don't have to battle to find the matching lid. They are also dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe for quick meal prep and clean up.
Save time digging through the backs of cabinets with pull-out organizers, helping to make use of every inch of space.
These handy stacking bins are ideal for smaller tools, keeping them neat in deep drawers.
Meet the Experts
For more than 15 years, Marissa has been sharing recipes, cooking tips, and real-life kitchen wins (and lessons) with home cooks to help people feel confident and inspired in the kitchen, whether they’re making a simple weeknight dinner or trying something totally new.
Joanne Gallagher is the Co-founder, Recipe Developer, and Chef at Inspired Taste. She meticulously tests and refines each dish to ensure perfection.
With the smaller organizing tasks out of the way, why not consider some longer-term kitchen features to make your life easier?
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