How to Choose a Pot Rack

STEP 1. Take a Look at the Possible Selections

Pot racks come in the following styles:

• Overhead hanging rack
• Wall-mounted rack
• Cupboard door rack
• Under counter or countertop pyramid
• Chandelier pot rack. Yep…just what it sounds like.
• Flat or round rod with hooks (usually wall mounted)
• Wire shelf sorter (usually best for frying pans or lids)
• Pegboard with moveable hooks

STEP 2. Assess the Number and Type of Pots That You Have on Hand

• Do you want to have this many all the time?
• Do you want to have all of them at hand or can store the less used ones somewhere else?
• Do you want to acquire more?
• Do you need to sell or donate a part of them?

Don’t do anything with them yet…more decisions ahead before taking action.

STEP 3. Take a Look Around Your Kitchen

Observe your options for placing a pot rack. Here are some possibilities:

• Over the sink or the stove, especially if you have a blank area in that location.
• Over a central island (great place for a chandelier pot rack).
• Vertically in that narrow spot where nothing else fits.
• Inside that big cabinet that has no shelving.
• On the counter where those copper bottom or other special pots would really shine.
• Freestanding, perfect for displaying your beautiful copper or designer set.

STEP 4. Measure the Space

Once you have decided where you want your pot hanger (or pot hangers if you have a lot of them and don’t want to get rid of any), measure the space. If at all possible, use a carpenter’s tape measure. Be exact. Allow some extra room around the rack, especially if it is to go inside a cabinet. There is nothing more disappointing than buying something and discovering that it does not fit.

STEP 5. Go Back to Your Pots and Pans

• Which ones have a hole in the handle for hanging? Not every cooking utensil is so equipped. If you have a pressure saucepan or a pressure cooker, neither one of those is going to work on a hanging rack!

• Are these the pots you want to keep? They might be temporary, just until you get something better. Or you might have accumulated far more than you need for your current household. Not everyone is comfortable with the current decluttering ideas, but one thing is for sure: it is easier to put things away when you don’t have as many to place.

STEP 6. Think About the Style in Your Kitchen

Do you have a lot of chrome? Do your tastes run more to wood? Or perhaps iron? Pot hangers are usually made of metal, and leave the factory or store with either black or chrome coloring.

STEP 7. Pot Style

The style of pot that you hang from the rack is going to matter, as well. If you are hanging iron cookware, for example, you will want something very sturdy. Plus, you will probably not want to hang those in the middle of the room where they could fall and hurt someone.

Pots can be colorful, especially decorator sets. Or they can be utilitarian, just a nice, well-scrubbed set of cookware such as you might find in a well-run restaurant.

Types of Pot Racks

Now, with the practical stuff out of the way, let’s go back to the fun part. What kind of rack suits your fancy? To answer this question, consider the following:

• What kind of feel is in your kitchen? Is it professional? Is it comfortable and inviting? Would you invite a friend to sit down at the kitchen table? Or would you rather they were in the living room or dining room? Your kitchen equipment should reflect your needs, that's for sure, but also the atmosphere of your cooking workspace.

  If it's just for meal prep, lean towards something simple and utilitarian (e.g. a sleek metal rack), but if you're going to entertain people in the kitchen, go for something more decorative or whimsical (e.g. a rack with wrought iron curlicues or a mixed medium rack with central shelf made out of wood).

• Often, a simple way to select a utilitarian item such as a pot hanger is to think about the colors and metalwork that is already in your kitchen. If you have a standard white stove, white fridge, and chrome sink, then a little more chrome will probably fit right in.

• If you have a country cottage designer sink, a wood cooking range (or gas or electric that looks like one), a refrigerator that looks like an ice-box, then you might want a simple black frame and wood pot hanger, or even one with wrought iron decorations.

• If your kitchen is fully furnished with built-in cabinets, or if you are renting a house, you might not want to install a ceiling mounted or wall mounted pot hanger. In such cases, an organizer for the inside of existing cabinets would be a good choice. Another option would be the free-standing pot display or even a countertop sorter.

In the long run, your goal is simple: to have a pot rack that will keep your cookware organized and easy to find. But there is no reason why it should not look good, too.