Kitchen Island With Pot Rack

Emily Hilton Interior Design Expert

Emily is a young, talented designer, whose professional interests gravitate towards kitchen and dining spaces. She prides herself on her attention to detail, obsession with functionality, and appreciation for craftsmanship.

Updated 01/05/2021

Have your pots and lids above, or below, but just close by is perfect for a more efficient cooking experience. A kitchen island with a built in pot rack gives you a great place to hang your pots when they aren't needed, as well as the lids, and even some of your matching utensils. And the whole unit is made of sturdy, quality material, designed to last through hundreds of meals.

Buying Guide

How low should a pot rack hang?

A pot rack generally needs to hang down between 40”-48” from the kitchen island or counter workspace. This measurement is from the bottom of a rack’s hooks to the surface below.

To determine how low to place your pot rack, first measure the height of your ceiling. Next, measure how tall you and anyone else who will be using the kitchen are. Add another 6”-10” to that height, depending on the length of your arm when stretched overhead.

Subtract that number (your height plus the 6”-10”) from the ceiling height measurement taken earlier. This number will give you an approximate measurement of how low to hang your pot rack. Also, consider how long your pots and pans are that will be placed above your kitchen island with pot rack.

Should a kitchen island with a pot rack be placed in the middle of the kitchen?

A kitchen island with a pot rack does not need to be placed in the middle of the kitchen. It can be placed in any area depending on what it is going to be used for. For example, you can place it in the middle of your kitchen if you want it to be your main food preparation and cooking area.

However, if you want it to be a separate island from your main cooking point, you can place a kitchen island with a pot rack in the corner of your kitchen or in areas that are easily accessible when you need to reach for pots and pans.

How to organize a pot rack?

Whether your pot rack is flat against the wall or you have a kitchen island with a pot rack, it’s critical to keep it organized. The goal should be to make all pots and utensils quick to locate and easy to reach.

To organize a pot rack, you must strike a balance between convenience and visual appeal. A pot rack can be a beautiful feature for a kitchen, but only if you arrange it nicely.

Use size as a starting point for organization. Hang your pots in order from largest to smallest, regardless of which ones you use most frequently. This logical arrangement creates a system, so you know where to look when you need a particular size of pan, and for visitors, there appears to be a method to the rack’s layout.

Grouping like items together is also important. Copper and stainless steel pots should not be grouped together, as this can create a chaotic appearance. Keep products that are from the same set with each other, arranging by size within the set.

Though it may seem like an intense methodology for organizing a pot rack, designing a system that makes sense for you, as the chef, and in the mind of a guest who is simply viewing the kitchen, is the best way to balance aesthetics with functionality.