I have a large collection of LeCreuset. I've never put it into a drawer or cabinet because I love the red color so much, and can't bear to keep it hidden behind closed doors. I have a baker's rack in my dining room (right next to the kitchen) where I keep all of mine. I've considered open shelving on the wall, but even that makes me nervous because the pots are so heavy. I have been told that they are just too heavy to hang from anything.
I may trade out the baker's rack for something more substantial in the future, like a bookcase or sidetable/buffet.

in the supersusan with heavy maple plywood turntable, bottom tray. i won't have them above the counter, just in case they fall. oh sure i could gouge the floor, but if one of those pans got a crack in it, then hubby would REALLY be mad. kren

i store them in my pot/pan drawers with the rest of my cookware.

Mine are under my rangetop in my pots and pans drawers.

Some are in my bottom pot drawer under my rangetop, others are in the pantry.

Dirty on the stove :). Or I have a shelf where they belong. My mil has tons and she hangs them on the wall, even some pretty big ones.

I put ours in the pantry/storage room. We have wooden shelves lining the wall. They are on the bottom shelf with a paper towel in between each pan. NancyLouise

They hang from a pot rack in our walk-in pantry. The weight seems very well supported, so I've never worried about anything falling.

When guests are over in the oven, but more often than not on my range.

Mary1805, have you seen the LeCreuset storage tower? I was drooling over it in Williams-Sonoma the other day - looks especially striking with the red cookware.

laxsupermom (haha, love the name!) - I just went to Williams Sonoma's website. If this is what you're talking about, then that is definitely what I need! I've seen those before but none that would hold 6 pieces. I'll have to keep that in mind.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cookware Stand at W-S

Mary, that's exactly the one. It's especially gorgeous in person. The name is a bit tongue-in-cheek. My son's coach is always referring to me as supermom(he nicknames everyone and I'm not sure he actually knows my name)

I used to hang them from a ceiling rack, and that was perfect b/c it was near a heater. They would dry there from the hot air. It was very sturdy. Now we're remodeling, and I don't know where we'll put them. I did like being able to reach right up and get one when I wanted it. I don't like to nest them because they're heavy to maneuver.

If you have several and store them in the same drawer, is their weight an issue for the drawers? Or, do you need to divvy them up among several drawers? (I'm thinking at least 2 frying pans, dutch oven, and maybe a griddle...)

I'm a newbie at this, I've never had a cast-iron pot or pan but everyone here who has cast-iron is so enamored of them that I just have to try them out! I have an electric cooktop, though...do they still work well with electric?

Buehl, drawers with heavy duty glides won't have a problem with the weight, but nesting them can be a bit of a hassle, because you need the forearms of a Wisconsin dairy farmer to lift two at a time to grab a third from the bottom of a stack.

One of the beauties of cast iron is it's ability to hold heat, but because of the mass they take a little longer to heat up. I love that the instant heat of gas heats the pan up quickly. I'm sure they'll hold heat just as well on electric, but they might take longer to come up to temperature. I'd also worry about my pans scratching a smooth top electric, because they are quite heavy. HTH.

I either keep my my cast iron and Creuset pots and pans in one or two separate drawers. If you don't have the room or a pot hanging device, it is best to store them underneath the lighter stainless pots so they don't damage them when plopping them down. Cast iron weighs a ton in comparison to stainless or other materials. Just be careful with Le Creuset and other enameled cast iron pots as they can chip.

Greg

Thanks LaxSuperMom! I meant to also ask about scratching...you read my mind!

I don't usually drag pans, but my children are starting to cook as well...so I guess I'll have to think some more about cast iron/

I have two CI pans that I love and use a lot. The wok lives on the stove-top because it is just too heavy to lift and move around, but I use it so much that is the handiest place for it. I have an electric smooth-top and have never noticed any scratches from the wok or my 10" frypan. It is a great surface for good looks and easy clean-up. However, I can't wait to punt it out the door. It looks good, but cooks pooly.... The wok will still occupy a large part of the new stove top, but the lighter pots & pans will get hung up on a rack, and the other CI items will be in drawers.

Cooksnews, I have never heard of a cast iron wok. I may have to add one to my collection! Think I may continue to store most of my cast iron in my range, but may have some room in the newly expanded pantry as well.

{{!gwi}}

With a kitchen this tiny, you use all available space. I made and installed the shelf, which is screwed into the ceiling joists so it won't come down. In fact before I installed the pot rack I hung from the shelf just to make sure it was sturdy.

I've been afraid of using my cast iron skillets on my new electric smooth cooktop, because of a discoloration that happened on my old smooth cooktop. The shiny grey surface turned a dull black color on the burners I used frequently. I was told this was probably a result of using cast iron cookware. The top didn't look scratched however, just discolored.

Any ideas?

Due to my fear of using CI, all my CI skillets are in the storage drawer below the oven.