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42' drawer...too big? Where do you store your fry pans?

14 years ago

Okay...I'm coming down to the wire with our kitchen design. Our KD has specified 2 42" wide drawers for pots/pans/tupperware...my concern is - are these too big? Also, if you have these, what is the best way to organize without losing things? (I'm thinking of those little "tupperware" lids).

Right now, we keep our fry pans in a 12" cabinet meant for baking sheets (not the most ideal - they get scratched easily this way). Any thought/suggestions? THANKS!

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Comments (3)

Fori
14 years ago
Too big? Buy more stuff!

Just kidding, but they'll be really nice. You'll want dividers, either ones you do yourself after seeing how items fit, or maybe your cabinet company will provide some. They range from very sophisticated to thingies you bang in and then slide slips of wood into.

I think when most people stack frying pans and similar items, they put some kind of pad in between to prevent scratching--a piece of felt, a paper towel, a coffee filter, etc. I haven't in the past and I should. I've also used big plastic storage tubs in drawers and on pullouts to divide spaces. Not pretty, but apropos for Tupperware!

Hmm...maybe one could "file" skillets over the fridge cabinet. (Mine are cast iron, so it's a pain to stack them but I really don't want them over my head.)

I'm going to try these dividers when I move back in--others have had good luck with them and they are inexpensive:

Here is a link that might be useful: dividers
rhome410
14 years ago
My pots and pans are in 36" drawers. They're great. I could well use 42" if I had it...for Tupperware also. I would put in some kind of container or divider for lids.

My skillets are in the bottom of the 36" drawers under my rangetop. Make sure you're getting the drawer box construction and hardware tough enough to handle the width and the weight.
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cncnh
14 years ago
I had originally spec'd two 40" wide drawers under my cooktop for pots and pans. When my cabinet maker was making them, we changed to four 20" drawers. Because they were so deep and wide at 40", he was concerned about the drawer going out of square after awhile. It's difficult for a drawer that big to always pull out evenly, even with the best of hardware. I measured my pots and pans and decided that four 20" drawers would work just fine. However, that being said, your kitchen designer should know what works! I would think that you would want a divider in a drawer that size -- and perhaps that would help add some strength to the drawer box too.

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