Originally published April 15, 2023. Updated September 2026 with a summary, next steps and answers to common questions.
It’s easy for our kitchens to become disorganized quickly. Just getting them cleaned up after a home cooked meal can feel like enough of a chore for the day. Organizing it is one task too many for most days.
But just because we don’t feel like we have time for organizing our kitchens doesn’t mean that we don’t want an organized kitchen.
When we see one, there’s a bit of envy, and a bit of “I-know-I-could-do-that-too” — if I had the time.
Thankfully, there’s a super simple, Marie-Kondo-approved hack that can help you tackle kitchen disorganization fast.
It’s all about going vertical.
One of the biggest complaints people have about their kitchens is the mess of all of their pots and pans. Not only can they not see what they need while they’re cooking, but getting to the specific pot or pan when they do find it is a pain.
At best, most of us suffer from frustration and anger when reaching for the right pot or pan in our kitchens. At worst, we suffer from broken toes thanks to cast-iron messes falling out of cupboards.
That’s where vertical storage comes in to save us.
Rather than stacking pots and pans on top of each other, store your pots and pans vertically.
Yes, it’s super simple but it’s enough of a game-changer that we dedicated a whole blog post to it.
Here are some of our favorite vertical kitchen organizers:
– Hold Everything FSC® Pan Organizer from Williams Sonoma
– Bakeware Kitchenware Divider on Wayfair
– Expandable Cookware Rack on Wayfair
– mDesign Metal Wire Organizer Rack from Amazon
– Kitchen Storage Rack from Shein
– Lynk Slide Out Cutting Board & Bakeware Cabinet Organizer from Williams Sonoma
And you know what makes an organized kitchen even better? A fresh clean from our eco-friendly teams!