Easily Organize Your Baking Pans (In Any Cabinet!)
One of the hardest things to organize in a kitchen space is baking pans, don’t you think?!? Thanks to their variation in shape and size, they don’t tend to stack nicely or fit comfortably into standard cabinets, making them really tough to get in and out. But years ago, I stumbled upon a really affordable way to organize baking pans. I’ve since used the exact same organizers in 5 different kitchens, so I can say with fair certainty that they’ll probably work in your kitchen too! Let me show you how to quickly go from cabinet chaos to order with two simple products!

What I Use to Organize Bakeware
Years ago, my baking supplies looked like this:
Cake pans, cookie sheets, muffin tins, pizza pans, baking dishes, and more all stacked and stuffed behind the cabinet doors of a standard builder-grade cabinet. Not only did it look a mess, but you better bet getting items in and out was a constant headache. Since baking pans don’t really fit in my tried-and-true organizing favorites (baskets), I had to explore other options.
You guys know I am reticent to spend big bucks on fancy organizers and drawer-like pull outs because there is just no guarantee they will fit in home after home. So when I stumbled upon these corner organizers (similar) and these vertical organizers (similar) (originally at Marshalls) to organize baking pans, I figured I’d give them a try. Little did I know then that this modest investment would stand the test of time so thoroughly!
1 – Corner Organizers (similar) | 2 – Vertical Organizers (similar)
NOTE: The vertical organizers are currently out-of-stock on Amazon. Check back regularly or keep an eye out in HomeGoods, Marshalls, TJMaxx, and Ross, because I see them there often!
Here’s what I love about these pan organizers so much:
- They are sturdy…strong enough to hold heavy pans, and they don’t move all around when you get items in and out!
- They are perfectly-sized to fit standard-sized cabinet shelves; so even if you don’t have grand custom cabinets, they should still fit!
- They are modular, so you can mix-and-match to find the right number and arrangement you need for your particular collection!
Same Organizers, Different Cabinets!
We now own two of the corner shelves (similar) and three of the vertical organizers (similar)…and we have used them to organize baking pans in every single kitchen from North Carolina to Virginia to our current (new) home…with several kitchens in between!
Builder-Grade Double Cabinet
As mentioned above, the organizers fit nicely both on top of and below shelving in standard, builder-grade cabinets. In our first North Carolina kitchen, we found stacking the corner units on one side and placing the vertical organizers on the other created the most storage space:
In our new North Carolina kitchen, we have a similar cupboard arrangement. This time, we used the corners on the upper shelf and spanned the entire lower shelf with vertical organizers:
Skinny Cabinet
So many kitchens have awkward skinny cabinets. A vertical organizer (similar) is a great way to make it more functional!
Deep Cabinets
Finally, the extra-deep cabinets above our refrigerator in our Virginia home could have easily become unusable caverns.
So we positioned the corner shelves (similar) in the back (for items we used less frequently) and put the vertical organizers (similar) all across the front. They quickly made the entire cabinet much more functional!
See more: How to Organize Cabinets Above the Refrigerator
How to Organize Baking Pans
No matter what kind of baking cabinet you have, here are my favorite ways to sort and store each kind of pan!
Circle & Square Cake Pans
By far, my favorite way to store circle and square cake pans is using the corner organizers (similar). The shelves are perfectly sized for these shapes, and their height clearance is enough to accommodate several “layers” of pans all the way up to the cabinet ceiling.
From bundt pans and pie pans, to tart molds and basic brownie/cake pans, each can be stacked in a single, space-savvy column yet remain easy to get in and out.
I recommend grouping like pans together. However, if you have several size sets of a particular shape, I actually don’t recommend pairing them up by size. Below, see how doing so would require three slots for the small, medium, and big pans?
But if you nest them as shown below, you condense everything down into two spots, therefor taking up less space on the racks!
Long Pans & Muffin Tins
Long cake pans (9×13″) and muffin tins are much better stored on their sides in the vertical organizers (similar). Just like smaller pans, consider nesting similar shapes into each other to store more in a single slot.
Cookie Sheets & Cooling Racks
The vertical organizers (similar) also make perfect cookie sheet organizers! I like to nest cookie sheets into each other in one slot, and put cooling racks close by.
Other Kitchen Items to Store In Cabinet Organizers
Cutting Board Storage
Over time, I started using the vertical organizers (similar) to also store our cutting boards (as seen above). Many boards of all shapes and sizes can get loaded into a single slot, keeping them easy to get out and put away whenever needed!
Skillet Storage
We recently organized our kitchen cabinets in our newest home, and I discovered the vertical organizers also make excellent pan racks by storing skillets vertically! For years, I have nested my skillets, but never loved how hard they were to get out during meal prep time. I can’t believe it took me so long to try the vertical organizers for these pans too!
Lid Organizers
I don’t personally have a ton of lids (just a few for my basic pots), but I know many people struggle to keep these sorted and organized too. Here is how a series of lids look nestled into the slots on the vertical organizers.
Tips & Tricks When Organizing Baking Pans
Purge Out What You Don’t Use
For some reason, it becomes really easy to load up on baking pans and then hardly use them. If you just can’t seem to get your bakeware to fit into a particular cabinet, it might be time to purge out the ones you never use in order to make the essentials more accessible.
Play Around
When I first purchased these bakeware organizers, I assumed the vertical dividers would go across the bottom of the cabinet and the corner units would go on either side of the top shelf. But that arrangement actually wasted space and left awkward, open spots. Even though stacking the two corner shelves on the left wasn’t my first instinct, it actually was the perfect solution for this cabinet and my specific items.
When you are organizing baking pans, take the time to experiment with different layouts. Move items around, try different items in different spots. You might be surprised how certain things fit together to create the perfect arrangement!
Create Extra Channels
If you use multiple organizers, don’t just but one up against another (or even right against the side). By spacing them out, you can actually create even more usable channels on the sides and between organizers!
Secure It
If you do use organizers in the middle of shelves (instead of up against a side), consider securing them to the cabinet with some Command Strips (the sticky strips used under Command Hooks) on the bottom. These will not only keep your layout exactly as you want it, but also make it easier to get items in and out without disrupting everything!
Function Above All
If an item is too hard to get in and out, you will be less likely to use it and/or put it away. So even if a particular arrangement looks really pretty, make sure it works well too.
Ideally, you want everything in your cabinets to be one-step access, meaning you don’t have to move or take out other things in order to reach what you need. Whenever possible, avoid stacking items that are too cumbersome to quickly undo, and try not to place items behind others.
Label It
Last but not least, I cannot over emphasize how helpful labels can be, especially on the vertical organizers (similar). Although we haven’t always used them, we implemented them in our Virginia home and they became essential in keeping the slots organized correctly. It can become very easy to just stuff anything into any open spot, so simple labels ensure everything goes back (and therefor, fits) in the proper place!
Other Great Kitchen Storage Solutions
Ready to organize the rest of your kitchen? I’ve got you covered with more easy solutions!- How to Organize a Pantry
- How to Organize Baking Pans
- How to Organize Kitchen Drawers
- How to Organize Corner Kitchen Cabinets
- How to Organize Upper Kitchen Cabinets
- How to Organize Cabinets Under the Kitchen Sink
- How to Organize Small Appliances Inside Kitchen Cabinets
- How to Organize Spices
- How to Organize Coffee Mugs
- How to Organize K-Cups
- How to Organize Recipes
- How to Organize Ziplock Bags
- What to Do with Dirty Dish Towels
- How to Make Pantry Labels
Sometimes the most simple organizational solutions go a really long way in making a house function just right, which can ultimately save you valuable time, stress and frustration over the long haul. Organizing baking pans in a tight storage cabinet can sometimes feel like an exercise in futility, but these inexpensive organizers have made a world of difference in our homes, over and over. If you’re tired of battling your mess of baking pans and want an organized kitchen that functions well and looks good too, I hope the storage ideas I share here give you some strategies to consider and the motivation to try them out!
Megan
28 Comments on “Easily Organize Your Baking Pans (In Any Cabinet!)”
It looks great. I need to organize my kitchen too
Thank you so much!
Duh!! Why didn't I ever think of nesting my cake pans like that?! Genius, you are.
My hubby says that all the time. Don't layer it too deep with too much stuff, or we won't ever use it. I need to print that up and paste it inside my cupboards in my kitchen! It looks awesome. Well done!
Thanks, Kristie! Some of my cabinets are stacked too deep and could still use some re-organization. One cabinet at a time, is what I keep telling myself! 🙂
Now we can make more cakes!
Looks amazing!! I love how organized it is and that you can see everything. My cabinet looks like your before picture. I'm going to see if Marshalls has those organizers tomorrow. Looks awesome!!
Just bough a tiny house (812 sq. ft.) and this looks perfect, thanks.
I just stumbled on your blog while searching Pinterest for pantry storage plans and it’s exactly what I needed as we are about to downsize into our forever home! Wondering how you like the cabinet storage shelves now after 5 years?
Hi there Daphne,
Thanks for writing and I am so sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
We actually moved out of that home (where you saw the bakeware cabinets) over 5 years ago now. But I can say we continue to use those shelving dividers to hold all of our bakeware products. They have been surprisingly versatile and have fit into almost any cabinets we’ve tried them in (we’ve moved three times since!)
Good luck with your downsizing!Megan
Being organized surely helps keep a home neat and comfortable.
Until I find the vertical racks like you have here, I am using magazine holders for my baking sheets and plastic lids. My cupboards must be an odd size – a lot of stuff doesn’t fit in any dimension – other than flat…. The only racks I can find so far have feet which takes away about an inch…. And the to cabinets are just a bit narrower than usual too. I miss my custom cabinets I had in my house….
More purging may be needed…
Hi Linda,
Cabinets sure can be tricky, and I know what you mean about losing space due to the organizer itself. Magazine holders sound like a great temporary solution, though!
~Megan
My half-sheet pans, which I use constantly, do not fit in a standard double cabinet with a half shelf. I put a vertical organizer under the kitchen sink, and put them there with a few other oversized things. My newish stove has a large enough storage drawer for the rest.
Those sound like great solutions, Margaret! I always forget about the drawer under the stove!
~Megan
Those really are some nice organizers! I’d always stored our cookie sheets & muffin pans in the drawer under the oven. That wouldn’t work with our new oven, however. Phenomenal oven size… but Itty bitty storage drawer! LOL I ended up using 1/2 of a base cabinet & a $3.00 vertical white wire dish rack. It does the trick & I no longer have to unload the drawer to get out the needed pan. (Always on the bottom, of course!) I love reading your storage solutions, because they help me rethink my own space & how to use it more efficiently. Thanks! 😁
Hi Dianne!
Thanks so much for this comment – it sounds like you figured out a great work around for your new oven!
I know not everything I share will work in every home, but I love knowing that my posts get ideas flowing for you!
Happy Thursday!
Megan
Great ideas! I have a lot of light-weight cutting board sheets (heavy vinyl in colors for different food types) that I wanted to store, and found that my vertical wire file organizers were perfect to keep them organized, much like your pans, but I didn’t know they made heavy-duty ones for heavier kitchen items!
Hi Claire!
So glad you find this idea for your cutting boards useful – I hope those heavy duty ones get back in stock too…they are so useful!
Thanks for chiming in here!
Megan
Hi Megan, Glad to see you settling in to your new home. We have a bit of a different problem. We recently obtained a nice set of silicone baking pans (loaf pans, muffin pans and flat pan liners.) We have found them great to use, but hard to store because they’re floppy. Any suggestions?
Hi Marilyn!
Those items ARE floppy! They might actually do better in a bin of some sort? I only have some silicone ice cube trays and we stack them on a cabinet shelf. Another thought would be the drawer under the stove (or any large drawer) since you can bend them in order to rummage around and see what you have.
Hope those ideas help a bit!
Megan
Always great advice!!
Thank you
Jana!
You are most welcome, Jana!
Thanks for stopping by to check out this post!
Megan
Ikea carries a lid organizer which you can use as vertical organizer. The best thing about it is that it is adjustable – you can “fan” it in or out to make the slots narrow or wide. I currently use it to organize my clutches/ wristlets.
Ooooo – I’ll have to check it out – “expandable” sounds especially handy! And what a clever way to store your clutches!
Thanks for sharing, Chaachu!
Good ideas, but over time will wear down the i terior surface of the cabinet where they sit. I used to do that, but splurged & installed myself the chrome pullouts, especially needed the pullout over my fridge because my fridge isnt cab-depth & cab doors are set back a good 2 feet, so pullouts are essential. BTW, Lowes, Home Depot have the white wire shelf organizers like opullout, still, good suggestuon until you can do pullouts. Spot on with those Command hooks!
Hi
Thank you so much for all the wonderful tips on organizing a small kitchen!
I have just renovated an apartment and my kitchen is tiny albeit efficient.
I live in Cape Town South Africa.
I need organization like you just don’t know. 4 yrs battling breast canver,16 rounds of chemotherapy double mastectomy and now in reconstructive surgery. You could imagine what a mess I have. I moved in with my daughter and her family. The kitchen and bathroom are the smallest. I need ideas for storage and organization so bad maybe use under the bed too for storage. I bought a small dresser I repainted bought new knows it’s beautiful I got the bamboo wood silverware holders 2 of those to go in the drawers and you suggested 2 bamboo organizers the zip lock one and the foil one love them. You have some great ideas like the pans over the refrigerator doing that tomorrow I’m sorry to say my pains have made a home in my oven. Ugh so I’d love you to email me ALL organization ideas all you got lol. Especially my bathroom super tiny like 10×8 and I tiny cabinet I have 4 baskets one on top of the other still over flowing..I hung all my hair appliances now I hate it. Lol I’m the one who has champagne taste on a beer budget. Lol I thought I’d try to find another dresser for all the bathroom items but it has to be long and skinny we have a l shaped tiny hallway. But please add me to your list of emails. Thank you
Thank you, Megan! This will be so helpful for my kitchen. I’ll definitely keep checking Amazon until they’re in stock.
ALL of your ideas are wonderful and I always look forward to your emails. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and creativity. I appreciate you.