Pot Rack Buyer's Guide

The Basics
A pot rack is a functional piece of kitchen furniture that is used to hang or store cooking pots, pans, and kitchen utensils. Display and function are the two most important features of all pot racks: they display your cookware while keeping them within arm’s reach. Attractive and multifunctional, they can give your kitchen the feel of a traditional European farmhouse kitchen or replicate the look of a professional, culinary kitchen seen on TV.

Get The Right Height
Pot racks should be installed at a comfortable reaching height. A comfortable height will locate the pots about one foot above the height of the user’s head. When buying and installing a hanging pot rack, you should consider your height, the height of the ceiling, and the height of the pot rack with the hooks. The height of the ceiling minus the reaching height is the required height of the pot rack and chains. Pot rack extension hooks can be helpful for lowering a hanging pot rack.

Hanging Around
There are three major types of pot racks.

Hanging pot racks are designed for 8ft to 9ft ceilings, so that people of average height can easily access pots yet not bump their heads. Because of the heavy ironwork and the weight of the pots and pans they usually hold, hanging pot racks need to be installed into ceiling joists. They usually come with chains or extension hooks, or hanging links and ceiling screws. Pots and pans can be hung directly from the grid or from the rim using these hooks.

Wall mounted pot racks are designed to hang on the wall. Since they are mounted on the wall, you can pick the height that is right for you. Wall pot racks can resemble a horizontal bar or look like a small shelf. Wall pot racks must be safely attached with screws that are drilled into wall studs, not plaster or drywall.

Freestanding pot racks are not attached to anything. They stand on their own, and they often come with shelves and a counter. They can serve as a kitchen island/prep station with an overhead pot rack.

Consider the Details
Very often, pot racks come with additional shelving space to hold spices and cooking oils, or to store cookbooks. A lighted pot rack with built-in lighting can serve as a display rack and light source all in one. Steel, wrought iron, wood, copper, and brass are the most common pot rack materials to choose from, and the wide variety of attractive finishes offered makes it easy to find a pot rack to match any décor.