How to pack a kitchen for moving

by Ethan Greenfieldon Apr 16, 2019.

You’re getting ready to move to a new home and the packing process is already under way.

And then suddenly, the time comes to pack your kitchen and you find yourself at a loss where to begin. Although usually small, kitchens can be really tough to sort out and pack due to the huge number of kitchen items stored in countless drawers, cupboards and secret hiding places.

Moreover, think of the oddly-shaped kitchen utensils and large kitchen appliances and you’ll understand why you always need to allocate more time and energy to packing your kitchen than you have planned.

It’s important to note that the kitchen should be one of the very first rooms to pack when moving – usually right after you’ve packed the storage areas (garage, basement, attic, etc.) in your home. That’s ok, but what’s the best way to pack a kitchen for a move?

Follow these tips for packing a kitchen when you move.

What to do before packing a kitchen for moving

Before you can start packing up your kitchen for a move, there are a couple of very important things you should do first so that the packing task can go as smoothly as possible.

1) Get kitchen packing supplies

One thing is sure – your kitchen will contain a lot of easily breakable items. And so, you’re going to have to take good care of those kitchen breakables so that they can reach the new home’s kitchen safe and sound.

To pack up your kitchen, you’ll definitely need a number of high-quality packing supplies.

Packing boxes. Get around 20-25 strong medium-sized boxes to pack up your various kitchen items. Also, you’re recommended to get several dish boxes (dish barrels) – the double layer of corrugated cardboard makes them much stronger than standard cardboard boxes.
Packing paper. You’ll need plenty of clean white packing paper when packing your breakable kitchen items.
Bubble wrap. Bubble wrap will provide unrivaled protection for all breakables in the kitchen.

2) Sort out your kitchen items

Sorting is part of the kitchen packing process that you just can’t go without. Why? It’ll give you the chance to select only the kitchen items that you will really need for your new home. In reality, it’s the perfect opportunity to get rid of any unwanted or worthless kitchen stuff so that your new kitchen becomes tidier and more practical than the old one.

Go through each kitchen drawer, cupboard, and cabinet. Then, empty their contents and begin the sorting process on the kitchen table. Set one pile for the kitchen items you’re moving with you, and another one for the things you won’t be taking with you to the new home.

How to pack dishes for moving

Here’s how to pack kitchen dishes for moving:

TAPE the bottom of each dish box, then create a protective layer inside the box from pieces of crumpled packing paper, newspapers or bubble wrap.
POSITION a kitchen plate in the middle of a stack of white packing paper, then pull two sheets from each corner over the fragile flatware piece until it is covered completely.
ADD an extra layer of bubble wrap for your more expensive and valuable flatware pieces.
WRAP entirely the china plate in paper as if it were a gift, then use small pieces of tape to keep the bundle from unwrapping.
TRANSFER the protected dish to the box and place it inside on its edge – never lay it flat!
FILL all empty spaces inside the dish pack with paper or pieces of clothing to prevent the packed dishes from shifting during transport.
TAPE the dish box shut, then label it KITCHEN PLATES, EXTRA FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE.

More info: How to pack kitchen plates for moving

How to pack glasses for moving

Here’s how to pack kitchen glasses for moving:

PREPARE the boxes that will hold your kitchen glasses. Tape the bottoms of those containers and place padding materials (crumpled paper, bubble wrap, pieces of clothing) on the inside.
PLACE a glass in the center of a stack of white wrapping paper.
WRAP the stem of the glass (when packing wine glasses for moving) with a protective sheet of bubble wrap, then tape the plastic protector in place.
TAKE 2-3 sheets of packing paper and tuck one corner inside the glass bowl, then wrap the other three corners around the entire length of the glass.
TAPE the paper-wrapped bundle to keep it from getting unwrapped inside the box.
TRANSFER the protected glassware pieces inside the cardboard container, then arrange the kitchen breakables so that their open parts face down.
FILL in any empty spaces inside the container with newspapers, packing paper, bubble wrap or pieces of clothing. The idea is to make sure the packed kitchen glasses won’t move during transport.
CLOSE the box, tape it shut and label it KITCHEN GLASSES, FRAGILE.

More info: How to pack kitchen glasses for moving

How to pack silverware (forks, spoons, knives) for moving

Here’s how to pack kitchen utensils for moving:

SORT all your kitchen utensils and silverware by type and size to facilitate the packing process.
PLACE 6-8 forks or spoons of roughly the same length on a sheet of packing paper or bubble wrap.
WRAP the protective material around the silverware pieces to form a tight bundle. Use tape to fix that bundle in place.
TRANSFER the bundled spoons and forks into a strong small box.
REPEAT the steps until you pack all of your silverware pieces.

Here’s how to pack kitchen knives for moving:

PREPARE several knives that are similar in size and function.
POSITION one knife near the edge of the stack of packing paper.
TAKE three pieces of paper and roll them over the knife, diagonally, until the cutting tool is covered in paper.
PLACE another knife in such a way that its blade points in the opposite direction of the first knife. KEEP rolling until the second knife gets covered in packing paper too.
CONTINUE to add knives in the same fashion until you run out of paper.
FORM a tight bundle, then tape it safely. Usually, you’ll be able to get 4-5 knives in a bundle.

Why is this knife packing method safe? In the end, you’ll have roughly 20 separate sheets of paper covering the knife blades.

Important info: How to pack knives for moving

How to pack kitchen pots and pans

Packing kitchen pots and pans for moving is fairly easy because they are not as fragile as plates and glasses, for example. So, it’ll be enough to pack those various pots and pans separately in a few sheets of packing paper and then transfer them into bigger packing boxes for transportation.

When packing pots and pans of various sizes, you’re recommended to use the nesting packing technique – that is, to place paper-wrapped small ones into paper-wrapped larger ones to save space.

How to pack small kitchen appliances

When you get to packing your small kitchen appliances – toasters, mixers, blenders, coffee makers, microwave ovens, etc. – your first thought should be to try to find the original boxes those appliances came in. If you have no idea where those boxes are, then you should use strong cardboard boxes of similar sizes to hold your various kitchen appliances.

Wrap each electric appliance in wrapping paper for extra protection, then place inside the proper box and use padding to prevent any shifts during transport.

How to pack large kitchen appliances

Packing and moving your large kitchen appliances without professional experience will require adequate preparation, proper moving equipment, substantial manpower, and previous relocation experience.

The two most important questions you should ask yourself are:

Should you pay to move any of your large and heavy kitchen appliances? (Is it worth it?)
Can you do it safely, without professional assistance of any kind? (Have you done it before?)

Here’s more information about how to move a refrigerator by yourself, as well as how to move a dishwasher without movers.

Must-read info: Should you hire professional packers?