How to pack a kitchen for moving

The kitchen is usually the hardest room to pack. It has the most individual items, the most breakables, and the things you need every day right up until you leave. The trick is to pack it in stages and keep a small working kitchen until the very end.

Start with a sort

Open every cabinet and drawer before you pack anything. Pull out duplicates, gadgets you haven't used in a year, expired spices and pantry items you won't finish. Donating or tossing them now means fewer containers to fill and carry.

Plan to eat down your pantry and freezer in the last two weeks. Frozen food is difficult to move safely, especially in warm weather.

Pack in this order

  1. Rarely used items: specialty bakeware, serving platters, holiday dishes, the bread machine.
  2. Glassware and dishes you won't need, keeping out one place setting per person.
  3. Small appliances you can live without for a week.
  4. Pantry staples and spices — tape lids closed and bag anything that could spill.
  5. Last: the everyday set of plates, mugs, a pan, a knife and utensils, packed into one clearly marked 'Kitchen — open first' container.

How to wrap dishes and glasses

Wrap each plate individually in packing paper and stand plates on edge, like records, rather than stacking them flat. On-edge plates handle bumps far better. Fill gaps with crumpled paper or dish towels so nothing shifts.

For glasses, stuff a sheet of paper inside first, then roll the glass diagonally in more paper and fold the ends in. Place glasses upright in the top layer of a container, above heavier items. Towels, pot holders and cloth napkins make good padding and save buying extra supplies.

Keep each container to a weight you can lift comfortably. Dishes are heavy; fill the bottom with plates and pots, the middle with smaller items, and the top with glasses and lighter pieces.

Pots, pans and knives

Nest pots and pans by size with a sheet of paper between each. Put lids in a separate slot along the side. Wrap knives in a towel or cardboard sleeve and secure with a rubber band, then label the bundle so whoever unpacks it knows what's inside.

Small appliances

Empty and clean coffee makers, blenders and toasters. Tape cords to the appliance body and put loose parts — blender blades, carafe lids — in a labeled bag inside the same container. If you still have original boxes, use them; otherwise wrap with towels.

Labeling the kitchen

Write 'Kitchen' plus a short contents note ('glasses — fragile', 'baking', 'pantry') on each container. When you unpack, open the everyday container first, then the dishes, then the rest as you have time.

Why totes help in the kitchen

Rigid plastic totes don't crush when stacked, which matters for dishes and glassware. Snap-on lids keep spills contained, and identical sizes stack neatly in a truck. STORVA totes are 27 gallons — fill heavy items low and keep the total weight manageable.

How STORVA tote rental works

STORVA rents reusable 27-gallon black totes with yellow snap-on lids across Dallas–Fort Worth. We drop the empty totes off at your door, you pack, move and unpack your own belongings, and we pick the empty totes back up on the date you chose. We don't move, pack or haul anything for you — we supply the equipment.

Packages start at $79. The 1 Bedroom package and larger include black 4-wheel dollies; extra dollies are $9 each. Next-day drop-off is available across DFW; for weekends and the end of the month, book 2–3 days ahead.

  • Dorm / Studio: 10 totes, 1 week included, $79.
  • 1 Bedroom: 20 totes + 1 dolly, 2 weeks included, $109.
  • 2–3 Bedrooms: 40 totes + 1 dolly, 2 weeks included, $189.
  • 4+ Bedrooms: 60 totes + 2 dollies, 2 weeks included, $239.

Rent totes · Use the tote calculator

Frequently asked questions

Should plates be packed flat or on edge?

On edge. Wrap each plate and stand it vertically with padding around it; plates handle bumps better that way than stacked flat.

What should I keep out until moving day?

One place setting per person, a pan, a knife, utensils, coffee supplies and dish soap. Pack them last in a container marked 'open first'.

Does STORVA sell packing paper?

Yes. Packing paper and bubble wrap are available as add-ons on the packing supplies page.

Related guides