Cake Pan Storage.........creative Ideas????
Decorating By tonimarie Updated 8 Apr 2008 , 2:24am by beachcakes
I was wondering if anyone has any creative storage ideas for cake pans? I have so many, I actually couldn't even name them all and forget about them because they are all piled in a cupboard. I was wondering if anyone has any good ideas of how to store and keep track of them all? Thanks to anyone who can help!
if you can't keep track of all of your pans, make a list of them on your computer somewhere (in excel maybe so you can search and sort)
i keep my pans in big bins in the garage. keeps them clean and out of the way. you could label the bins so you know which pans are in each bin so you aren't opening each one looking for the one pan you need.
We housesit at the 1930âs mansion of my boss when heâs out of town. It has what Iâd call a chefâs kitchen and itâs been meticulously kept close to its original. Back then, people seemed to have had a better idea how to design storage spaces efficiently, as one the things that I found unique is exactly the pan storage: A few of the large bottom cabinets in the kitchen have multiple VERTICAL dividers, instead of horizontal shelves, so all pans are lined up like books in a library in their own little space. No piled up messes, everything within plain sight⦠When I grow up⦠
I have all of my pans in a huge cabinet in my basement. It's so hard because odd shaped pans do not nest! And then even pans the same size do not nest because the sides are straight - it's a pain. I would love to know if anyone has any creative storgae ideas.
As for keeping track of what I do have - I started an excel spreadsheet a while back (I need to update it!) and that does help. I also started the list for candy molds, I seem to have accumulated over 50 of them! And I can't remember what I have off the top of my head anymore (too many senior moments).
my DH will whimper at this, but I've thought of putting all my character or special cake pans on the wall. 
I don't use them often enough to keep them very handy, and they'd make great decorations. LOL As for my 'regular' pans... we're working on something in the cabinet they're in... we want to make dividers so that we can stand all of them up, within their own sets, in small, narrow slots. I might have to rubber-band them all together to keep 'em from falling out when I pull them out, but I can do that. Right now, the system we're using (stack them wherever there's space) isn't working so well for us.
I'll be interested to see what other folks are doing!
I had the same problem. What I did was buy the largest Rubbermaid container I could find. It's about 5 ft. long, not exagerated. I put my cake pans in it, laying them on their sides so I could flip through them simply by removing the lid of the container. I put all the wedding pans of each shape inside of each other so when I need them, they are all together. The whole container is in my garage. The only pans I keep in my house are my sheet cake pans and my round 6, 8, 10, & 12. These are used the most often so I need to be able to get them at a moments notice. I really like storing my pans this way. It keeps me from having to empty a cabinet every time I have to find a particular pan. Hope this helps someone.
This post made me laugh because Saturday I decided to clean out the garage because I was tired of looking at the mess (even though it is totally a boy job). I have was given a plastic shelf in the garage where I store my cake pans - I put them in the giant ziplock baggies so they don't get icky. My shelf was about 2 foot long and had I thnk 4 shelves on it. Anyway my dh had a shelf on the opposite side of the garage that is 24" wide, 8ft long and there are 4 rows on this shelf. So while cleaning the garage I moved all his stuff to my little shelf and put shelf paper on his big shelves and switched w/ him! I told him I read in the "girl book" (you know the secret one only girls can read) and it said She who cleans the garage gets the big shelf! So now I have plenty of room for my pans. I also have a sealed container of cheap barbies, cookie cutters and a big box of bubble wrap that all fit on the self.
Melissa
My wonderful husband just keeps building up...up...up... (And, I don't do this for money or a business - all my stuff is just "for me" right now, so this is just what I do at home...)
He attached long "closet organizers" in my laundry room and I have BIG rubbermaid-style containers with lids that lock in place that I use to store the pans.
I have numbered each of the containers, and then I have a file system that I use - It is in a recipe card box. I list the name and style/model number of the pan and the kind of pan and then the number of the container in which it is stored - and any other info that I pick up or might find useful....(how many cups it holds/oven temp/things that worked/things that didn't, etc.).
I cross-reference, too - so if I am looking online and find something interesting, I just grab the index file and add to it.
It sounds like a ton of work and a huge pain, but it works really well. (And, yes - I am a bit of an organizer freak.... 
) It was a bit of work to set up originally, but now it works really well - and I add to the system when I have time. But, now I know what I have (which saves me money by NOT buying things I already have...We don't have much space in the kitchen for all my stuff - and I wasn't going to keep it in the garage or attic. So, I had to find a way to make it work!!!
Good luck!
Lish
I have a giant plastic tub right now holding my cake pans, gumpaste supplies, rolling pins, and anything I can fit in there. I will be needing another one soon!!!
I have some in those plastic grocery-type bags- loose, one to a bag, and I hang them on a hanger in a closet (if I have room !! ) The bags come in multiple sizes- like Kohls has a larger one for bigger pans, and Walmart as well- different sizes... Saves alot of space for me. You can label them too - better yet if you can find clear bags...
I have a large metal shelving unit in my laundry room (kind of a large space). i have a variety of rubbermaid plastic tubs (all see thru).
I have 1 large container for my odd shaped pans (see thru helps me keep track).
I have 1 large container for my rounds, squares & rectangles.
I have shoe boxes sizes that I keep misc things in: 3 for cookie cutters, 1 for impression mats, 1 for molds, 1 for sprinkles & toppings, etc.
My pedestals and other supplies fit on there nicely as well. this has helped me keep track of my things much better.
well.... i put two long strips of magnate on the inside of my pantry door, then i get the opposit magnate and stick the cake pan on the door with the other in the center of the pan. does this make sence?
well.... i put two long strips of magnate on the inside of my pantry door, then i get the opposit magnate and stick the cake pan on the door with the other in the center of the pan. does this make sence?
If you have the room, use the free-standing metal wire shelves available at Lowe's (or whatever you have locally). Clear (so you can see into them)plastic rubber-maid type storage bins are great to keep smaller tools and equipment organized. You can also get wire drawers that attach to the shelves that can be used to store and organize small items such as cookie cutters so that you don't have a lot of unused dead space.
You can also buy clear plastic covers for the shelves that allow easy access, but keep everything dust free. I haven't looked, but you may be able to purchase additional shelves. For things like cookie sheets and odd-shaped pans that don't stack well, look for something that allows you to store them on their sides, such as plastic crates.
A label maker is a good investment also, because you can label everything so you know what goes where and what's in which container.
Also, take an inventory at least once a year. This will help remind you of everything you have, as well as let you get rid of things you don't need.
If someone feels ambitious enough, perhaps they could even set up a pan/equipment swap for CC members.
I'm also game for other ideas.
Ron
Cakes by Khris
Sounds like we're all in the same spot..NO ROOM I love the idea of hanging them on the wall (except the dust) and have thought of doing that. I definetely need to take inventory! Good ol' rubbermaid containers-right? thanks to all for your help and keep 'em coming.
I have most of my character/shaped pans hanging on a closet wall using either small nails or picture hangers - jokingly call it my cake pan closet, and thankfully my husband never goes in and has no idea of what I own! I have the pan sets in a large plastic container.
deb
Sounds like we're all in the same spot..NO ROOM
I love the idea of hanging them on the wall (except the dust) and have thought of doing that. I definetely need to take inventory! Good ol' rubbermaid containers-right? thanks to all for your help and keep 'em coming.
glad press and seal! It keeps the dust out, so that all you'd have to do is rinse off the outside of the pan, since that's the part that would face out from the wall.
cheflish - can you add my house to the list as well? I need help over there!
My solution was to get rid of the character pans! LOL They took up way too much space and I never used them. I nest the standard pans inside of each other - they fit nicely and then I only need space for two of my largest of each shape. i.e., 4-6-8-10-12-14 twice.
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