I Used a Shoe Rack to Organize My Kitchen Bakeware and I Feel Like a Total Genius

I’ve been in an organizational groove for a while now. Tackling closet clutter, turning an awkward pantry into functional space, and making surfaces sparkle (instead of overwhelmed with stuff) has been my jam lately. But there’s been one category in my home that’s consistently eluded me: kitchen bakeware. 

What’s a lady to do with all those baking dishes, pie pans, muffin tins, and roasting pans? I scoured the internet and scrolled relentlessly on Amazon trying to find bakeware organizers that fit my needs. None fit the bill. I even purchased a couple racks and storage solutions and ended up huffing and sending them right back to the supplier. They felt flimsy, didn’t fit the space, and honestly just didn’t look that great. 

I gave the conundrum some space for a bit, and then it hit me one day while organizing another area of my home: the shoe rack! A light bulb went off in my head as I realized that this might just be the perfect solution. It was the right size, had multiple shelves, was super sturdy, and looked clean. 

I did a few quick measurements and then snagged this Bamboo Three-Tier Shoe Rack Bench. The day the product arrived I eagerly put it together, which wasn’t difficult at all. It came with the necessary Allen wrench, parts, and simple instructions. The whole process took about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Once built, I pulled everything out of my lower cabinet — where bakeware dishes teetered dangerously on top of each other — and got rid of duplicates or unusable items. Then I popped the bamboo rack into the space and began giving every item its own place. I actually ended up only needing the lower two shelves (I repurposed the top shelf in another cabinet).

Larger pans and dishes fit beautifully on the two shelves and underneath. The shoe rack was so effective at organizing my bakeware that there ended up being some additional space in my cabinet to the right side of the rack, which allowed me to set up an additional small shelf that I had lying around. 

Afterward, I stood back and marveled at my ingenious solution. It’s been a few months since then, and this simple shoe rack actually works better than any other bakeware organizer I’ve come across. I also love that it’s water-resistant (just in case those pans aren’t quite dry by the time they make it back to their home) and easy to wipe down.

Buy: Homemaid Living Bamboo Three-Tier Shoe Rack, $37.99

This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: I Used a Shoe Rack to Organize My Kitchen Bakeware and I Feel Like a Genius