Pot Racks

A pot rack is a functional piece of kitchen furniture that is used to hang or store cooking pots and pans. Pot racks come in a wide variety of styles, sizes, and finishes. One of the most common and popular styles is the hanging pot rack with grid. more...

Hanging pot racks need to be installed into ceiling joists. They usually come with chains or extension hooks, or hanging links and ceiling screws. Hanging pot racks are normally sold with hooks that can be positioned on the rim or on the grid. You can hang your pots and pans directly from the grid or from the rim.

Many manufacturers also make pot racks to hang from the wall. Wall pot racks can be bar pot racks or bookshelf pot racks. Bookshelf pot rack usually have a grid as well. Bar pot racks are just a strip of metal that attaches to wall studs in two places. When hanging a wall pot rack, the most important thing to remember is that you need to secure the pot rack directly into wall studs, not plaster or drywall. Otherwise, the weight of the pots and pans may dislodge the pot rack, damage your wall, or become a safety hazard. Instructions for installing pot racks and the hardware needed for installation varies by brand/manufacturer. Always follow manufacturer instructions when installing a pot rack.

Hanging pot racks come in various heights. To determine the proper height for your pot rack, you'll want to first determine your reaching height. To determine your reaching height, extend your arm up in the air as you would if you were reaching for a pot. Now, determine the height of your extended arm. In other words, if you are 5' 5" tall, and you extend your arm into the air, your arm is likely to be about 1 ft above your head when fully extended. So, your reaching height would be 6' 5", or 77" total.

Next, determine the height of your ceiling. Most ceilings are 8 ft or 9 ft, but some are taller. If you have a 9 ft ceiling, your ceiling is 108" above ground. We've already determined that your reaching height is 77". The length of the average pot with handle is about 12", though some can be longer and some shorter. Adding the average pot length to your reaching height, you get 89". That means that the height of your pot rack, plus the hooks that hang from the grid, must be equal to 19" in order for you to reach your pots. You should look for a pot rack that is 19", or if you find a smaller one, get the proper length of chain and/or extension hooks to make up the difference.

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