Of all the rooms in a house, the kitchen is usually the one people dread packing. It is full of fragile glassware and crockery, heavy pots and pans, awkward appliances, and dozens of small items that all need to travel without chipping, cracking, or shattering along the way.
The reassuring part is that packing a kitchen well is mostly a matter of technique. With the right materials and a few simple methods, such as standing plates on their edges rather than stacking them flat, you can considerably reduce the risk of breakage.
This guide explains how to pack a kitchen step by step, from plates and glasses to pots, knives and the contents of your store cupboard. Follow it, and you will give everything the best possible chance of arriving in one piece.
Why The Kitchen Is The Trickiest Room To Pack
The kitchen is difficult because it combines two things that do not normally go together in a moving box: fragile items and heavy ones. Glasses and china crack under pressure, while cast iron pans and stacks of plates make boxes extremely heavy very quickly.
This is also the room with the widest variety of shapes. Tall glasses, wide bowls, long utensils and bulky appliances all need different handling, and very little of it stacks neatly. Add in food, sharp knives and the odd sentimental piece of dinnerware, and it is easy to see why the kitchen takes longer than people expect.
Because of all this, it pays to pack the kitchen carefully rather than rushing it at the last minute. If you would like a broader overview of moving day before you start, our guide on how to pack when moving house covers the wider essentials, while this article focuses on the kitchen itself.
What You’ll Need to Pack Your Kitchen Safely
Having your materials ready before you begin saves a lot of stopping and starting. For a kitchen, gather:
- Sturdy boxes in a few sizes, with smaller boxes kept for the heaviest items.
- Plenty of clean packing paper for wrapping and cushioning.
- Bubble wrap for your most delicate glassware and any special pieces.
- Loose-fill or void-fill to pack out gaps inside boxes.
- Strong packing tape to seal heavy boxes securely.
- A marker pen for labelling, plus scissors or a safety knife.
One quick word on paper: use properpacking paper rather than old newspaper. Newsprint ink rubs off easily and can leave grey smudges all over plates, mugs and especially white china, which then have to be washed again at the other end.
Start Early And Declutter As You Go
The kitchen is the ideal room to thin out before you move. You almost certainly have duplicate utensils, chipped mugs, gadgets you never use and food that has been at the back of the cupboard for years.
Pack the things you rarely use first, such as serving dishes, special-occasion glasses and spare crockery, and leave the items you reach for every day until last. Anything you choose not to keep can be donated, recycled or used up before the move, which means fewer boxes to carry and unpack.
How To Pack Plates: Stand Them Like Records
Most people instinctively stack plates flat, but this is one of the most common causes of breakages. When plates lie flat, the entire weight of the pile presses down on the plates at the bottom, and one knock can crack the lot.
Instead, pack your plates vertically, on their edges, like vinyl records or files in a drawer. A plate is far stronger against pressure applied to its rim than it is against weight pressing down on its face, so standing them upright lets them support one another and absorb bumps far better.
Here is the method:
- Wrap each plate individually in packing paper, then add a second sheet around pairs for extra protection.
- Line the bottom of the box with a thick layer of crushed paper for cushioning.
- Stand the wrapped plates on their edges, packed snugly so they cannot tip or slide.
- Fill any remaining space with more paper so nothing can move.
Use a smaller, sturdy box for plates rather than a large one, as crockery becomes heavy fast.Double wall boxes are a sensible choice here because the extra-strong, crush-resistant construction copes well with the weight.
How to Pack Glasses, Mugs And Bowls
Glassware is the most fragile part of any kitchen, so it deserves the most care.
Glasses And Stemware
Wrap each glass individually, working a sheet of packing paper into the bowl of the glass first, so it is supported from the inside, then rolling the whole thing in another sheet. Delicate stemware and anything irreplaceable is worth wrapping inbubble wrap for an extra layer of cushioning.
Stand glasses upright in the box rather than on their sides, and never let them touch one another directly. The aim is to leave as little room for movement as possible: once the glasses are in, fill the gaps around and between them so they cannot slide about in transit. BiodegradableEco-Flo loose fill is useful here because the peanuts flow into the small spaces a sheet of paper cannot reach, helping to reduce movement around each wrapped glass. Use it alongside a snug box and proper wrapping, though, rather than as the only layer of protection.
Mugs And Bowls
Mugs can be stuffed with a little crushed paper inside, then wrapped individually. Bowls can be wrapped and nested in small stacks with paper between each one, but keep the stacks short so they do not become too heavy. As with plates, fill the box out fully so nothing rattles around.
For more ways to keep delicate items safe on the journey, our guide onprotecting fragile items in transit is worth a read.
Pots, Pans, Knives And Utensils
Pots and pans are tougher, but they still benefit from a little protection. Nest them inside one another with a sheet of paper between each one to prevent scratching, and wrap the glass lids separately, as they break easily. Keep these heavier items in smaller boxes.
Sharp knives need careful handling for safety as much as protection. Wrap each blade in paper, or slot knives into a knife block or guard, then bundle them together and tape securely, clearly labelling the package so whoever unpacks it knows there are blades inside. Loose utensils can be grouped, wrapped and boxed together.
Small Appliances And Awkward Items
If you kept the original boxes for appliances such as kettles, toasters or blenders, those are ideal, as they are designed to fit. If not, wrap each appliance, secure any loose cords with a tie or tape so they are not flapping about, and pad the box out around them.
Heavier appliances should go in their own small, strong box rather than being piled in with crockery. Anything with a removable glass part, such as a blender jug, should have that part wrapped separately.
Food And The Store Cupboard
Use up perishables, anything frozen and open packets in the days before you move, as these rarely travel well. For the store cupboard, make sure jars and bottles are tightly sealed, and consider taping the lids of oils and sauces and bagging them separately so a leak cannot spoil anything else. Pack tins and heavier jars in small boxes to keep the weight manageable.
Cleaning products should be packed separately from food, crockery and textiles. Check that lids are firmly closed, keep bottles upright where you can, and avoid moving anything that is leaking or almost empty, as it is rarely worth the risk of a spill.
Keep A Kitchen Essentials Box For Moving Day
Set one box aside for the things you will want straight away, before you have had a chance to unpack properly. A good kitchen essentials box might include the kettle, a few mugs, tea and coffee, a couple of plates and some cutlery, washing-up liquid, tea towels, kitchen roll, bin bags and a few snacks.
Keep this box with you or load it last so it comes off the van first. When you arrive, it makes sense to open the essentials box first, then work through your plates and glasses, and leave the store cupboard and appliances until you are ready to organise the new kitchen properly.
Boxing Up And Loading Safely
A few finishing habits make the difference between a smooth unpack and a stressful one:
- Build each box in layers. Start with a cushioned base, place the heaviest wrapped items first, fill the gaps as you go, and add a final layer of paper on top before sealing.
- Seal every box firmly along the seams with strongpacking tape, especially the base of heavy boxes.
- Keep heavy boxes small. A large box full of crockery quickly becomes impossible to lift safely.
- Label clearly. Mark each box with its contents and the room, and write “fragile” and “this way up” where applicable.
When loading the van, place the heaviest boxes on the bottom and keep fragile, clearly labelled boxes on top where nothing can crush them.
Common Kitchen Packing Mistakes To Avoid
- Stacking plates flat instead of standing them on their edges.
- Using newspaper, which leaves ink marks on crockery and glass.
- Overfilling large boxes until they are too heavy to lift safely.
- Leaving space in a box so items rattle and knock together.
- Packing knives loose without wrapping the blades.
Find The Right Materials for Packing Your Kitchen
A successful kitchen pack really does come down to having the right materials to hand before you start. At Schott Packaging, you will find everything the job needs in one place: strong boxes for heavy crockery, clean packing paper that will not stain your china, bubble wrap for the pieces you cannot replace, and loose fill to stop glasses moving.
If you would rather not gather everything piece by piece, ourmoving kits bring the core materials together in one delivery, with strong double wall boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, and a marker pen, sized to the scale of your move. For crockery and glassware, it is worth adding some clean packing paper alongside the kit, as the packs are built around boxes and bubble wrap rather than paper.
Final Thoughts on Packing Your Kitchen
The kitchen takes patience, but the principles are straightforward: wrap fragile items individually in clean paper, stand plates on their edges, fill every gap so nothing can shift, and keep heavy boxes small and well sealed. Get those right, and the room that worries most people becomes one of the most satisfying to unpack.
Take your time, protect the things that matter, and your glasses, plates and china will be ready to fill your new kitchen, all in one piece.
FAQs
Should I pack plates flat or on their side?
Pack plates on their edges, standing upright like records. A plate resists pressure on its rim far better than weight pressing down on its face, so standing them this way, wrapped individually and packed snugly, greatly reduces the risk of cracks and chips.
Can I use newspaper to wrap crockery?
It is better not to. Newspaper ink transfers easily and can leave grey smudges on plates, mugs and glassware, particularly white china. Clean packing paper does the same job of cushioning without the mess, so your items come out ready to use.
How do I stop glasses breaking when moving?
Wrap each glass individually, padding the inside with paper, stand them upright, and make sure they never touch. Then fill the gaps around them with loose fill or crushed paper so they cannot move in transit, as movement is the main cause of breakage.
What size boxes are best for kitchen items?
Use smaller boxes for heavy items like plates, pans and tinned food, and save larger boxes for lighter, bulkier things. Sturdy double-wall boxes are well-suited to the heaviest kitchen items because they hold up better under their weight.