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The history of design tells us that the first pot racks appeared during the 18th century, debuting in Europe in the homes of high-ranking members of society. Lore around the history of racks has it that a French King ordered the production of the very first rack, wanting the kitchen in his palace to be more organized and modern.

Early racks were simple styles, produced from forged heavy metals. Created in blacksmith shops, these racks were made with function in mind; their designs were incredibly simplistic with little attention to stylish details. As the methods for producing racks became less expensive, the rack shifted from a status symbol for the elite to a sought-after accessory for everyday homes.

Now, pot racks are more popular than ever with numerous top manufacturers continuously releasing new styles to not only keep modern kitchens organized, but also to complement a range of decors. As a result, you'll have hundreds of styles to choose from when you begin shopping for a rack for your own home.

We created our Buyers' Guide to Pot Racks to assist you throughout the shopping process. The guide is designed to help you make the most important decisions regarding what style is best for your kitchen. From there, you can focus in on the stylistic features that will best suit the space.

Choosing a Style

The very first step necessary when shopping for racks is selecting what overall style will look and work best in your kitchen. Today's manufacturers produce racks in three primary styles: hanging, wall and standing. To help you determine what style will be best for your home, consider the following questions:

How much wall space and floor space do you have available in your kitchen?

What style will work the best in your kitchen depends largely on how much space you have to accommodate it. If you do not have any available space on your floors due to cabinetry and furnishings, a standing pot rack cannot be used. Similarly, a wall style is only useful if you have wall space available. Unless you intend to keep your rack away from the wall area, available wall space is also necessary for a standing style. If you don’t have adequate space along your walls or floor, a hanging style is the ideal choice for your home.

What type of ceiling do you have?

Hanging models can be used with any type of ceiling; however, with some ceiling styles you may need professional assistance with installing your rack. For example, plaster ceilings typically have their joists located further back within the ceiling space and will require a contractor to locate them. Also, masonry ceilings require special bits for drilling, so you will at least need to contact a professional for advice on what to use. Although installation in a drop ceiling can be done without a contractor's help, the false ceiling tiles complicate the installation process. If you have any of these ceiling types and you’d prefer to do the work yourself, you may opt for a standing or wall style to keep installation simple.

What are your work habits in the kitchen? Where are your pots and pans currently kept?

The type of home chef that you are can also help you to choose what style of rack is best for you. People who prefer to stand in one place where they work often find hanging styles that keep all of their pots and pans overhead to be convenient. Home chefs that are constantly on the move and prefer to work at a number of stations throughout the kitchen are often more satisfied by wall or standing racks that they can access while on the go.

You'll also need to consider where your pots and pans are currently kept. If using a specific style of rack will mean that they will be in an entirely different location, you may have a hard time adjusting to the new layout. Over time, you will gradually adapt your working habits to the new location, but some home chefs prefer to select the style that can be used as close to the original location of their pots and pans storage as possible.

Determining the Size

In order for a model to truly fit in your home, it is important that you select one that is the right size. For wall and hanging styles, you'll first need to locate the studs and joists, respectively, before measuring for your rack. In most wall types and with drywall ceilings, a stud finder can be used to locate the studs and joists. Once you have found them, consider marking them with a pencil so you may refer to your marks while you perform your measurements. Standing rack styles will not require you to perform any preparation work before measuring.

If you are opting for a wall or hanging rack style, you'll begin determining the size through the same steps.

1. Calculate your reach height by holding your arm overhead and having someone measure from the tip of your fingers to the floor.
2. Arrange the pots and pans that you intend to store on your rack in order from largest to smallest.
3. Measure the length of both the longest and shortest pieces when hung vertically.
4. Determine the height of your ceiling by consulting building plans or measuring.

For hanging racks

1. Add together your reach height and the length of your longest pot or pan.
2. Subtract the figure obtained in Step 1 from the height of the ceilingto determine the maximum height for your hanging rack.
3. Add together your reach height and the length of your shortest pot or pan.
4. Subtract the figure obtained in Step 3 from the height of the ceilingto determine the minimum height for your hanging rack.
5. Measure the widths of your pots and pans to refer to as you shop and ensure that your rack is of adequate length and width to accommodate them.
6. Measure the area of island or counter top over which you intend to hang your rack.
7. Subtract 6 inches from both the length and the width of the area measured in step 6 to determine the maximum length and width for your hanging rack. This step is necessary to ensure that there is a safe amount of clearance around the rack.

For wall racks

1. Make a dot on the wall to represent eye level and measure from this dot to your ceiling or measure the distance from that dot to the floor and then subtract from the overall ceiling height.
2. Subtract 6 inches from the figure in Step 1 to determine the maximum height for your rack.
3. Add together your reach height and the length of your shortest pot or pan.
4. Subtract the figure obtained in Step 3 from the figure obtained in Step 2 to determine the minimum height for your wall rack.
5. Measure from one stud across to the next to determine the required length for your rack.
6. Measure the point from your wall to the start of the walkway past the area where your rack will be placed and subtract six inches to determine the maximum width for your rack.
7. Measure the overall width of your pots and pans to refer to as you shop and ensure that your rack is of adequate length and width to accommodate them.

Measuring for a Standing Rack

The measurement process for a standing style is much less complex than for other styles. You'll simply need to complete the following steps:

1. Use masking tape to mark off the area in which you will place your standing rack.
2. Measure across the front of your tape diagram to determine the ideal length of your standing rack.
3. Measure across the sides of your tape diagram to determine the ideal width of your standing rack.
4. Measure the lengths and widths of your pots and pans to refer to as you shop and ensure that your rack is of adequate length and width to accommodate them.

While you shop for standing racks, you'll need to keep your own height in mind to ensure that you can reach the top of the rack easily. Typically, your rack will need to stand no taller than six inches above your height for you to be able to reach the stop shelf without requiring a chair.

Beginning Shopping

Once you know what style and sizes to confine your search to, shopping for your rack will become much simpler. The next steps will involve determining what finish you prefer from options like

• Hammered steel
• Stainless steel
• Steel
• Iron
• Copper
• Chrome
• Brass
• Wood

In addition to the finish, you'll have your choice of shapes, including:

• Bar
• Round
• Oval
• Rectangle

Some companies even produce specialized styles, such as racks with lights to keep your work area bright. Adjustable styles that can be expanded as your cookware collection grows are also available.

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