Ask anyone who has moved: the kitchen is the room that takes forever. It is full of fragile, heavy and oddly shaped things, and you need half of them right up until moving day. The trick is packing in the right order, with the right materials.
Get the right supplies
Kitchen packing supplies
- Small and medium boxes (never large ones for dishes)
- Plenty of plain packing paper
- Cell dividers for glasses, or extra paper
- Good packing tape and a marker
- Zip-top bags for small parts and cords
- Dish towels to use as padding
Skip the newspaper
Newsprint ink rubs off on dishes and hands. Plain packing paper is clean, cheap and easy to reuse.
Pack in the right order
- Two weeks out: rarely used items like serving platters, holiday dishes, the stand mixer and extra glassware.
- One week out: most dishes, cookbooks, baking pans and extra pots. Keep a few plates, cups and one pan per person.
- Two days out: the pantry. Use up open food and donate unopened cans.
- The night before: the last dishes, the coffee maker and the "open first" box.
How to pack plates, glasses and bowls
Plates: wrap each plate in paper and stand it on its edge, like a record, not flat. Plates are much stronger on edge. Put a thick layer of crumpled paper on the bottom of the box first.
Glasses and mugs: stuff paper inside each glass, then wrap the outside. Pack them upright in a box with dividers, heaviest at the bottom.
Bowls: wrap each one and nest two or three together, with paper between them.
Fill every gap with crumpled paper. Gently shake the closed box: if you hear anything move, add more paper. Write "FRAGILE – KITCHEN" and "THIS SIDE UP" on at least two sides.
Knives, appliances and heavy items
- Knives: wrap each blade in paper and then a dish towel, tape it closed and label it "KNIVES" so nobody grabs it by surprise.
- Small appliances: use the original boxes if you still have them. Tape cords to the appliance and put small parts in a labeled bag.
- Pots and pans: nest them, with paper between each one. Put lids in their own wrap.
- Heavy items in small boxes: cast iron, cookbooks and canned food get heavy fast. Keep boxes light enough to carry safely.
The fridge and freezer
Plan your meals to empty the fridge and freezer in the last week. If the refrigerator is moving with you, unplug it the day before so the freezer can defrost, and wipe it dry so it does not leak or smell in the truck. Remove glass shelves and pack them flat, wrapped in paper.
Pack an "open first" kitchen box
This box rides with you or goes on the truck last, so it comes off first:
- Coffee maker, coffee and mugs
- A few plates, bowls, cups and utensils
- One pan, one pot and a spatula
- Dish soap, a sponge, paper towels and trash bags
- Snacks and a bottle opener
Short on time? Our crew can pack just the kitchen, or the whole house, and unpack it at the new place. See packing and unpacking. Boxes that are ready before the crew arrives also make the move faster, which keeps your hourly cost down.
Let us handle the fragile stuff
Our 2-mover crew is $129/hr with no travel fee, and packing is billed at the same rate. Request a free quote and tell us which rooms you would like packed.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pack plates so they don't break?
Wrap each plate in packing paper and stand it on its edge in a small or medium box with a thick layer of crumpled paper on the bottom. Fill every gap so nothing moves when you shake the box.
When should I start packing the kitchen?
Start about two weeks before the move with rarely used items, pack most dishes a week out and finish with the pantry and daily items in the last two days.
Can the movers pack my kitchen for me?
Yes. Our crew can pack only the kitchen or the whole home. Packing time is billed at the same hourly rate as the move.