How to pack kitchen items for moving

The kitchen is the most time-consuming room to pack. It has the most items, the most fragile ones, and things that leak. It is also the first room you need working in the new home. Here is how our packers approach it.

Start two weeks early

Use up open packets of flour, rice, oil and pulses. Do not stock up before a move. Anything you cannot finish, give to neighbours or your domestic help a few days before moving day.

What you need

• Small and medium strong cartons (5-ply for heavy steel)
• Packing paper and bubble wrap
• Zip-lock bags and cling film
• Tape and a marker

Steel utensils and pressure cookers

Steel does not break, but it is heavy. Nest pots and pans inside each other with a sheet of paper between them, and pack them in medium cartons so they stay liftable. Remove the pressure cooker's weight and gasket, wrap them, and put them inside the cooker so they do not get lost.

Crockery and glassware

Wrap each plate and stand it on its edge. Stuff glasses with paper, wrap the outside, and pack them upright. Fill every gap so nothing moves. Our fragile items guide covers this step by step.

Spices, pickles and liquids

Tighten lids, add a layer of cling film under the cap, and put each jar in a zip-lock bag. Pack them upright in a small carton marked "THIS SIDE UP". Throw away nearly empty bottles of oil and sauces rather than risk a leak.

Gas stove, cylinder and mixer

• Disconnect the stove from the cylinder and wrap the burners separately.
• The gas cylinder should be empty and capped. Filled cylinders cannot travel with household goods. See our LPG transfer guide.
• Pack the mixer jars separately from the base, with the blades wrapped.

The first-night kitchen box

Pack one carton you will open first: a pan, a kettle or saucepan, two plates, two cups, cutlery, tea, sugar, salt, a knife, a match box and dish soap. Label it clearly and keep it with you.

Our packers handle all of this as part of household shifting.