Updated October 10, 2026
The kitchen is the slowest room to pack and the easiest one to get wrong. In a Brooklyn walk-up every box goes down the stairs by hand, so a well-packed kitchen is lighter to carry and arrives in one piece. These are the five rules our crew follows.
1. Small box, heavy things
Plates, pots, pans, canned food and cookbooks go in small boxes. A big box of dishes is too heavy to carry safely on a narrow stair. Use the big boxes for light things like pillows, dish towels and lamp shades.
2. Plates on their side
Stand plates up like records in a crate, with a sheet of paper between each one. On their side they break much less than when they are stacked flat. Glasses go in with paper inside and around each one.
3. If it rattles, fill it
Put crumpled paper in every empty space. Before you tape a box, shake it a little: nothing should move. A box that rattles in the kitchen will break things on the stairs.
4. Label two sides
Write the room and what is inside on the top and on one side. When boxes are stacked in the truck, the side label is the one you can read. Mark FRAGILE where it matters, not on every box.
5. Pack an “open first” box
Chargers, toilet paper, medicine, a towel, snacks and a box cutter. This box rides with you, not in the truck, so the first night in the new apartment is easy.
Want it done for you?
We pack, wrap and move. Call (929) 339-6014 or send the quote form on our home page for a free written estimate, 7 days a week. Moving in a brownstone? Read our Park Slope brownstone guide. We are a family business since 1999, licensed and insured: see our company facts.
A packing order that works
- A week before: pack the things you rarely use: the good china, extra glasses, serving dishes, baking pans.
- Three days before: pack most pots, pans and small appliances. Keep one pan, one pot and a few dishes out.
- The night before: empty and defrost the fridge, pack the last dishes, and set aside the open-first box.
Use plenty of paper and do not overfill. A box you can lift with one hand on each side, without straining, is the right weight for a narrow stair. Heavy small appliances go in small boxes with paper around them.
Common questions
Which boxes are for heavy kitchen things?
Small boxes. Plates, pans and books go in small boxes so they stay liftable; big boxes are for light things like pillows and lamp shades.
How should plates be packed?
Stand them up on their side like records, with paper between each one. On their side they break much less than when they are stacked flat.
What goes in the open-first box?
Chargers, toilet paper, medicine, a towel, snacks and a box cutter. It rides with you, not in the truck.
Should I label every box FRAGILE?
No. Mark FRAGILE only where it matters, like glasses and plates, so those boxes get the extra care.
Can you pack the kitchen for us?
Yes. We pack, wrap and move. Ask for it in your free written estimate.