Dish-pack boxes (at least 4–6 for a full kitchen), glass pack boxes with cell dividers (2–3), standard medium boxes for pantry items, packing paper (at least 30–50 sheets — more than you think), bubble wrap for the most fragile items, permanent marker, and tape. Buy more paper than feels necessary; you'll use it.
Day 1 — pantry: Everything in cans, jars, and boxes. Donate or eat perishables now. Pack non-perishables in small boxes only (25 lbs max per box). Label by category (Canned Goods, Dry Goods, Spices).
Day 2 — small appliances: Toaster, coffee grinder, blender, stand mixer. Use the original boxes if you have them. If not: wrap in packing paper, then bubble wrap, then packing paper again. Write FRAGILE and THIS SIDE UP on 4 sides. The coffee maker goes in your personal vehicle if you want coffee on move morning.
Day 3 — pots, pans, bakeware: Not fragile, but heavy. Nest pans without glass lids (wrap lids separately). Cast iron goes in a box by itself — it's extremely heavy and can crack dish boxes. Bakeware stacks flat with paper between pieces.
Day 4 — dishes and glasses: The longest step. Three inches of paper at the box bottom. Plates wrapped individually and stacked on edge (never flat). Bowls nested with paper between each. Glasses individually wrapped, loaded upside-down in cell dividers. Label: DISHES — FRAGILE — THIS SIDE UP on all four sides.
Move morning — everyday use items: Coffee maker, one pot, one pan, a few plates, your mugs. These go in a box labeled OPEN FIRST KITCHEN. They're the last on the truck and first off.
Open bottles of oil, vinegar, and liquid condiments leak — toss them or give them away. Open spice jars in dark glass are usually fine; open spice jars in clear plastic are worth replacing at the new place. Frozen food: eat it or toss it two weeks before the move, or donate to a food bank. Ice cream and meat are non-negotiable — they don't survive a move truck.
Best Movers LA offers full kitchen packing service — a crew comes the day before your move and packs everything for you. Call (213) 676-9460 for a packing quote.
Dish-pack boxes (18x18x28, double-walled) are made specifically for dishes and hold 4x as many as a standard box with far less breakage risk. Line the bottom with 3–4 inches of packing paper, wrap each plate individually, and stack vertically (like records), not horizontally. Plates break when stacked flat; they survive stacked on edge.
Wrap each glass individually in 2–3 sheets of packing paper, then place in a cell-divided glass pack box. The dividers eliminate movement — the leading cause of broken glass. Alternatively, use clean socks (seriously — they work). Fill the box fully so nothing shifts.
Perishables: no — donate or eat before move day. Non-perishables in sealed cans and jars: yes, but pack them in small boxes (they're heavy). A standard box of canned goods can exceed 50 lbs — use boxes no larger than 1.5 cubic feet for pantry items.
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