Kitchenware is the most-broken category in any move, and almost always because it was packed flat, loose, or in a weak box. Done right, your dishes arrive intact. Here's the method professional packers use.
Use small, sturdy dish-pack (double-walled) boxes — not big boxes, which get too heavy and crush. You'll want plenty of packing paper (newsprint), bubble wrap for stemware, and tape. Skip newspaper if you can; the ink transfers. Crumple a thick layer of paper in the bottom of the box as a cushion before anything goes in.
Wrap each plate individually in paper, then stack 3–4 together and wrap the bundle again. Load plates standing on their edges, like records in a crate — vertically, dishes are far stronger and resist the pressure that cracks flat-stacked plates. Pack them snugly so they can't slide.
Wrap each glass in paper, rolling from one side and tucking the ends into the opening. Stem glasses get bubble wrap around the bowl and stem. Stand glasses upright in the top layer of the box (heavier plates below, lighter glasses above), and use a cell/divider kit for wine glasses if you have one. Never lay glasses on their sides.
Nest bowls in threes with paper between each, wrap the bundle, and stand them on edge like plates. Stuff mugs and the inside of any hollow item with crumpled paper, then wrap. Fill every remaining gap with paper so nothing shifts — if the box rattles when you gently shake it, add more.
Mark each box FRAGILE — THIS SIDE UP and note the room. Dish boxes ride on top of tiers in the truck, never under heavy boxes. If packing the kitchen feels daunting, our packing service does it in a couple of hours with materials included — see also our kitchen packing guide and where to get boxes.
Wrap each plate in paper, bundle 3–4, and load them standing on their edges (vertically) in a sturdy dish-pack box. On edge, plates resist breaking far better than stacked flat.
You can cushion with towels and linens to save paper and double up on packing, but wrap fragile items in paper or bubble wrap first — towels alone don't immobilize glassware.
Upright, in the top layer of the box with plates below. Wrap each glass in paper (and bubble wrap for stems), and use a divider kit for wine glasses if possible.
On top of tiers, never under heavy boxes, and ideally loaded last so they come off first. Mark them FRAGILE and THIS SIDE UP.
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