The kitchen is almost always the last room packed and the first one a household needs working again, which is exactly why it deserves a real system instead of a random box-filling free-for-all.
Pack by category, not by cabinet
Group items by what they are — dishes together, small appliances together, pantry staples together — rather than emptying one cabinet into one tote and the next cabinet into the next. Categories unpack faster than cabinets do, because you're setting up a new kitchen by function, not recreating the exact layout of the old one.
Protect dishes the right way
Stand plates on their edge rather than stacking them flat — plates are far more likely to crack under stacked weight than under edge-on pressure. Wrap each piece individually, cushion the bottom of the tote with a towel, and don't overfill; a tote packed to the point of bulging is a tote that shifts and cracks something in transit.
Handle appliances and electronics with care
Small appliances travel well in totes with their cords coiled and secured, ideally in their original box if you kept it. For anything with a screen or delicate components — a coffee maker with a glass carafe, a stand mixer — wrap it separately and pack it on top, not under heavier items.
Save the essentials box for last
Pack one clearly labeled tote last with what you'll need the first night and morning in the new place — coffee maker, mugs, a couple of plates and utensils, dish soap, paper towels. Load it last so it comes off the truck first, instead of digging through 15 identical totes looking for a coffee mug.
Stackable totes keep kitchen categories separated and labeled — no flattened cardboard, no digging.
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