Start with what you use least
We start packing a kitchen with the items used least often, the good dishes kept for holidays, the extra serving platters, the appliance that only comes out once a year. Packing those first means the kitchen stays functional for cooking right up until moving day, instead of living out of takeout containers for a week beforehand.
Everyday dishes, glasses and utensils get packed last, usually the morning of the move or the night before, so there is minimal disruption to daily routine.
Wrapping fragile items
Plates get wrapped individually and stacked on their edge in a box, not flat, since edge stacking distributes weight better and reduces cracking. Glasses and stemware get wrapped and placed upright with dividers when possible. Boxes with fragile items are labeled clearly on more than one side, so whoever is unloading knows to handle them carefully no matter which way the box faces.
Small appliances like blenders and mixers get their cords wrapped and secured so they do not tangle with other items, and any loose or removable parts get packed inside the appliance itself when they fit, to keep pieces together.
Boxing smart, not just full
A common mistake is packing a box until it is completely full of heavy items like canned goods, which makes it too heavy to carry safely. We mix heavier items with lighter ones in the same box, or split canned goods across smaller boxes, so nothing ends up straining a back on the way to the truck.
We also keep a box of essentials separate, coffee maker, a few mugs, basic utensils, so the first morning in the new place does not require digging through a stack of sealed boxes to make coffee.
Labeling for the unload
Every kitchen box gets labeled with both the room and a rough description of contents, dishes, pantry, small appliances, so the crew unloading the truck can place boxes in the right spot without opening each one to check. That labeling habit saves real time on the other end of a move.