A pot rack is a functional piece of kitchen furniture that is used to hang or store cooking pots and pans. Steel, wood, wrought iron, and a few other metals are the most common types of materials used for pot racks. Pot racks also usually have some type of finish or stain to help them match pots and decor. Pot racks, sometimes also called kitchen rails, are back in a big way, thanks to a slew of modernized shapes and fresh finishes that make them more of a design statement and less of an industrial workhorse (though they're still that, too—just cuter).