Tamara Gane
These pantry organization ideas are not only easy to follow, but they’ll also save you time and money.
Organizing the pantry is probably not at the top of anyone’s priority list. But a messy pantry isn’t just unsightly—it’s probably also costing you time and money. When your pantry is disorganized, it’s hard to find what you want quickly. And when you can’t see what you have at a glance, you may forget about it, which can lead to expired food and wasted money on duplicate purchases.
Start with shelving
If you’re building a pantry from scratch, a portable shelving unit is an expensive way to achieve organization and storage. Just be sure to get a unit that can withstand the weight of all those heavy cans
Box up boxed goods
Square baskets that coordinate with your pantry or kitchen design not only help to organize all those random boxed goods, but they also make your kitchen Pinterest-worthy, shares Tamara Day of HGTV’s Bargain Mansions. “Start with 6 to 12 matching baskets—the more the merrier—you can’t have too many,” she says. Then store all the cereals in one, all the pasta in another, all the ramen noodles in a third, and so on. “At the end of the day, having a designated place for everything will make life so much easier and your pantry so much prettier.”
Corral cans
Canned foods tend to shift around the pantry and easily get lost behind other stuff. A can rack organizer is a space-efficient way to organize all your various cans in a neat and efficient way, according to Leanne Stapf of The Cleaning Authority, a cleaning company in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Place snacks in storage bins
“Storage bins will be your best friend when it comes to storing individually packed snacks like chips or cookies,” Stapf says. These Copco cabinet storage bins are an excellent place to store anything that might get sticky, like syrup or ketchup, as the nonskid liner is easy to wipe down.
Store dry goods in airtight storage containers
Take dry goods like flour, sugar, or dried beans out of the package and store them in clear, airtight storage containers like this set from Chef’s Path. Not only will they look neater, but they’ll be protected from ants or other pests. You’ll also be able to see at a simple glance when your stocks need to be replenished.
Add more storage with over-the-door shelving
If you need pantry organizing ideas for a small pantry, look no further than the area behind the door. To make sure you stay organized, dedicate those shelves to specific themes, like pasta, tea, or cereal. This way you’ll know exactly where to look when you need them.
Keep everything at eye level
If you’re organizing a deep pantry, it’s important to make sure the items in the back aren’t obscured by the items in the front. A couple of inexpensive pantry storage containers from Copco will solve this problem.
Create pantry zones
Every pantry worth its salt (pun intended) is divvied up into “zones,” or various cooking stations based on your day-to-day needs. Once you settle on the categories—such as weeknight dinners or holiday baking—assign an area in your pantry for each zone and label it. Not only will this trick help with pantry organization, but it also guarantees you’ll find what you need in a pinch.
Staple zone
Set up a staple zone for the things you reach for most often, so ideally somewhere within easy reach. Although these items are different from pantry to pantry, examples of everyday essentials might include beans, rice, and chicken broth. Store dry goods in clear airtight canisters to easily gauge when you need to restock. Arrange canned goods on graduated step organizers so each label is visible. Every six months, check expiration dates and donate food you may not finish in time.
Baking zone
Arrange spices on a two-tier turntable, with cooking spices on one level and baking spices on the other. Use a larger turntable to easily store and find cooking oils. Keep sugar, flour, and other baking goods in stackable canisters or labeled plastic bags.
Dinner zone
Plan ahead for stress-free evenings: Sort ingredients for a week’s worth of easy dinners into separate bins, organizing by meal (for instance, store taco fixings in one bin and spaghetti fixings in another).
Coffee zone
The first step to making the perfect cup of coffee is to keep all your supplies in one place so you can find them without crisscrossing your room when you start your day. Coffee beans, flavoring syrups, extra cartons of oat milk, and more, can all find a home here.
Snack zone
This is the place for snack packs and convenience foods such as peanut butter, nuts, and dried fruit. Store snacks in see-through plastic bins to make them easy to grab and go. Pro tip: Keep kids’ snacks at their level, so they can reach for them without any help.
