Keeping your pantry organized can seem impossible when you’re running a household, wrangling kids, and working full-time. Pantries can easily get out of control, especially with larger families. The good news is you can turn the pantry into a peaceful place that also helps you get more done, faster.
In this guide we’ll walk through our favorite pantry organization tips and tricks. We’ll explore how to get started with organizing your pantry, need to know details like storage containers and shelving, and strategies for staying on top of things so your efforts don’t go to waste.
Pantry Organization Tip 1: Tackle it all at once.
Here's the deal: If you try to piece meal this project—i.e., if you just start organizing a little at a time—you're going to end up with a half-finished, half-organized mess, and that's no good for anyone. So set aside a couple of hours and go all in on this project.
Pantry Organization Tip 2: Take everything out and categorize.
First things first: Take everything out of your pantry. Yup, we're talking EVERYTHING.
Now it's time to purge and group. Toss the expired / no longer used items, and start categorizing into piles: grains/pastas, ingredients, snacks, produce, breakfast foods, easy dinners, canned goods, spices/sauces… whatever makes sense for you.
Once you've got everything sorted into piles, wipe down your shelves (or paint them! Or replace them!) so they'll be ready for the new stuff you're about to put in there.
Pantry Organization Tip 3: Create your zones
One of the best ways to organize your pantry is to create zones or sections that make sense for your family. For example, creating zones based on types of meals (e.g., breakfasts, weeknight dinners) and based on use (frequently used vs. once in a while) helps you prepare meals faster because you know exactly where ingredients are located. Place your most used zones in the easiest to reach places. And label each of the zones so everyone knows where things go:
- Breakfast
- Easy Dinners
- Baby Meals
Pantry Organization Tip 4: Organize with bins
Pantries are usually full of loose items, like boxes, snacks, dry ingredients and produce. We know what you're dealing with: boxes, snacks, dry ingredients, and produce all falling over each other and spilling out of their containers. It's hard to find what you're looking for, and even harder to put things back where they go when you're done.
But the solution is simple! Just put your loose items into bins grouped by category. Not only will it keep everything from spilling out of the pantry when you open the door, you'll be able to stand things up so they take up less room and can easily be pulled out when reaching for items. Stackable containers also help you make more use of vertical space.
Pantry Organization Tip 5: Create a Backstock space or bin
If you have a decent amount of pantry space and buy in bulk, you probably have more of some items than you need.
Don't let them get lost in the shuffle! Keep your backstock organized by creating a backstock bin or shelf. Put all of your extra pasta, coffee filters, beans, flour, etc. together into one spot in your pantry so they're out of the way but easy to access when you need them.
Pantry Organization Tip 6: Use tiered shelf risers for canned goods
Most pantries have A LOT of canned goods. Beans, soups, tomatoes, and tomato paste can be especially numerous and hard to keep track of. One way to solve this problem is to look into buying tiered shelf risers. These clear plastic risers (like the ones pictured) will help you see each of the canned goods clearly so you don't forget to use what you already have!
Pantry Organization Tip 7: Use clear containers instead of original packaging
When I finally moved my pasta, cereal, oatmeal, and ingredients from their boxes to clear airtight containers, I couldn't believe the difference it made. The clear containers make the pantry feel more open, and having uniform containers is just aesthetically pleasing. But most of all, for me, they help me see what I have and when I'm running out of an item!
I also recommend writing your expiration dates on either washi tape or using a paint pen (the kind you buy at craft stores). That way you never have to guess when something goes bad and your food doesn't go to waste.
Pantry Organization Tip 8: Use lazy susans
I don't know what I did before lazy susans.
I used to put all my spices on a single shelf. I had to pick up each spice to see what it was, and then rearrange them all after. And then one day, I found these two-tier lazy susans on Amazon. They're the perfect size for your cabinet or pantry and they're SO easy to move around—just a quick spin.
I'm able to keep all my spices in one place on the top tier and my oils in another spot on the bottom tier. What's more, all of my spices and oils are visible at once! You don't have to take anything out, or have a million little drawers… just spin and go.
Now that you’re armed with everything you need to know about where and how to place your pantry items, you can begin the task of organizing your pantry! Ultimately, keep in mind that organizing any space will not only make it easier for you to find things when you need them, but that the rest of the rooms in your house will also feel calmer and more settled. Being able to unload into a neat and organized pantry is a great feeling!
