Top Expert Tips for a Well-Organized Pantry

Remove frustrations and create joy with structured pantry organization

A cluttered, disorganized pantry may cause frustration for you and your family. You may not be as inspired to cook when you can’t find the ingredients you need to make a meal. When you can easily access everything you need to make a meal, your frustrations will melt away and turn into joy. The source of this joy is simply pantry organization that meets your family’s needs.

Just imagine being able to open your pantry and find exactly what you’re looking for with ease in just a few seconds. That’s the kind of life you can expect to have after working with Art of Drawers.

Organize Your Pantry Into Zones

Baking Supplies

The best way to organize your baking supplies is to keep your items in clear containers so you can see when you’re low on something. Baking supplies include flour, nuts, sugars, and other dry goods that can be kept in airtight storage containers. You should keep mixes, frosting, and other key ingredients nearby.

Staple Items

Staple items fit into their own zone. This includes things like rice, beans, and any other staple ingredients that you use frequently. If you’re reaching for it often for recipes, it belongs in this area.

General Food Storage

General food storage is the zone that you should keep your cereals, bread, and other similar items. If it doesn’t fit in one of the other categories, chances are it goes here. This is probably going to be your biggest zone, as it will also house your canned foods.

Snacks and Quick Bites

Any snack items that you keep in your pantry should stay in this zone. It’s a good idea to have these items in baskets, so you can pull them out whenever you feel like having a snack. Baskets of snacks are also great for when you have guests over.

Tools and Appliances

Of course, you need to save space for any tools or appliances that you use frequently. The items you use the most should be the closest to the front of the pantry, and the ones that you don’t use as often can stay near the back.

Kid’s Zones

If you have kids, you should also make a zone for them. Whether or not this area is easily accessible to them is up to you. You should put all the kid-friendly snacks, treats, and meals into this area for easy access by you, your partner, or your children.

Clearly Label Everything for Easy Access

For optimum pantry organization, label everything. You can label your zones that way. You’ll always remember where things go, even when your pantry is running low. You should also label all bins, baskets, and containers used just if something ever runs out. That way, you’ll remember what to fill it back up with.

Use Bins, Baskets, and Containers to Organize Top Shelves

Just because you can’t see the high shelves doesn’t mean you shouldn’t organize them. To make your high-up shelves more accessible, use baskets, bins, and containers. That way, when you need something off the top shelf, you can grab the entire basket instead of having to rummage around while standing on a step-ladder.

Use a Door Rack to Add Even More Space

If you have a cramped pantry, you can easily add more space by using an over-the-door rack. These racks are great for holding snacks, dry goods, and whatever else you may need. We suggest making the door rack into one zone, so you don’t have to split up any of the zones that are already in your pantry.

Keep Like Items with Like Items

To keep your pantry organized, you should keep like items with like items. If you like to buy backups or keep a stock of items, you should always keep them together. If you have too many of the same item, you may want to use a basket or bin to keep extras in another location, like on the floor.

Some people will put all of their backup cans in another location, allowing them to replenish their stock on the pantry shelf whenever they run out. This is a great tactic as it allows you to keep like items together while not over-cluttering your shelf space with too much of the same item.

Contact Art of Drawers for Customized Pull-out Drawers

At Art of Drawers, organization is our passion. We’re ready to help you live your life well organized. If you’re looking for help with pantry organization, we can design a pull-out drawer system that will leave you loving your kitchen again.

Pull-out drawers allow you to utilize all of the vertical space within your pantry. If you have tall shelves, you may only use 30 to 50% of your shelf space. Installing pull-out drawers will allow you to use 100% of your space.

For more information or to schedule a free design session, contact us online or at 770-800-8410.