How to Organize Your Pantry

Can you find what you need in your pantry?  Do you know how much you have of each item?  Are you afraid to open the door because something might fall out on you?

Pantries are very important elements in our kitchens, but they can easily become overwhelming.  Today I’ll show you how I organized my pantry several years ago, but the same principles are still in use today, even in a different home. I use these same strategies when I help my clients organize their pantries. At the end of the post, I’ll share tips to help you organize yours.

We have quite limited cupboard space in our kitchen, so we’ve always used a separate pantry cabinet that we purchased to give us more space. It’s nothing fancy, but it works. If you’re short on cabinet space, but can find somewhere to add a separate pantry cabinet I highly recommend it.

Here is my “before” shot.  Not pretty!

At one point the pantry was sort of organized (small appliances on the bottom 2 shelves, snacks on the next 2 shelves, and cereal and a few other things on the top shelf).  I even had a couple of pretty boxes to contain some small things.

But over time, things sort of migrated to different shelves, depending on where there was space.  And as it got more crowded, we used the top of the pantry to hold surplus items.  It became more and more challenging to find what we were looking for and some things got buried at the back and forgotten about.  It was overwhelming!

So, I emptied everything out, threw out anything that was expired or that we didn’t need, cleaned the shelves, and planned out the best use of each shelf.

Then I picked up some clear plastic shoe boxes to help group and contain the items I was keeping.

Here’s the finished product:

So much better!

I moved a few of the small appliances that we don’t use very often to the cupboards in our basement.  That freed up more space on these shelves that we use every day. And since these pictures were taken, we’ve actually decluttered several of these small appliances, in favour of multi-purpose appliances instead.

It’s easier to access what we need now.  And we can just pull out a bin when we need something that is at the back.

We don’t usually have this much chocolate and candy, but between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, we’re a little overstocked right now.

The bins really help contain the items.  I took all the granola bars and snacks out of their boxes so we could see better what we had and this way they take up much less space. This is especially helpful when we buy the Costco sized boxes of granola bars.

I was going to do the same with crackers, but since we usually only have a few boxes open at once, we go through them quickly, and they fit so well into the bins, I kept them in their original packaging in one of the bins.

Lots of people put their cereal into plastic containers, but I decided for now to keep it in boxes too.  We go through cereal so often that we’re always aware of how much we have left and it just seemed like putting it into other containers would be extra work.

Since I had some extra space I was able to add a basket with water bottles which were previously scattered in various cupboards {and falling over frequently!}.  The basket helps keep them upright.  I also put a basket at the back of this shelf with our alcohol.  And in front of that I have a basket for overflow snacks when we have several bags open at once or when we have the Costco sized bags because they take up a lot of space.

I still have a few things on top of the pantry.  I was really hoping for a clear surface up there, but our griddle takes up nearly a whole shelf and I just don’t have that kind of extra space in any cupboards.  We use it about once a week so it needs to be somewhere in our kitchen.  So, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that it will stay up here.  I moved the cupcake carrier to the basement though since we only use it occasionally.

And, you’ll notice we have extra cereal boxes up there.  They aren’t always there, but we don’t really have anywhere else to keep overflow food, and we go through cereal quickly.  So when there’s a good sale or promotion, we stock up and the excess lives on top of the pantry.  

I added chalkboard labels to most of the bins so everyone in the family could find what they needed and also put things where they belong if they’re putting away groceries.  And since they’re chalk, I can change them up as our pantry needs change.

I love how the pantry is organized now.  

When my kids were younger they could reach the things they needed to reach when they packed their lunches or when they wanted a snack.

Tips for organizing your pantry

• Start with a clean slate (empty everything out and purge anything that is expired or that you know you won’t eat).
• Store items you don’t use regularly somewhere else so this “prime real estate” is reserved for things you access frequently. Small appliances or entertaining items that are only used occasionally can be stored in the basement, garage, dining room buffet, the cabinet above the fridge or other harder to reach spaces in your kitchen.
• Group like items together and contain them using baskets or bins. This helps assign a “home” for each category so you can easily see how much you have and everyone in the family can find things and put them away after grocery shopping.
• Put items you use regularly at eye level and less-used items at the top or bottom.
• If your cupboards are deep, use baskets or bins to help you access things at the back. Lazy susans are great for that too.  So are pullout shelves for built-in pantries.
• Maximize vertical space with shelf risers, under-the-shelf racks, or extendable wire shelves.
• Utilize the back of the door for extra space by using command hooks, pocket organizers or wire racks (measure to make sure they won’t interfere with the shelves).
• Decide which (if any) foods you want to store in other containers instead of in their original packaging. Pantries with matching containers and labels look pretty, but may not be practical for your family. The last thing you want to do when you’re tired after grocery shopping is decanting everything into other containers. If you want to use matching containers, use them for items that you don’t refill too often, and keep frequently used-up foods in their original packaging.

For more ideas on organizing pantries, check out this post with videos about organizing my pantry.

Does your pantry need organizing?  Which of these tips do you think will make the biggest difference for you?  

If you need help decluttering or organizing, contact me for in-person organizing services in the Mississauga area, or virtual organizing services anywhere else.

Happy organizing!