What You'll Need
Pantry organization has one goal: make everything easy to find. That sounds basic, but if everything's easy to find, your pantry stays less messy over time. Here's six tips that actually work.
- Clear containers (OXO or similar for dry goods)
- Large cereal containers (flexible plastic, not rigid acrylic)
- Labels (marker, chalkboard stickers, label maker, or Cricut)
- Acrylic boxes for snacks
- Can storage racks
- Baskets or boxes for bread
- Lazy Susans for corners
- Wire mesh baskets for root vegetables
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Group Like Items Together
Put breakfast with breakfast. Put snacks with snacks. If you use things together frequently, store them together. That way you and your family can actually find stuff without digging through everything.
2. Put Frequently Used Stuff in Prime Spots
This builds on grouping. The things you grab most often go at eye level in easy-to-reach spots. If your kids need healthy snacks, put those where they can see and grab them without making a mess. Same for things you use while cooking — put them in well-lit, accessible locations so you're not digging around.
3. Pick the Right Containers
First, take inventory of what you actually have in your kitchen. Figure out what needs containers, then you'll know what sizes and shapes to buy.
We use OXO containers for dry goods and baking supplies. They're great for measuring and refilling. But they're not always the best choice. For cereal, we use larger containers because OXO ones aren't big enough for bulk bags. We also went with flexible plastic instead of rigid acrylic — if the kids drop it, it won't break.
4. Label Everything
Behind me you can see a lot of ingredients that look similar. That's no good when you're trying to find things, and it's terrible for cookies if you mix up salt with sugar.
You've got options for labeling:
- A marker if it works on your containers
- Chalkboard stickers with a chalk pen (great if you change ingredients often)
- Printed labels from a label maker
- Cricut vinyl labels if you want them to look really nice
5. Use Specialized Organizers
Fancy containers like OXO are great, but they don't fit everything.
Acrylic boxes are perfect for snacks. You can see everything inside and stack them to maximize space. We keep multiple types of snack bars in one box and just pull the whole thing out to restock.
Can storage racks keep cans organized and visible. They stack on top of each other, so you can put them on the floor or in a cabinet.
Boxes or baskets protect bread from getting smashed and keep odors from soaking in.
Lazy Susans fill corner space and let you reach everything stored there.
Wire mesh baskets work great for potatoes and onions — easy to see and access, and they come in shelf and floor-standing versions.
6. First In, First Out
This is how grocery stores keep inventory fresh. When you restock, put new items in the back and move older ones to the front. Do this with snack bars, canned goods, and anything with an expiration date. It minimizes waste.
7. Keep Bulk Storage Separate
Once your pantry looks nice, you'll need to restock it. But if you buy extras and cram them into your organized pantry, it'll get messy fast.
Designate a separate spot — another pantry area or a different cabinet — for bulk items and extras. Keep them accessible but out of your main pantry. And check that spot before making your grocery list so you don't buy stuff you already have.
