Custom Pantry Organizing
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Calm Spaces pantry refresh for a San Francisco client.
There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to the pantry. The person who bakes several times a week will have a very different pantry compared to the busy parent compared to the student. If you’re looking to customize your pantry organization to suit your unique needs, then read on!
Empty it out!
Your first step is to empty everything out and clean your shelves, clean any bins you have that have gathered dust and crumbs, and clean the floor too. While you’re cleaning, do a quick evaluation and look for insects, water damage, rodent activity, or anything that needs to be repaired. Go ahead and schedule the proper professionals to handle this maintenance so you have a clean and safe place to store your food. This is also a great time for a fresh coat of paint and a new light if that’s in your budget. I love this wireless USB LED light and use it in cabinets, closets, and pantries all the time to brighten up a space.
When you empty out your pantry, use folding tables to hold your items so you don’t have to pile things up on your kitchen counters. You might need to make a meal during the process.
Sort it - Option 1
First, think about how you use your pantry. What are the most common things you reach for? What takes up the most space? What items are used the least? What is only used during the holidays? With this in mind, create your own categories that make sense to you and your use of the space. If you aren’t sure, try “like with like” first. This means you’ll put your items into categories much like they are at the grocery store. Make categories like “canned goods,” “pasta,” “cereal,” “condiments,” “crunchy snacks,” etc. Write the category on a sticky note to help you stick to your system. Place all your food items into the categories and check expiration dates along the way. Throw out any food that has gone bad and set aside any good food that you don’t want anymore to be donated to your local food bank.
Sort it - Option 2
If the grocery store style “like with like” method isn’t resonating with you, you can try categorizing your items based on cuisine or based on certain recipes you make using those items. For instance, you might have a category called “Thai” containing the ingredients you use when making your favorite Thai dishes. You might have one for Indian, one for barbecue, one for quick meals in a box, one for Italian cuisine, one for Southwest cooking, or any other culinary theme that makes sense for you. One client of mine wanted all the food they ate when they were sick to be together - plain crackers, soups, and applesauce were therefore in a category together.
Measure and Bin
After everything is sorted into categories, take some measurements. Measure the approximate length, width, and height of the bins you’ll need based on the contents of your categories. Also, measure your shelves to make sure you don’t get bins that hang off the edge or don’t fit the height of your shelves. When you’re out shopping for bins, remember to get matching ones to give your pantry a clean, consistent look. Clear bins let you see exactly what you have, but they may contribute to visual clutter. Opaque bins or baskets can introduce some nice texture into your pantry, but they will need to be labeled so you know what’s inside. Turntables or lazy-susans are helpful to display your bottles, condiments, and spices so you can easily see what you have. If you have corners in your pantry, turntables can help you maximize that corner space and avoid having unusable space. Also consider some tiered organizers for things like canned food, small jars, sodas, preserves, and spices. Decide whether you will want to decant products into matching containers, or leave things in their original container. Decanting gives pantries a clean sophisticated look, but can be time consuming and messy. It isn’t for everyone, though I choose to do it at my house.
Put it All Away
When everything is in the proper bins and containers, reassemble your pantry paying close attention to what you want at eye-level. I call this “prime real estate.” In grocery stores, the shelves at eye-level are the most expensive for manufacturers to place their products, so in your pantry, the most frequently used items need to be at eye-level. For most homes, that will be your quick snacks and frequently used meal-prep items. For some people, they want high calorie snacks to be on a taller shelf so they are deterred from taking them, and they put their more aspirational healthy foods at eye-level. As long as the system is going to work for you and your eating and snacking habits, it’s fine. There isn’t a wrong way unless it doesn’t work for you.
Want more? Visit my Amazon Storefront and click on Pantry Essentials to see some of my favorite products to organize your pantry!
Send me a photo of your pantry by tagging me on Instagram @kennaisorganized. I can’t wait to see your newly organized and calm pantry space! Be calm. Be happy. Be you!
