How to Shop for an Organized Pantry
Favorite Pantry Products
Why these products are must-haves for your kitchen pantry:
TL;DR: look for products that maximize space, categorize items, and make it easy to find what you’re looking for!
TURNTABLE aka “Lazy Susan” - great for any items that stand vertically (i.e. sauce bottles). Turntables maximize space and allow you to easily view labels with a quick turn of the hand.
EXPANDABLE SHELF - great for displaying items, where seeing labels is helpful (i.e. canned goods or spices). The rising shelves takes advantage of vertical height.
Honorable mention: SHELF RISER - another wonderful space saver that maximizes vertical space! Great for holding dishes or snacks.
BINS - uniform bins can instantly upgrade any pantry. Bins keep items categorized and standing straight. It’s an excellent storage solution for holding bulky items. Remember to store items vertically inside!
SEALED CONTAINERS - my preference is glass when storing food, but any uniform airtight containers will make your pantry both functional and pretty! Be sure to label them, so you remember what’s inside.
Options to consider before shopping for ANY organizing products:
With a wide array of organizing products to choose from, how do you decide what will work best for your pantry? Before you “add to cart,” it’s helpful to consider these things:
MATERIAL / AESTHETIC - which materials do you find aesthetically or functionally pleasing? For example, maybe plastic is best for under the sink because it’s easier to wash, but you might want woven fabrics in your living room for a softer look. Popular material options include: plastic, acrylic, glass, canvas, woven fabric, wood, and stainless steel.
EVOLUTION OF QUANTITY (SPACE) - Does the amount of items in the space fluctuate? If so, you’ll want to consider the average quantity when choosing a storage product. For example, if you’re organizing your pantry and the “snacks section” is lower in quantity than normal, bear that in mind when deciding on a storage space and organizing product.
YOUR COMMITMENT TO MAINTENANCE - choose products that will enhance your life and create functionality, not just for aesthetics. If you are not excited to “maintain” or keep up the organizing system, rethink it. Ultimately, you want a storage solution that is easy to maintain. (So if decanting all your spices doesn’t sound fun, I give you permission to not do it!).
For steps on how to tackle organizing the food in your pantry, check out this blog post.
Steal This Look: