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Since it's been hotter than blue blazes here, I've been working on organizing inside the house. Next up on the block is my pantry (Ok, it's really just a closet right off my kitchen). It's dark, rather deep and my much beloved family tends to open multiple packs of the same thing because they're always in too big a hurry to take a good look around. Soooo...if you've seen any awesome pantries, have some great tips that help you keep it all looking good, or great organization systems for food storage, please share!! The pantries I keep seeing are beautiful, but I just have to wonder when I see these perfectly labeled glass jars where are the boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese and the boxes of Little Debbies hidden

This message has been edited. Last edited by: lmccrore,

Mine isn't a big pantry -- it's more of a closet, too, but I try to keep it organized and it's one area that I do tidy often.

Firstly, I don't buy large quantities of pasta, canned soups, canned tomatoes, etc. I keep a few cans of some things on hand so I don't have to run to the store if I want to make soup or chili, etc.

I group things by "category" -- i.e. baking which is where I store cornstarch, meringue powder, coconut, etc. (flour, sugar and baking powders are stored near the mixer -- flour and sugar in glass canisters - baking powders and flavorings on a shelf in a cabinet nearby)

mustards - we like several types -- it's about a row of mustards but it's nice that they're all together

sugars - not white but brown, honey, corn syrup, molasses, etc.

tomatoes - I try to keep about 3 cans of tomatoes on hand -- it's enough to allow me to make most recipes that call for a can of tomatoes

soup - I keep 3 to 6 cans on hand (more in winter) for easy lunches, etc.

jelly - between gifts and a few I keep myself so I can have some choices.

tea - my everyday tea (both hot and iced) is in jars on the cabinet but I have other specialty teas that I like for afternoon tea like Earl Grey, darjeeling, etc.

pasta - I keep two or three packages on hand so I can whip up a quick dinner -- when I run out I get one or two packages.

It seems to work and things get put back correctly for the most part.

And I have labels on the shelf so that encourages me to put things back in their proper place!

Martha

One house I lived in had a similar pantry to yours. I took the shelves out and had a roll-out system installed, plus added door bins. I lost a little bit of storage space, but it was worth it to be able to see everything. Here's a similar shelf: http://www.organizeit.com/cent...out-system-white.asp

There's a segment in the following show that is the ultimate pantry organizer. Give it a viewing and see if any of her tricks might work for you.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv-clean...ks/videos/index.html

Hi,

Do those shelves wrap behind the opening?

Here is a peak of my pantry. I have added another shelf to add more room. Love everything in containers also.

First I sort all items into "like" categories. Box items all on one shelf. Open package items go into a plastic sealed container when opened. For can goods you can use a stack system or one of those can roll holder. I also like the turntables

I also like to use these bins to hold small box mixes or salad dressing bottles.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.co...uct.asp?SKU=17445162

Here are lots of pantry tips too.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forum...al0214583516468.html

Here is the link that helps you decide what size/type of container to use for storing products.

http://order.tupperware.com/co...MM-storage-chart.pdf

Good Luck and have fun with your pantry project!

Organizing by catergory, much like a grocery store, is key as others have pointed out. If you have duplicates, place the one you wish used first in front according to experation date. You might place a sticker that clearly reads USE ME FIRST. Since your pantry is small, have a list going of what you use posted so you can be assured not to run out and/or to take advantage of store specials. Maximize store space via shelf extenders, lazy susans or pull out bins. Hang an over the door shelf rack to expand storage for often used and/or shallow items.

Consider a pull out pantry insert (or two) either in our pantry closet or elsewhere to maximize storage space and for ease of access. Here are a few examples:
http://www.houzz.com/pull-out-pantry


More photo examples here:
http://www.houzz.com/pantry-storage-organizer


Slide show here:
http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/sto...pantry-ideas/#page=1

Mine is similar to yours Immacore and I think the key to successful "pantrying" is to recognize that you must organize the contents of a pantry much more often than you do a dish cupboard or a clothes closet etc. That is because the contents are so fluid.

I also find it helpful to use one shelf for boxed (square) items and another shelf for cans or round containers. Then in looking for something, you can immediately discount one whole shelf.

Our paper goods are kept in a store room in the basement and I also keep some food goods in the basement as I like to buy things when they are on sale. I have a metal standing unit for packaged goods and canned goods can be kept on regular shelves.

We have a very small kitchen and very little cupboard and zilch built in drawer space. In our one base cabinet, I keep a metal tray with things like; oils, molasses, vinegars etc. Up above in an open shelf there is what I call a "garage" it is a wooden box with a decorative end that I reversed on the box (so that opening of the box is on the shelf) this end is hinged to lift up and on the shelf (covered by the box) are things like: cocoa powder, baking powder, soda, etc. Canisters are on another open shelf. I can bake a cake or cookies etc. standing in one spot on the kitchen floor as my refrig is in this area too.

Another hint I use is to keep rarely used baking items like brown sugars, nuts for cooking, coconut etc. in an old fashioned pie safe that is on a low shelf in pantry (next to a wine rack) I also keep a wire basket type thing in the pantry for soft packages like potato chips, maybe noodles etc. this either when they are opened or unopened.

I am not an especially neat person, but I do tend to keep things in some sort of order by the type of food.

BTW using different containers for things does not work for me. I tend to forget them when they are put in different containers. Plus you lose all pertinent information (although I have cut it out and stuck it in the container) like calorie, expiration date etc.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: lady of shallot,

This is my one base cupboard (it is 107 years old) As you see I keep a wire rack on the door for spices. I have another spice hanging shelf thing I made also.

There is also a hanging wire rack on the "pantry" closet door.

Although the style of my house and my decorating is such that there is a lot of flexibility in how I organize things, any style house or decorating could accommodate improved results when space is at a premium.

B-Rose and LOS...Nicely organized. Very jealous. Mine looks more like Imcores..Good thing I have doors on my cabinets!!

I think the key to a tidy pantry is organization by types of food. I am really fortunate to have a large, walk in pantry with shelving all the way around. On one wall I keep food. Condiments together, canned veggies together, soups, pastas, snacks, all together. Its just me and DH at home, but he doesn't have to search for his chips etc. On the back wall I store all of my china and serving ware. One section is baking pans, cassaroles, pie dishes. On one wall is the dog/cat food and treats and cleaning items. On the floor under the food we store all of our 12 packs of soda. I think grouping by commodity is very helpful. I know exactly what we need or don't need when making my shopping list. Now my extra freezer on the other hand needs so serious help, lol!

I forgot another hint. Because of lack of closet/pantry/cupboard space and also because I have a very large collection of china, I use some of my large china bowls (they would once have been wash bowls from bedroom wash stand sets) to hold soda and beer drinks. The bowls can still be shoved under the spaces in the room we use and we always know where to find the drinks.
Under this counter, is one place

Great ideas! I went to Big Lots after work last night and found some wonderful containers for things I buy in larger quantities like pasta, rice and oatmeal. Then I found some great baskets at Hobby Lobby 1/2 price...but the only had 1 in the size I wanted...will try another location today before the sale ends. I've always attempted to keep like items together, but with my lack of dedicated organization, my wonderful kids literally throw stuff in. Currently, I have all my baking items in a cabinet in my kitchen so this pantry is really just for dry goods, canned goods, cereals, pastas and snacks. Hopefully this afternoon I'll be back with some great new pics of the tamed beast.

I now have pantry envy! That is the one thing I so wish I had. You can do so much with baskets and containers. Please show your finished pantry so I can drool some more! lol

In our Virginia house, we had a pantry cabinet, not a separate closet type. So, with shelves and pull out trays far apart and not withstanding loads too heavy, DH retrofitted the existing cabinet to hold the food, not for display but for storage.

He used studs on either side of the cabinet to supply a space to screw the glides to for the trays. He made the trays himself, and he started installing at the bottom. I had him go close to the existing bottom shelf. Since the cabinet was 24" deep, it was hard to reach in the back of the shelf at that awkward low angle.

I had decided to break up the food types, which was smart on my end because when I had time to shop for food, I opened each tray and saw what was missing in ingredients to pick up. This way, if DH was here cooking for himself, he could pull out a tray and find what he needed.

Bottom tray was for Pasta and all we needed to enhance and add to pasta for quick meals.
Then tray was added on top for Rice, and same as other tray, all that was needed for the rice meals we made including sauces, and packages of anything pre-made like Miso, etc. The drawer is empty in the photo because I was in the process of vacuum wrapping (by serving size) the Basmati, brown rices, and other blends.

The trays were spaced as to allow 1" to 2" above the tallest food we would store, even some tall items could be laid down.

The next tray up was for soup. WE loved soup and bought packages at Costco so we had a few on hand ahead of time. All broth, boullion, etc were stored here.

Next tray up was for our Oriental, Indian and other cuisine that we needed the ingredients for. The Tray above that was for lunches. DH made his own lunches and had this drawer for tuna and any other ingredients he might need.

In upper part and most inconvenient to get was our 'snack' pull out, (wanted to make it harder to reach so we would eat less, not have the labels right there easy to reach).

Top part of pantry cabinet held the larger Costco sized containers.

I had a different cabinet for baking goods, and one for spices, etc.

By organizing this way, made shopping easier and not wasting money getting duplicates. I stocked and rotated the food also. This was so convenient for me because I worked long days and shopping was not something I could spend much time doing.

We had a freezer as well with home made foods cooked ahead of time and frozen, labeled. We cooked whenever we had the time, this pantry was for our 'quick' foods to make a meal.

Now, in our Florida home, we eat differently and I buy ingredients to complement our Co-Op Organic food choices. We make our meals and love to cook so most is fresh produce.

But I will adopt the same organizing as I did in that previous pantry I had, we have a small closet type now, but will fit with pull out trays so nothing is lost in the back, and I will organize to make shopping lists easier to make. We don't shop at Costco anymore, but use BJ's for some items.

When we remodel our kitchen within a year we will have all our lifestyle needs incorporated into the kitchen and its storage. I will have more veggie baskets and mason jar storage. We will also have a 'chef's pantry' near the stove for the cook, with oils, spices, etc. Can't wait!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

What I've done may not work for anyone else but I no longer buy much in bulk so don't have as much to store. I used to shop at Costco much more than I now do but realized that storing all those items didn't make a lot of sense and it really didn't save much if anything. I have a cold room in the basement that I used for storage as well as a tall built-in pantry cupboard near my kitchen that were full of non-perishables. It became to seem like hoarding to me.

I do still buy paper products in bulk for convenience and store them in a large closet in a guest room. Every now and again I put a half-dozen TT or an extra box of tissues in each bathroom cupboard. I no longer drink sodas and only occasionally buy them for company so don't have that to store. Neither do I use many canned items so that's less to store. I cook everything from scratch and use fresh produce so there are really few items to store except in the frig and freezer. I store flour, nuts, chocolate chips, and other baking items in the freezer. I guess if there was a power failure in the middle of a huge snowstorm and my frig and freezer failed I might eventually have a problem but it hasn't happened in over 20 years so it's not a concern. Being less than 10 minutes from a chain grocery store means I can shop several times a week if I need to. I'm in town for other reasons anyhow so it's easy to pick up whatever I want. I have several drawers and sliders in my kitchen for necessary dried items, spices, kitchen wraps and baggies, canned cat food, etc, and have like things grouped together for ease of finding what I need. Small things are grouped in baskets to keep them tidy. I also have a 'garage' on the countertop in the corner of my kitchen which is a handy hiding place for EVOO, my pottery garlic keeper, large salt shaker for cooking, and other assorted non-decorative kitchen items I want to keep handy.

Everyone's storage needs are different so it requires thinking and planning to find what works best for you.

Well, it's first stage done. Last night I figured out what needed corralling into categories and bought some more baskets today. Between the baskets, the glass food containers and the large tupperware like canisters, I think I've spent about $55. Here's the final "new" pantry

At the tippy top, I've got my collection of glass vases. In front of that I've got a couple canisters of pastas. On the 2nd shelf I've got canned goods. I stuck my spice packets in a small container so they won't get lost any more...It may look a bit dorky, but I've used an old dish organizer on the left side, but hey it works

This message has been edited. Last edited by: lmccrore,

The next shelf down is pretty much kid friendly eye level so I've put baking items in the back, along with some glass jars filled with items that I don't use too often (marshmallows, big pasta shells, etc) In the baskets I've got microwave popcorn, instant oatmeal packets & cocoa packets, snacks, crackers, bags of mixes like potatoes, muffin mixes and pizza crust mix. At the right is the basket of chips with clips to keep them fresh.

The next row has bottles on the left like vinegar, extra catsup and salsa. In the baskets are things like panko bread crumbs, instant rice, cornmeal and soup mix. Next to it also in a basket meal things like spaghetti, hamburger helper, mac & cheese, etc. Lastly on the right are the canisters that contain jasmine rice, oatmeal and penne pasta (my kids fave)...

Whew...got rid of that OBNOXIOUSLY HUGE AVATAR. Sorry, hadn't posted in a while and was shocked when I saw it.

That looks so organized now! And so easy to see what is missing and needs restocking!
Very nice!

Congrats on organizing your pantry. It looks much easier to find that favorite ingredient or snack. I like that you found a re-use item for the can goods. It's nice to save a little on the organizers. Enjoy your pantry!

It will get easier to keep it organized also. I usually re-check ours before grocery day for any stray items. It's a quick 5 or 10 task.

Your pantry looks great! You have inspired me not only to reorganize but to paint my larder as well! I'm in the process -- will do pics (on another thread) when I'm done.

Imccrore -- you were great inspiration! Thanks!

Martha

Great inspiration for me too, since we have started our pantry project! It is a whole little room and so one side gets a sink (my new pantry thread I started) and the other wall we hope to build in the refrigerator and add the pantry to the side of it.

I have a closet pantry now, but it is the way it was when we bought the house, it is not efficient and I have seen DH throw something in there!!! He can't be bothered finding a spot near something similar!
So we NEED to get to that point where there is a place for similar items to be stored next to one another!

I use a spice, it goes back in front of another, the next week, the same spice is 4 layers deep having had other things put in front...you get the idea. That will SOON be over!