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25 Pantry Storage Solutions
By Karen
Porter,
Editor
EasyHomeOrganizing.com
1. Buy two or
three tiered portable shelves, sometimes called stepped shelving (picture
theater or stadium graduated seating). These are good for holding spices or
small bottles and cans. You'll be able to view everything at a glance on these
pantry organizers.
2. Or you can improvise and create
a makeshift two-tier shelf. Do this by setting something solid along the back of
the cabinet or pantry shelf like a half-inch thick piece of wood. Put your back row of cans on
this makeshift shelf. Now they will set higher than the front row of cans.
3. Store also sell a variety of
other portable shelving that will work well in kitchen pantries. For instance,
helper shelves usually set on your regular shelving. Stack items on the helper
shelf and below the helper shelf on your permanent shelving. You've just doubled
usage of that space now.
4. You also may find other
store-bought portable shelving useful such as wire shelves and baskets that
slide, roll or pull in and out. This is a great way to get at an item far back
in a column or row without physically removing the items in front of it
(especially useful if your pantry shelves go deep).
5. Lazy Susans (turntables) in hard
to reach corners are another way you can access all canned goods and items (and
utilize any awkward back corners). Some of these are double turntables, meaning
you have a top and bottom turning shelf.
6. Use stick on lights to see
better in the pantry.
7. Use light
colored paint and light colored shelving contact paper to create an even
brighter view.
8. Create an inventory list on your
computer. Write what type of item is on each pantry shelf. If you want to track
how many of each item, write that too. You also could create a column that you
check when an item needs to be replenished. Print it and hang it on the inside
of the pantry door.
9. Using a labelmaker, create
labels for types of items (e.g. green beans) Stick that label to the pantry
shelf beneath the last item in the series that it identifies. When you can view
the label, you know it's time to add that item to your shopping list.
10. You also can label the front
edges of the pantry shelves with what category is in that row or column (e.g.
soups).
11. Sort food in your pantry into
categories. Put canned goods on one shelf, pasta boxes on another and baking
supplies on a third shelf. Or at least put these items in separate sections in
your pantry, even if some share the same shelf.
12. Then sort within these
categories. For instance, group soups together. Group vegetables together. Group
cans of tomato sauce together. You can break this down even further within those
category subgroups by sorting by types of soups, types of vegetables, etc.
13. Place items in your pantry with labels facing
forward so you can read them quickly and easily.
14. Keep most frequently used items
front and center at eye level. While organization is important, so is
convenience. If you have children, you may want to put items they'll be reaching
for on lower shelves in the pantry. Or keep a step ladder handy.
15. Utilize the inside of the
pantry door too if possible for holding anything from cans to spices. Stores
sell over the door pantry racks just for this job.
16. Put small items into
see-through wire baskets. Put those baskets on the pantry shelving. That way
those items won't fall or go unnoticed. Plus they'll be easier to grab and look
through. You can cluster like items together in these baskets, such as small
boxes of pudding or packets of gravy mix.
17. Consider opening boxes of pasta
and pouring them into translucent plastic containers and canisters. Use ones
that stack on top of each other as well as square or rectangular ones. They fit
better adjacent to each other. Round ones take more space.
18. Wire baskets or see-through
containers are always best for quick viewing of what's inside them.
19. Another plus for wire baskets
is they don't catch crumbs or dust. It falls through the open areas to the
pantry shelves. So you just have pick up the baskets and dust under them on the
pantry shelving now and then (versus empty and clean each basket).
20. Tightly-sealed see-through
containers are excellent for keeping any critters out of the open food items
(such as your pasta).
21. Periodically donate food that
you're not using to local food banks. Make sure it's fresh, sealed and not
expired. Most likely this will be items you bought with good intentions to use
but changed your mind.
22. Put the really heavy stuff on
the floor or lowest shelf of your pantry. This might be liter bottles of sodas
and cases of bottled water or very big family size cans.
23. Put items that weigh the least
above your head on high pantry shelves, such as paper towels or boxes of dry
cereal. That way family members don't pull something heavy onto themselves. Plus
it puts less strain on the shelving. Make sure your pantry shelves are
adequately supported with the right hardware to prevent warping of the shelves
from the weight of heavy cans.
24. Store items nonessential to
cooking in your garage or backyard shed on shelving or in a closet. This is only
necessary if you don't have room in the kitchen pantry and something must go
elsewhere.
25. Use the fifo rule restaurants
use---first in, first out. That means if you replenish a category of items
before using all the existing food items in that category, put the newest stuff
behind the oldest items in your kitchen pantry.
If you're looking to buy products to help with these
pantry storage solutions, go here.
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