Easy Kitchen Pantry Organization Ideas And Tips (2024)

Last Updated on January 25, 2024

Last week, I shared that I would be refreshing my kitchen pantry for the New Year New Room challenge hosted by my friend Stephanie of Casa Watkins Home. The kitchen may look clean and tidy, but behind that pantry door lies a hot mess of food items with more than a few expiration dates past their prime. Because this is a smaller pantry, the next step is researching storage solutions and a complete organizational system for the entire family. The goal is to use food storage containers I own so I’m not spending too much out-of-pocket money. We must stay on a budget. If I have extra time, I will try reorganizing as many kitchen cabinets and drawers as possible. Without further ado, let’s dig into some easy kitchen pantry organization ideas.

Why Choose A Pantry Organization Project

So why reorganize a pantry? Why not choose a room for the challenge? Well, mainly because it’s a disaster. Our pantry is a vertical space that is similar to a closet. I don’t consider it a small space, but it’s also not a fancy walk-in pantry. About twice a year, I get overwhelmed with the mess, pull everything out, and reorganize the glass jars and cereal boxes. I ask the kiddos to help me maintain the newly organized kitchen pantry; however, after one run to the grocery store, snack bars are stacked on top of other boxes of food that are crammed next to spice jars. Cover your eyes and behold the current mess.

Over the years, to help combat this, I have purchased several pantry organizers like lazy susans and clear bins, but the storage system itself still fails. BTDubs, according to Nate Berkus, clear containers are the way to go when it comes to pantry items because you need to see the everyday items you have on hand.

My current setup has one shelf dedicated to breakfast foods, and bread on another. The upper shelf is full of tea, coffee, and spices that do not fit in the spice drawer, while dry goods live on the bottom shelf and cans on the floor. Rethinking my shelf space organization process might be the game changer I need. Obviously, similar items should be grouped together, but maybe I should dedicate two shelves to breakfast food. These are the conversations happening in my head these days.

Easy Pantry Storage Ideas I’m Eyeing

The Container Store can be a bit pricey, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be perusing the aisles for ideas, and if the storage solution is genius, I may spring for a few of their plastic storage bins. Otherwise, I’ll probably shop Amazon for extra storage items I might need. Whatever storage solutions I purchase, must be clever and, fingers crossed, affordable. Here’s what I’m eyeballing.

1. Lazy Susan With 3 Removable Bins– I own this lazy susan, and it’s awesome for wrangling snacks because it has three removable plastic storage bins. It keeps the granola bars and popcorn bags all in one spot and spins the snacks for easy access. I think adding a second would work well for spices or bottles.
2. Plastic Airtight Sugar & Flour Containers– I bought these a few months ago and love them! The brown sugar container has a special piece of terra cotta that you soak in water to help keep the sugar from turning into a brick.
3. OXO Food Storage Containers– I love these containers, but a word to the wise: don’t put them in the dishwasher or drop them. They are plastic, but they are finicky.
4. Non-Skid- 2 Tiered Lazy Susan– I own one of these, and it’s an easy way to organize glass bottles because the non-skid helps keep them in place.
5. Wire Shelves for Cans– The vegetable and soup cans have always been a struggle in the quest for a well-organized pantry, so I started searching for wire shelves to help wrangle them into one space. I love cooking a good old Midwest casserole that contains a can of cream of something soup, but any extra cans seem to get pushed to the back of the shelves.
6. Clear Plastic Storage Bins– I need something to organize the chip bags and bread. I think a couple of these will be the perfect solution. It might work for the coffee and tea boxes as well!
7. Seasoning Packet Organizers– Hands up if you have 27 packets of taco seasoning in your pantry. These plastic bins look perfect, and the price is right.

Risers are also on my radar. I have one for dry ingredients like baking soda and baking powder, but it’s not quite right. Maybe it’s because it sits at the back of the shelf, or maybe because it was actually for dishes. I’m looking for suggestions here. I should also mention that because the door is glass, I cannot utilize the back of the door for added storage.

First Steps To Reorganizing Our Kitchen Pantry

When we remodeled the kitchen, I asked our contractor to replace the existing pantry shelves because they were bowing from the weight and age. He installed laminate wood for the open shelves, so I don’t think I need a shelf liner. Do you have any yah or nay thoughts on that?

I initially perused Pinterest for inspiration, but everything that caught my eye was incredibly impracticable. Yes, I did think about wallpapering the inside, but given that it is a storage space full of food, is fancy wallpaper necessary? Nope, probably not. It’s too over the top. Plus, wallpapering around those wood rails would be a massive pain in the arse. I nixed the wallpaper idea for a fresh coat of paint because that is a great way to upgrade any space instantly.

In my Amazon must haves round-up, I shared those airtightbaker’s containersfor my flour and sugar (shown above). They’re on my wishlist, and I’d like to make some pretty labels with my Cricut machine.

RELATED: If you own a Cricut, check out the modern kitchen towel I made! It’s an easy beginner’s Circut project.

But before I break out the label maker, I need to map out the storage. It’s possible that to keep this kitchen pantry organized, not everything goes back into this space. Do food items that we occasionally use move to a different cabinet? Do the water bottles and mixing bowls move into the pantry? We moved into this house in a rush. The Boy and I unpacked the entire kitchen in under 2 hours. Zoe (3) and Cooper (5) were at Grandma and Grandpa’s house for the weekend, so we had a time crunch. I’m unsure how the mapping plan will work, but this is the perfect time to find out. Stay tuned for next week, and be sure to hop over to see what the other gals who joined this challenge are up to!

Casa Watkins Home//Our Fifth House//Iris Nacole//My Eclectic Nest//This is Our Bliss//House of Hipsters//Once Upon a 1912//

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