Start by decluttering the area and organizing pantry items.
Clear the space.
Pull everything out of your pantry and deep clean the area for a fresh start. Go through the items and toss spoiled and expired products. Donate any extra food you know you won’t use. Set a reminder every quarter to alert you to clean out the pantry.
Create food categories.
Take inventory of the products you want to keep. Group similar items together for quick access. A simple way to do this is to group each of the following: oils and vinegars; cans and jars; spices; grains and starches (rice, pasta, beans); nuts and nut butters; baking items (flour, sugar); shelf stable produce like potatoes, onions, garlic. Organizing cans by beans, vegetables, fruits, sauces can help making finding things easier.
Decanter opened packaging and bulk items.
Use airtight containers for food such as flour, pasta, beans, cereal, and nuts. Square and rectangular shapes with flat lids makes the best use of space as they fit together and can be stackable. Containers keep the food fresh longer, help to prevent spills and seals off household pests. Label each container with the product name and expiration or purchase date. You can also use the packaging, just cut around the name and cooking instructions and tape it to the container.
Make the pantry work for you–functional design.
Plan the pantry category zones.
Decide where each food category will be placed in the space before putting the items back on the shelves. Put the most used items at the front and within easy reach of those who will be using the pantry. For instance, if you have small children, place the healthy snacks at their level so they can access it without asking for assistance. Keep the sweets and less nutritious items higher, out of reach. Another way to do this is to group items by daily routines, order of the day, coffee stuff together, breakfast section, school lunch section, snacks and sports drinks. Store lesser used items on the top shelf where you don’t have to get at them quite as often.
Customize the shelving to maximize the space.
Use shelf-risers, racks, lazy susans, slide out cabinet organizers, and drawer pull-outs to create efficient use of the space. Store spices and cans on tiered or bleacher-style shelving for easy access. Hang a pantry rack over the pantry door or cabinet door to store narrow packages such as spices.
Put the items back into the pantry.
Follow your plan and place the items back into the area. Put the taller items towards the back of the space, so at a glance you can see everything on the shelves. This allows you to easily access the items and to notice when it might be time to replenish a product. Pat yourself on the back!
