What is the best way to organize a pantry?

by Anita
(Glendale, CA)

What is the best way to organize my pantry so that I can find food easily and cut down on waste from expired products?

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Dec 11, 2009
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by: The Organizer

Hi Anita,

The best way to organize a pantry is by taking everything out and moving back in.

Empty your pantry and sort the items into categories that make sense to you (baking supplies, soups, breakfast foods, etc.)

Throw away anything old or stale. Give good but unwanted items to a food pantry.

Improve packaging on certain items like snacks, cookies, cereal by putting them in a zip bag so they'll last longer.

Decide which categories are going to go where in the pantry. Lesser used items can go up high and/or down low, everyday items within easy reach. Now put everything back in logically. Put the breakfast items in a spot that is convenient for everyone, including children. Put like items together, i.e., cereal boxes, oatmeal. Then put larger items toward the back of shelves with smaller items in front of them for quick visibility.

Making sure you can easily see what you have is key to minimizing waste. Also, when you are stocking your pantry, make it a habit to put new items toward the back and bring the rest forward. If your pantry has deep shelves, you can purchase inexpensive shelf stackers so you can see items that are stored way in the back. Gravity-feed racks work well too and naturally keep cans moving forward. You can also use turntables, although I'm not a big fan of them because it's hard to keep things neat on them. But some people love 'em so worth mentioning. :-)

For more on the best way to organize a pantry click here.


Want to organize your entire kitchen? Visit my organize the kitchen page.


-The Organizer

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