SMART IDEAS AND TIPS FOR ORGANIZING YOUR KITCHEN PANTRY
Hello! As we find ourselves not only beginning a new year but a new decade, some blogger friends and I decided it was time to start the new year by organizing our kitchen pantries. After 2 straight months of holiday baking, cooking and entertaining, our pantries sure needed some freshening up. So I, along with 9 other very talented design and food bloggers, bring you smart ideas and tips for organizing your kitchen pantry. At the end of this post you’ll find links to each of their blogs. Do please visit them for a wealth of great information and inspiration.
Welcome To My Pantry
So, let me start by welcoming you into my pantry. Because we built our home from the ground up, I was able to design my pantry to completely fit my specific needs. I took the task of planning its design very seriously, actually counting the number of things I generally have on hand in order to insure I would have a place for everything. Luckily my walk-in pantry is large, measuring 9′ x 6′ for a total of 54 square feet. I worked with my carpenter to build specific areas to house all of the items I typically keep on hand in my pantry. It has shelving on 3 sides. Below is the view as you walk directly in.
Narrow Shelves For Canned Goods
Straight ahead the shelves are narrow, designed to hold my canned goods. The depth and height of the shelves are just deep and high enough for cans. In designing the shelves I counted how many cans I normally keep on hand and had my carpenter build enough shelves to accommodate them. Additionally, each shelf is designed to hold specific items, and is labeled to help remind me to keep them organized. I used my handy Brother P-touch Labeling Machine for the job.
The top shelf houses salad dressings and pickled items such as peppers, capers, olives and artichokes. On the other shelves I have specific locations for canned fruit, vegetables, soups, sauces, condiments, meat & fish.
BEST TIP YET! Use Clothes Pins in Your Pantry
If you notice, I have 3 large glass dispenser jars on the shelf in this area. They are actually glass cookie jars that I repurposed to hold tea bags, hot cocoa packets, and clothes pins. I use wooden clothes pins to clip shut open bags of every sort. They are great to seal bags of chips, flour and sugar, cereal, etc.
In the lower section of this area of my pantry I store a collection of tea, coffee and cocoa. I contain them in metal mesh organizer trays. Below the shelf of beverages are food storage containers, including the nifty Stasher. The Stasher is a silicone reusable food bag, like a reusable ziplock bag.
Curve The Shelves To Wrap Around Corners
My carpenter made handy curved shelves on the right side of my pantry. I thought this was a brilliant idea because it eliminates sharp corners and provides extra depth. I love to bake so this side of the pantry is dedicated to baking.
Get Yourself a Lazy Susan
As you can see I utilize a pretty marble Lazy Susan for some specific items that I use frequently: salt & pepper, shakers of granulated sugar and powdered sugar, shakers for flour and semolina flour for pizza making, a toothpick dispenser and straws.
Utilize Expandable Risers
Behind the Lazy Susan on the lower shelf I keep my cookie decorating sugars and sprinkles, numerous extracts, baking powder & soda, food coloring, bakers chocolate, puddings, gelatins and starches. I placed these items on expandable tiered plastic risers. I love these handy, dandy risers that come in various sizes, both narrow and deep. They expand to fit the length of your specific shelf. Get some for your pantry by clicking here.
I have dedicated the next-shelf-up to every conceivable form of sugar: sugar cubes, granulated, powdered, brown, turbinado and pearl sugar. Here I also store many types of sugar substitutes. Next to the sugar I have various types of flour: all-purpose, whole wheat, white whole wheat, pastry, cake, corn, pizza, rice and Wondra. On the shelf above that I stock exotic flours such as buckwheat, barley, garbanzo and masa for making tortillas and tamales. I even have a few cake mixes at the ready.
Place Less-Used Items Up High
The upper shelf is where I keep a basket full of various flavors of chocolate chips. I have assorted dried fruit, raisins and dates. It’s also where I keep a jar of yeast, powdered milk, powdered buttermilk and malted milk, all items I occasionally use when baking. But since I use these items less frequently I placed them up high.
Have Dedicated Shelves For Like Items
Now let’s take a look at the far right side of my pantry. This is where I keep my collection of oils on the bottom shelf because they get a lot of use. Above the oil is my collection of vinegar. Above that are sauces and marinades, and on the top shelf I keep syrup and honey.
The lower shelves in this area are dedicated to baskets for potatoes, onions, shallots and garlic, a collection of glass jars, and paper napkins. The very bottom shelf holds large platters and serving pieces that didn’t fit elsewhere in my kitchen cabinets.
Store A Step Ladder
Because my pantry features shelves that extend all the way up to the ceiling, a lightweight step ladder hangs at the ready behind the pantry door. I also hang a couple of aprons here as well.
Don’t Forget A Fire Extinguisher!
Every kitchen should also have a fire extinguisher at the ready.
Store Baskets & Big Items on a High Shelf
Now let’s take a look at the left side of my pantry. As you can see here, the entire perimeter of the pantry has a deep shelf on the very top where I store my collection of baskets.
Use Baskets, Baskets & More Baskets
In this area I have baskets full of crackers, cookies and packets of various things. Then there’s a shelf dedicated to pasta, and another shelf dedicated to rice, dried beans and legumes. The top shelf holds jared marinara sauce, stocks and broth, Panko and bread crumbs.
There’s even a little slot for my pizza peels.
Have Some Deep Adjustable Shelves
The very far left side of my pantry has deep, tall, adjustable shelves. They were designed to hold large, bulky items such as small appliances, large boxes of cereals, crackers and cookies, and tall bottles of juice. I also have a couple of baskets filled with gourmet imported pastas. Then I have a shelf where I store cook books, another area for platters and trays, and a nook for extra large pots.
Don’t Forget The Space Above Your Door
Finally, above the door, on that tallest shelf that wraps around the pantry, I have plastic totes filled with various sizes of paper plates, plastic cups, bamboo and plastic flatware, party napkins and disposable aluminum bake-wear.
So now that you’ve seen every square inch of my pantry I hope I offered you some practical tips for planning and organizing your own kitchen pantry. Now, please go visit these other very talented bloggers for their pantry prowess.
Classic Casual Home
Driven By Decor
Modern Glam
Most Lovely Things
My Sweet Savannah
Northern California Style
Rough Luxe Lifestyle
Sheri Silver
Vignette Design
Shop The Post
Expandable Tiered Plastic Risers
Antique Silver Salt & Pepper Shaker
Retro Style Granulated Sugar Dispenser
Retro Style Powdered Sugar Dispenser
Stasher Reusable Food Storage Bag
So there you have it:SMART IDEAS AND TIPS FOR ORGANIZING YOUR KITCHEN PANTRY
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s what helps to make this blog possible. Thanks very much for your support.
