How to Organize a Deep Pantry
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They say that opposites attract, and this may indeed be the case with my husband and myself. I am very much the Felix to his Oscar and nothing reflects that more clearly than our kitchen pantry.
I personally love a good, organized deep pantry. As I use it frequently, it’s something I want to be able to keep tidy; after all, a pantry with deep shelves can be challenging to keep organized and the last thing I want is a cluttered mess on my hands. Having a system in place not only allows me to have an easier time while cooking, but also helps to simplify creating my grocery list. If things are structured in my pantry, I’ll be able to know exactly what I need to restock.
It’s also important to note it’s not just me using the pantry all the time, and so I need to have a system my husband can utilize as well. As we don’t think the same when it comes to kitchen organization, this also means thinking about things from both of our perspectives when coming up with a structure. How will we both be using this space? It can get complicated!
Today, I am sharing a round-up of practical tips to help create an efficient pantry storage system and maximize your deep pantry spaces, whether you be super tidy (like me) or a little less so (like my husband).
How to Organize a Deep Pantry
Making a Plan
I always argue the hardest part of any form of organization is the getting started part. This is especially true when it comes to organizing your pantry items. After all, anytime you have mess or clutter, it can be overwhelming to consider all the steps needed to get to the final product. Sometimes it can be really hard to see the forest through the mess of the trees. This is why I recommend devising a plan before you even get started.
When planning, you’ll want to focus on the most important aspects of the task at hand, what you’ll need to do it, and how you see it helping you in the long run. I recommend having a notebook and pen at the ready to take some notes and come up with a plan – as well as a shopping list for anything you’ll need to bring it to fruition!
Categories
Once you have a plan in place for tackling the space, I recommend deciding on your categories in the pantry. Categories help get the structure in place, so think about it in terms of things like spices, canned goods, snacks, etc. By factoring out the categories you’ll have, you can then work on creating zones.
Creating Zones
I find creating zones helpful for two reasons. The first is you can figure out how to organize your categories in the way that makes the most sense. For instance, if you are short like me a vertical space can be challenging, so you’ll probably want your most used items on the shelves which are easily accessible. If you have a sweet tooth and don’t want to overdo it (also like me), your candy zone might want to be more out of reach, like on the top shelf. You’ll definitely want to be strategic with where you put items.
The second reason is it can help make the task a lot more manageable rather than something daunting. If you work on one zone at a time, you’ll feel less overwhelmed than you would looking at the entire pantry.
Deep Pantry Organization Ideas
Bins, Bins, Bins
I love utilizing storage bins and baskets for those pesky items that are loose and tend to get thrown around. I’ll use bins to hold things like chips and pretzels, energy bars, or packets of instant oatmeal. Stacking bins are also nice to consider if you are limited on space. Plus, bins and baskets look much prettier than just throwing in loose bags! I’ve repurposed ones I had around the house already, but they make cute options like these.
Storage Containers
I love using containers for food storage, particularly dry goods. These work for pasta, cereal, baking ingredients, and more and, in addition to keeping things tidy, also keep things fresh.
I make pasta dishes a fair amount, but I always seemed to forget to check whether I have the pasta I need before I leave for the store. As a result, I often end up with an abundance of spaghetti and it was usually all over the place.
As I mentioned, I also like using containers for my baking supplies, as I find those can be messy and get everywhere if you aren’t careful. Keeping things like flour and sugar in their own sealed bins not only helps keep them fresh – it also prevents them from spilling out of those pesky bags and all over your pantry!
My favorite storage containers are the Oxo Pop pieces like these from Target. They are on the pricey side, but I find they work really well and so for me are worth the investment. However, they do have less expensive options available as well. For pasta, as it can be a hard length to contend with, I recommend the Ello line.
One pro tip – I like having using an erasable marker to write on the lids so I can note what the item is (if it isn’t obvious) and when it expires. That way I’m not just staring at something wondering what on earth is in there and hoping I guess correctly for a recipe.
Lazy Susans
For something that tends to be small, spices also manage to take up a lot of space – there are just so many of them! I’ve tried using the fancy spice sets, but I don’t love having to switch things out. It tends to not be worth the hassle to me, so I instead use a Lazy Susan or two (like this divided one) to keep my spices in order. It’s also nice to have the option to turn them around to look for what I want to use instead of trying to search through loose bottles.
I find Lazy Susans to be a nice option for other smaller items as well, like jams or almond butter.
There you have it – there are my tips for deep pantry organization! I hope you find these helpful in getting your pantry in order. If you’re ready to start tackling the rest of your home, be sure and check out my tips on How to Simplify and Organizing Your Home.
Until next time, cheers and happy organizing!
