Elevate Your Kitchen with Efficiency and Organization in Mind

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The pantry, often overlooked and under-appreciated, is a vital part of any kitchen. It holds everything you need to feed your family, yet it’s often left to descend into chaos. If you’ve ever bought pasta not realizing you already had two boxes at home, or had to dig through a mountain of expired canned food, you know what we’re talking about. Here, we offer eight easy tips to whip your pantry into shape and transform it into a model of organization and efficiency. 

1. Throw out expired food

Transforming your pantry starts with a blank slate. Take everything out. Yes, everything. Emptying your pantry allows you to assess what you have, discard expired or stale items, and identify duplicates. Once the shelves are bare, give them a thorough cleaning. This is also the perfect opportunity to refresh the space—consider adding a coat of paint or decorative shelf liners to make your pantry inviting and bright.

2. Categorize the contents

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Whether you want to organize by type (staples, vegetables, etc), by packaging method (cans, bags, etc), or another method that makes sense to you, think about the types of food you buy most often and how it’s packaged. This step will help you visualize your pantry’s transformation. 

3. Use containers 

There’s a good chance you already have enough shelf space in your pantry to effectively organize the supplies you need. We recommend using soft organizers made out of canvas or plastic for rigid packaging like cans and bottles. You can even color-code these organizers so you know at a glance where to find the can of soup or bottle of balsamic you’re looking for. 

4. Organize your spices

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You probably already own something like a spice rack, but there’s a good chance you don’t have enough room in it to store all your spices. Take the time to upgrade, and when you do, buy one that’s much bigger than you’ll need. Or if you can easily categorize your spices (e.g. high use spices vs rarely needed), get two smaller ones and position them appropriately in your kitchen. 

5. Label everything

We know how perfect organization breaks down; you start by putting one thing where it doesn’t belong, believing that you’ll come back later and fix the situation. By labeling your shelves and organizers, you’ll immediately recognize when something is out of place and be encouraged to put it where it belongs. The longer you abide by your labels, the easier it will be to stay organized. 

6. Store heavy items on the bottom shelf

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Bulky, heavy items, such as supersized options bought at warehouse stores, belong on the bottom shelf of your pantry. Not only will you save yourself muscle strain or accidental drops, you’ll extend the overall life of your pantry.

7. Store paper products and cleaning supplies elsewhere 

Paper products, trash bags, cleaning supplies and other non-food items are best stored in a separate space, such as in your garage or under your kitchen sink. Your pantry should be dedicated to food items only, in an environment that keeps them fresh and untainted. 

8. Finally, commit to maintenance

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Organization isn’t a one-and-done task. Periodically check your pantry to ensure items are still in their designated spots and nothing has expired. A quick once-over every couple of weeks should keep your pantry in top shape.

By following these eight simple steps, you can transform your pantry into a well-organized, functional space. Not only will it make meal prep easier, but it’ll also save you time, money, and frustration. Your pantry will no longer be an afterthought—it will become command central of your kitchen, inspiring creativity and order in your daily routine.

Doug Lestikow is the CEO/Owner of Closet Factory, an award-winning Denver, Colorado company which has been creating completely personalized and unique storage solutions for their clients for 31 years. View their profile or, to set up a design consultation, contact them at 303.690.6901.

Content for this article provided by Closet Factory.