Give Your Pantry a Makeover for Easier Access
Preparing a satisfying meal for your family is complicated enough as it is. Throw a disorganized pantry into the mix, and you might be sorely tempted to make every night take-out night. Salvaging your pantry doesn’t need to be a nightmare. These simple tips can transform your pantry and your meal prep.
Make Use of Doors
Pantry doors help keep your items safely tucked away out of view. However, they can also serve as a useful organizational tool. Door racks are designed to fit over cupboard or pantry doors and provide extra storage. Door racks are a great place to store items you use often, like spices.
These pantry door organizers might come in handy:
- Home-Complete Over the Door Organizer – This door organizer is designed to fit on full-sized doors, so it might be a great addition if you have a walk-in pantry.
- Metal Farmhouse Over Cabinet Kitchen Storage Organizer – This over-the-door organizer is a good fit for smaller cabinets.
Store Bulk Items in Style
You can save a lot of money by purchasing dried beans, grains, and pasta in bulk. However, opening up a big bag may seem so daunting that you just leave it in the pantry untouched. Transferring bulk items like this into stylish storage containers can be both visually appealing and convenient to use. Sealed glass jars can keep your dried items safe, and they can be so pretty that you might just want to leave them on your counter rather than putting them back in the pantry.
These glass jars are as pretty as they are functional:
- Glass Food Storage Containers with Lids by Sweetzer and Orange – This four-piece set features four sizes of glass jars. Each jar has an airtight lid to keep food fresh.
- Ball Mason 32 oz Wide Mouth Jars with Lids and Bands – Mason jars can be an affordable and rustic-looking way to store dry goods. This set includes 12 jars.
Use Turntables in Deep Shelves
Some pantries have extra-deep shelves. While this provides lots of storage space, much of the space is not particularly useful. Products that are farther back may be hard to see and reach, so you might not get around to using them. Throwing away products you could have used isn’t just wasteful; it can also be expensive.
If your shelves are too deep to access, a turntable or lazy Susan can be an excellent solution. While you won’t be able to cram quite as much onto the shelf, simply rotating the turntable can bring products from the back into plain view.
The following turntables may be a good addition to a pantry:
- Non-Skid 2-Tier Pantry Cabinet Lazy Susan Turntable – This lazy Susan offers two levels for convenient storage.
- OXO Good Grips Lazy Susan Turntable – This lazy Susan has a wider diameter, so it may be a particularly good choice for exceptionally deep shelves.
Find a Place for Canned Foods
Canned foods can take up a lot of cabinet space. Perhaps worst of all, it can be challenging to retrieve cans that are hidden behind other cans without toppling entire stacks. Taking a can out of your pantry doesn’t need to feel like a high-stakes game of Jenga. Can organizers can make your canned foods neatly organized and easy to access.
These canned food storage solutions might upgrade your pantry:
- SimpleHouseware Stackable Can Rack Organizer – This three-shelf organizer can hold up to 36 cans. You can also buy two and stack them for extra storage.
- Odd Easy Can Rack Organizer – This five-shelf organizer can hold up to 60 cans.
Since pantries and cabinets vary in their dimensions, be sure to take measurements of your space before purchasing any organizational tools.
A well-organized pantry can save you time and effort. These simple tips can make it easier to find what you need when you need it. What other strategies do you use to organize your pantry? Share your ideas in the comments section below!
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