Pantries are a space that seems easy enough to tackle, but for some reason you never end up dealing with it. Here are our top ten best practices when it comes to setting up systems for this high trafficked space in your home.

1. Organize a stocked pantry. Shop BEFORE you organize and make sure the food you have on hand is at capacity or most of what you usually have on hand. What could be worse than organizing this space perfectly, only to have your spouse make a huge Costco run two days later…

2. Follow expiration dates. While these dates can be controversial, I tend to follow them for one reason. If something has been sitting in your pantry for two years that is a sign you don’t need it and are very unlikly to use it. Toss it and change your shopping habits moving foward to only purchase items you will use.

3. Turntables are back! Also referred to as lazy susans by some of the older generation, these are great for condiments, spreads or even cans. Tuck them into an awkward corner and maximize that space.

4. Coordinate containers for a streamlined look. Go with white bins or baskets to create less visual clutter or clear ones if you want to easily see what is in a bin.

5. Decant only if you are willing to spend the time to maintain the system. Decanting is the new work for taking things out of the original packaging. If you want a beautiful pantry, decanting can help, but only take things out of boxes/bags if you plan to spend the time to restock as often as you empty these containers. Personally I only choose to decant flour/sugar into large glass containers and cereal into OXO Pop containers.

6. Heavy items low, light items high. Makes sense right, wouldn’t you rather have a roll of paper towels bonk you on the head than a can of seltzer.

7. Most frequently accessed items should be within arms reach. Middle shelves for high frequency items, low shelves for snacks for little people (if needed), and higher shelves for rarely used categories.

8. Store a collapsible stool nearby. These are easy to store and so helpful to safely reach those higher nooks.

9. Create zones. Groupings of like foods will help everyone find what they need when hungry or ready to cook. Once you’ve grouped items, find the appropriate sized container and make a section for it on your shelves.

10. The more people using your pantry, the more important labels are. There are lots of ways you can label things, I bet you have options lying around your home. My favorite easy method uses binder clips and index cards cut into the desired size. You can also use small white gift tags, purchase clip on labels or write directly on a container.

Common Pantry Zones to Consider:

• Breakfast

• Dinner

• Pasta

• Cereal

• Spices

• Condiments

• Sauces

• Canned foods

• Bread

• Potatoes

• Spreads 

• Paper products

• Lunch boxes

• Snacks 

• Bars

• Pouches

• Bagged snacks

• Boxed snacks

• Backstock

• Sweet 

• Salty

• Baking

• S’Mores

Comment below with your top tips for keeping an organized pantry! If this was all too daunting we’re still happy to come organize your pantry for (or with) you!