How to Make the Best Pantry Ever

How to Make the Best Pantry Ever

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Today, it’s all about how to make the best pantry ever! When you look at your pantry, do you instantly feel frustrated because it’s unorganized? If everything is all over the place, you’re probably wondering what you can do to make your pantry look its best.

While it will involve some deep cleaning and serious organizational skills, you can successfully get your pantry to look its best in one day. You’ll need to use the right products and take the proper steps to get everything in order.

Once you create the best pantry ever in your kitchen, you’ll love looking at it. Most importantly, you’ll have no problem finding what you want and need. I want to share my tips and would love to hear yours as well. It’s all about cooking from scratch, right?

Having a pantry that is properly created and maintained will help every person in the kitchen cook from scratch. Items are easier to find and you’ll have less waste. In case you missed this post, How to Stock Your Pantry

My Favorite Pantry Items

How to Make the Best Pantry Ever

How to Make the Best Pantry Ever

Go Through Your Spices

Start going through the spices in your pantry to see what you need and don’t need. You may find some practically empty bottles. If there is hardly anything left in some of the bottles, consider throwing them out because they’re taking up an unnecessary amount of space in your pantry.

Another issue is to make sure all the spices still have valid “best used by” dates. Recipes seldom turn out the way you’d like if the ingredients, including spices, aren’t relatively fresh and flavorful, that’s why we include the spices in the first place.

If at all possible, try to get containers for the spices. If you have the same container for everything, you can easily keep them together and keep them organized instead of worrying about some containers taking up way too much space in the pantry.

Of course, the best way to keep the spices organized when using the same containers is to add labels to them that are easy to see and read. After all, you wouldn’t want to mistake paprika for ground cinnamon, or anything else like that.

Get a Lazy Susan for Spices or Other Items

Lazy Susan

Consider getting a lazy susan for your spices. The lazy susan is a convenient piece of equipment that can hold many spice containers at once. The great thing about it is that you can rotate it at your convenience to grab what you need.

So, instead of rummaging through a bunch of containers, move the device from one side to the next to see all the spices at once and then grab what you need. Note that it helps with efficiency to place the containers facing out so you can read the product label. Just put it back the way you found it and the next time it’s needed you can find it easily.

Read More of My Articles  10 Food Storage Ideas When You Don’t Have a Pantry

There are many different types of lazy susans available, so you should be able to find one that works for you. Most importantly, you can find several options that work for other items you’re storing in the pantry, such as assorted canned goods, pasta sauce, cooking oils, etc.

Consider Using Small Plastic Baskets or Buckets

Pantry Buckets

Check the Dollar Tree or any other dollar store in your area for small plastic baskets that you can use for organization purposes. These baskets are often available in different colors, including basic white, gray, and black shades.

You can choose a color that will go with the rest of your pantry, matching the colors of your kitchen and any decorations you have hanging on the wall adds a fun and efficient treatment to your pantry, and the whole kitchen if done right. I store my excess food storage in these baskets from Walmart on some rolling shelves. Here are some of my salsa jars.

How to Make the Best Pantry Ever

The baskets are convenient to use because they allow you to keep different items together in one spot, such as bags of muffins, bags of pretzels, and other tasty treats.

In addition, your children will know where to go when they want to grab a quick snack in the pantry, making these baskets even more convenient.

I have heard you can get 5-gallon buckets fairly cheap at bakeries. You may want to try Two-Gallon Buckets with 2-Gallon Gamma Lids for your pantry. My philosophy has always been to BUY RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

Get Food Storage Containers with Labels

Invest in suitable food storage containers that come with labels to attach to them. These labels will come in handy when you’re looking in the pantry and trying to find something specific, such as flour, pasta, beans, or other ingredients you’d typically use to prepare different meals.

There are a few advantages of using food storage containers, such as:

  • Keep your food fresher for more extended periods. You can expect them to last longer when you’re not leaving ingredients in bags or open containers. The proper airtight containers will keep all kinds of foods fresh and protected from dirt, dust, rodents, and insects! You’ll feel much better about your food when you know you’re storing it in spacious containers that keep it protected.
  • They’re easy to organize. It’s easy to manage and stack the food storage containers to save some space. It’s beneficial to have that extra space because you don’t know when you’ll need it the most. You can keep your items from looking unorganized by stacking the food storage containers on top of one another.

You can easily find food storage containers with labels in stores and online. Many people buy these containers on Amazon.com! If you’d like to get them as soon as possible so that you can work on fixing the pantry and making it look its best, Amazon is an excellent choice because you might get the containers delivered the same day!

8-Quart Rubbermaid Containers

Rubbermaid Containers

I store so many things in these 8-Quart Rubbermaid Containers with 8-Quart Rubbermaid Lids for pasta, cereal (Mark’s cereal), quinoa, rice, and anything else you want to keep fresh and protected from unwanted pests. You have heard this before, I always recommend buying RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. Mice and cockroaches cannot penetrate these commercial grade containers. I live in the desert and there are all kinds of critters.

Read More of My Articles  Quinoa: Everything You Need To Know

Get Rid of Bulky Boxes and Bags

Go through the items in your pantry and start getting rid of the bulky boxes and bags. You may have random boxes for things that have expired and are no longer good to eat. Be sure to toss them in the trash. If you have boxes of stuff you’re not using, you can always ask someone if they’d like it. 

If they’re unopened boxes of items you don’t plan to use, you can donate those items to the less fortunate. It’s a great way to clear out your pantry space while making sure to do something nice for others. If you have bags with clips on them to keep them sealed, consider pouring the contents of those bags in the food storage containers that you can label to identify what you need quickly.

Make the Best Pantry with These Easy Steps

Use these easy steps to make the best pantry ever. If your pantry is currently unorganized, messy, and downright cluttered, it’s time to make a change. You might not look forward to opening the pantry because you know it’s hard to find anything you need, particularly if you’re in a hurry to prepare a meal or bake some cookies.

However, if you can devote one day to making some significant changes, you can make some serious progress and drastically improve the way your pantry looks and works to make your kitchen the most efficient possible. 

What is a Pantry?

You can think of a pantry as a room or closet in your home, usually close to the kitchen, that is designed to be used to store various things like canned food, packaged mixes, ingredients used to bake or prepare meals, etc.

What is the Purpose of a Pantry?

Technically a pantry could be a room to store more than food-related items. It could be used to store drinks, glasses and other dishes, table cloths, things to clean your home, and any other items you generally want close at hand for easy use.

What is the difference between a Pantry and Kitchen?

Generally speaking, the kitchen is a room or area used to prepare and eat meals. It may contain space to store things like your pots and pans, dishes, utensils, and other food-related items. A sink is an expected feature. It will usually also include appliances like a refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, coffee maker, etc. It can also include a table and chairs, an island, and cabinets for storage.

As mentioned above, the pantry is a separate space used more for storage rather than food preparation.

Should My Pantry be Ventilated?

Some people feel the pantry should have ventilation to keep the contents at the desired room temperature. My experience has been that unless your home is subject to a high degree of humidity, the items in the pantry should be ok, particularly if items are stored in sealed containers and the pantry is dark and not subject to direct sunlight.

Must-Have Items for a Stocked Pantry:

  • Baking Items, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, honey, etc.
  • Canned Goods, anything YOUR family will eat.
  • Beans, Grains, and Legumes.
  • Your favorite oils.
  • Vinegars, every one that YOU use.
  • Most popular spices YOU use.
  • Broths and Soups.
  • Healthy Snacks.
  • Dog/Cat Food and treats.
  • Chocolate.
  • The food you dehydrated.
  • The food you canned or pressure canned.

Final Word 

You may need to buy a few essential items, such as a lazy susan and various food storage containers in different sizes to store different ingredients and packages. However, these purchases are worth it when you think about how good your pantry will look, how fresh things will stay, and how easily you’ll be able to find whatever you need. May God Bless this world, Linda

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25 Comments

  1. I’m an overly organized person by nature. This was a no brainer to me to organize my pantry. After watching all the episodes of The Home Edit, I went into hyper drive and spent a small fortune on clear containers. I didn’t bother with labels because I could see what was in them. I did organize by type and put the most used items at my eye level. I’m short! I still need a step stool to get to the top shelf…where the snack foods are at. I find my pantry is constantly evolving, depending on the season, etc. I simply could not function with a messy pantry…or anything. You should see my fabric closet!

    1. Hi Robbie, yes you need a step stool for those snacks ASAP! LOL! I love hearing you are so organized. When I used to sew a lot, I had 4 daughters and 8 granddaughters I had the fabric in bins that were labeled for color or whatever. Life is so good when things are organized! Linda

    2. I would love the idea of a fabric closet for my very talented sister. I have a pillow and comfy throws closet to hold my wide assortment of seasonal favorites

  2. Hi Linda, I just wanted to let you know that these are some great ideas about building your pantry. Thanks for this information. Still working to get my pantry built, order shelves online the end of the month and then . . . I’m going to town.

    1. Hi Pamela, there is something about being organized in life, a pantry, a closet, stuff for taxes, first aid supplies, oh my, the list is long! I can’t wait to hear about your pantry when you get it done. Linda

      1. I sent an email back to you but it didn’t go through. So, I’m writing to you again. As soon as I get the shelves ordered and in the closet, I’ll take pics and try and send them to you. My cupboards are so full that I’m having to put things on the table because there’s not much room. You’re welcome!

          1. I got your message, by accident. You sent your email to the wrong address. It’s: @gmail.com, not @google.com. Send it to me again. I forget that I have to contact you this way. We’ll get it sooner rather than later. TTYL

  3. Linda, we are blessed with a large, walk-in pantry as well as two large pantry cabinets, but keeping them organized so things are easy to rotate and find is a chore. Why didn’t I think of Lazy Susans? Duh.

    I do use a variety of plastic buckets to store mylar packaged, O2 absorbered flour, rice, beans and other dry goods. They work beautifully, but I will definitely be adding several of the 12″ and 18″ Lazy Susans. Thanks for the tip.

    1. Hi Ray, oh, I’m so glad you like the lazy susan idea! I need them in this house more than ever before because I do not have a large walk-in pantry. That would be a blessing for sure! Linda

  4. Linda,

    One further note. Food banks have become quite picky in the goods they will accept, so don’t plan on donating any items that are past their “best by” dates. You and I both know those dates were established by marketing types and have little if anything to do with food safety, but Food banks won’t accept them–they say because of potential liability issues. Isn’t it lovely to live in a litigious society?

    1. Hi Ray, here in Utah they will not take expired food, some people say they do, but they have asked not to donate expired food. So, I never donate expired food. These people need the food, it’s quite sad! Linda

  5. We have two pantry closets. One outfitted for dry goods, boxes and cereals with Tupperware, one for cans and jars…..all lined up like little soldiers. We have a corner lazysusan for baking items and a separate pull out narrow cabinet with three shelves for spices and condiments. I find the completeness and organization very comforting.

    1. Hi Chris, there is nothing better than being organized, in every area of our lives. I love Tupperware, and I love the idea of items lined up like soldiers! Life is good when we can see what we have and what we need. LOVE IT! Linda

  6. Linda
    I know you are talking about the pantry but over this past weekend I looked in my crisper where I
    have condiment packets and it was a mess so I took them all out and took containers that would fit in my
    crisper drawer and separated out all of my condiments. I have one for taco sauce, one for catsup, one for
    duck sauce then a bigger one for odds and ends like soy sauce or honey. I also used another crisper to separate
    all my BBQ sauce packets. I have showed some of my friends and they LOVED the idea. I used the plastic
    containers that thin sliced meat comes in, they are the right size.

    1. Hi June, oh my gosh, you are totally organized! I have never used duck sauce, that sounds fancy! I love hearing you have one for taco sauce, that;s my favorite! Great comment, Linda

  7. I thought you had a chart of items for storage that could be used to keep track of items and expiration dates. Now when I need it I can’t find it. Would you mind giving me that link again?

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