A well-designed pantry with a custom organizational system can help turn your kitchen into a more functional, efficient space. Organizing your kitchen pantry often means the difference between a chaotic mess and a fully functional, efficient kitchen. Your kitchen can benefit from custom pantry organization systems that offer storage solutions from pots and pans to canned goods, spices, and breakfast foods and more!

Those who have an organized pantry typically spend less on groceries because they know off hand what they have stored in their pantry. They are more likely to prepare their meals at home rather than eating out. The cost of a pantry organization system may seem daunting at first, but ultimately it will save you money on food costs.

Custom pantry systems provide adjustable shelving, canned-good storage, slide-out spice racks, slide-out canned good racks, slide-out wine racks, slide-out baskets, scoop front drawers, pantry dividers, and usable corner storage. The great thing about a customized system is that they are designed and built for any size or oddly shaped space.

Once you have decided on a custom pantry design, you can start thinking about how you are going to store your products in the pantry.

Tip #1
Use clear storage containers. Your pantry can undoubtedly become overwhelmed with cereal, cracker, and pasta boxes. Do you want to look at the food packaging every day? One of the simplest ways to organize your pantry is to store these items in airtight clear containers or jars. Many companies make cereal containers that have a lid on that you pop open to pour out your cereal. Pasta is another great item to store in clear containers. Using clear storage containers and jars allows you to take inventory easily. Baking goods such as flour, sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar also have specialized storage containers that help keep these items fresh. Nuts, seeds, snacks, dry beans, oatmeal, rice, and dried fruit all look fantastic when stored in clear glass jars. I found that I like the Rubbermaid Modular storage containers for cereal, crackers, small snacks, pasta, and chips. I prefer Progressive International’s specialty containers baking goods and coffee.

Tip #2
Install door storage. Utilize the door or space behind the door to store items that are not too bulky. I store my aluminum foil, freezer bags, brown paper lunch bags, spice packets, Jell-O boxes, pudding boxes and small snacks in the slender organizer on the wall behind my pantry door.

Tip #3
Use clear plastic bins or slide out baskets. Clear plastic bins allow you to see everything without having to dig around in the back of your pantry. Grouping similar items together or items that you use together makes them more functional. You can store items such as chocolate chips, baking soda, baking powder, and Crisco together. Use another bin for hot chocolate, tea, and coffee. Narrow slide-out baskets are useful for storing root vegetables. Larger slide-out baskets work well to store bags of chips.
Tip #4
Use sliding-canned good, spice, and wine racks. Being able to see how many cans of soup, spices, or wine is made easy with the pull out rack system. No more ending up with ten cans of corn because you will be able to quickly see how many you have before going to the grocery store. Sliding-spice racks make finding the spices you need easy! It is best to organize your spices in alphabetic order so you know exactly where you can locate the Nutmeg or Cumin! Wine racks are also lovely to keep stock of “Mommy Juice”!

Tip #5
Hide appliances such as your microwave, toaster, coffee maker and larger mixer. As much as we love the convenience, these items bring us we do not want them out taking up counter or wall space. You have to make sure you have power and outlets in your pantry if you plan to use these in the pantry.

Tip #6
Use slat wall or pegboards. You can hang cooking utensils and have them look organized without having to dig through your kitchen drawers. You can also suspend baskets on pegboards too, using hooks. Slat wall provides a modern look; whereas, pegboard offers you with a country look.

Tip #7
Utilize scoop drawers and pantry dividers (also known as vertical shelf dividers). Scoop drawers allow you to see what is inside the drawer very easily. They allow you to see what is being stored in the back of the drawer as it fully-extends when opened. Vertical shelf dividers are great for keeping for large platters, cutting boards, trays, cookie sheets, and cooling racks organized.