How to Organize a Pantry - Consumer Reports (2024)

Meticulously organized pantries are often a coveted feature of a home. We’ve seen a range of styles, from color-coded systems for packed pantries to minimalist displays that look like a storefront. But it takes a lot more than just a set of uniform containers to whip the clutter-prone area into shape. Planning and a willingness to maintain organization are just the start.

Pantries can be littered with items for “maybe someday use” or random packages with a single cookie left in them, says Karin Socci, founder ofThe Serene Home. To declutter the area, think about what you’lluse on a daily or weekly basisand make those accessible. The size and shape of a pantry will inform the best approach to tidying it up; a dedicated storage room will require a lot more gear than a cabinet or cupboard will.

We enlisted the help of organizing professionals for their insight on the most effective ways to tackle this problem area. Here’s what to think about when shopping for pantry storage items.

First, make sure you give yourself plenty of time for the task. One of the biggest organizing mistakes people sometimes make is underestimating how long the entire process can take, says Aline Lau, certified KonMari (a decluttering method developed byMarie Kondo) consultant and founder ofTokimekie.

Running out of time and having to put everything away before the task is finished can cause a worse situation than there was in the beginning. “Setting a whole day aside is more realistic, and if you finish early, then it is a bonus,” Lau says.

Take everything out of the pantry and lay it all out. Toss outexpired foodsand group items together in a way that makes sense to how you function in the kitchen. This can be by meal, grouping breakfast or dinner foods together, or by categories, such as grains, baking staples, and spices. If you have unopened ingredients you don’t anticipate using, make a separatedonation pile.

Then make a rough outline of where everything will go, and if it helps, write it down to keep things straight. Frequently used products should be the most accessible and placed on shelves that are at eye level. Reserve the shelf above and the shelf below for goods used either every day or a few times a week, recommends Sharon Lowenheim, founder ofOrganizing Goddess. Intersperse the rest throughout, putting rarely used items in areas that aren’t as easy to reach.

“If you have multiples of the same item, arrange them from front to back, with the one expiring the soonest in front,” she says. Anything that can’t stand up on its own should be gathered into bins, she says.

When to decant:Decanting ingredients into matching containers can seem like a space-saver, but unless you’re committed to replenishing them when needed, it can create more clutter because you might have multiple bags of the same item open at once. Lau recommends purchasing containers that are double the size of what you will be storing—so if you have a 16-ounce pack of pasta, you can put it in a 32-ounce container. This way, when refilling it, there will be room to add the contents of a new bag instead of having half in the container and the rest in its original packaging.

What to label:Systematically labelingevery item in a pantrymay look good, but there’s no need to tag oats as “oats” when it’s clearly that. Instead, jot down the product’s expiration date or when it was purchased.

Where to place:“It’s important to designate where each category will live,” Lau says, and preserve it for that purpose alone, even if it’s temporarily empty. If you don’t, your pantry will remain organized only until your next grocery trip.

Once you have a general idea of what you’re keeping and where it will go, think about the best way to display it in your pantry. Here’s what the experts recommend.

Grains, cereal, andpasta(plus anything else that is purchased in bulk) tend to occupy a good chunk of our pantries, so pouring them into uniform containers can be helpful.

Lau’s go-to containers are Bormioli Rocco’s Fido jars, which can be used for storing anything from pasta to dried beans. For staples often bought in larger quantities—such as cereal, oats, and rice—stackable canisters or basic jars can help maximize shelf space.

How often you bake will dictate the amount of space you need for the ingredients and where they should be in your pantry, Socci says. If you bake frequently, consider creating a zone where you can store dry ingredients along with related equipment.

Decant bulky bags of flour and sugar into airtight containers to keep them from absorbing the odors around them. Their original packaging tends to break and spill if you use them often. If you’re storing them in a cool, dark area, you can get away with using clear canisters; otherwise, go for an opaque option. For smaller items, like baking powder cans or bottles of sprinkles, Lau suggests corralling them into a divided Lazy Susan.

Whether it’s oils, vinegar, or an ever-growing collection of shelf-stable condiments, these pantry staples will rarely require decanting. Instead, you can devise a way to corral them in one spot, making them easily accessible.

A turntable is ideal for cabinets, while a walk-in pantry with shelves can benefit from transparent bins. “A storage system isn’t good if it’s full of items you can’t see or don’t need,” says Socci, who recommends these easy-to-clean containers that are great for storing oil bottles and come with convenient built-in handles.