How to Organize Your Kitchen Pantry: Tools You'll Need
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Kitchen pantry organization doesn’t have to be stressful. Whether you start small with a couple of new organizers or a full pantry makeover, NEAT Method can show you how to make your storage area look and feel tidy, cohesive, and intentional.
Refresh Your Pantry in 8 Steps
If you’re wondering what you need to organize your pantry, we have the answer. Take it one step at a time so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.
1. Remove All Your Dry Goods from Your Pantry
First, give yourself space to sort through your dry goods by removing them from the pantry. The extra space will make the entire process easier.
2. Sort and Categorize Your Dry Goods
As you review each product, take these steps:
- Throw away expired items
- Consider how often you use it
- Think about when in the cooking process you use it
- Donate or toss anything you won’t use
Once you’ve done that, arrange ingredients that are often used together.Â
3. Measure Your Shelves
Now, it’s time to measure your pantry shelves and drawers—this will help you figure out which storage organization products will fit.
4. Purchase Your Pantry Organization Items
It’s time for the fun part—buying the perfect storage items that work for you. Whether you're on the hunt for a pantry can organizer, lazy suzan, snack organizer, or storage shelves, we have the solutions to help you get NEAT.
The best pantry organization products make it easy to feel at home when you use them.
5. Start with Heavy Items on the Lowest Shelf
Think about how you can anchor your space with a row of Perforated Baskets on the lowest shelf. These large baskets are ideal for storing bulk items like paper towels and excess stock. They conceal clutter and provide an organized, aesthetically pleasing visual.
Recommended pantry organization tool
6. Move Most Used Items to the Middle Shelves
You want to place the items you use most into prime real estate. If you're using turntables or risers, those should be at eye level. You can use different types of baskets to group specific products.Â
For example, you can stagger Acacia jars holding your most frequently used baking staples, pastas, grains, or cereals to maximize space.
Recommended pantry organization tools
If you have a lot of space, use risers, which can serve as shelves within your shelving.
7. Organize the Top Shelf Supplies
Place lightweight baskets and any items you use less frequently on the top shelf, where they're out of the way, but also easily accessible as needed.
8. Label Everything
Labeling makes it easy for everyone in your home to locate what they need, and it's foolproof when questioning where something belongs.
Recommended pantry organization tools
Need more help deciding what goes where? Check out our article on the Anatomy of a Neat Pantry.
How to Organize Any Size Pantry
Cabinet Pantry Organization
One of the trickiest setups to organize is the small upper kitchen cabinets. A kitchen pantry storage cabinet is typically shallow, which can make it difficult to find the best storage containers for the space.Â
Utilize small baskets, turntables, canisters, and a pantry shelf organizer like our acacia riser to maximize space. If your pantry storage cabinet calls for a narrower, deeper pantry organization, small grid baskets are ideal.
Recommended pantry organization tools
Reach-in Pantry Organization
Start with baskets for your most commonly used categories, then add a riser at eye level for canned goods and bottled items.
Low on space? Utilize the back of your door by adding a kitchen closet organizer. Don't forget the floor. Oversized baskets are among the best pantry organization containers for corralling non-food items at ground level.
Recommended pantry organization tools
Walk-in Pantry Organization
The hardest part of implementing pantry organization in a large space is planning the layout of your storage containers. Decide on your focal point—canisters are a great option—and place it at eye level. Ground your pantry storage with one or two rows of baskets and use turntables for oils and vinegars to make use of awkward corners.Â
Recommended pantry organization tools
Mixed Cabinetry
What if your walk-in pantry features a mix of open shelving, cabinets, and drawers?
- Work with the natural flow of how and when you use each part of the pantry.
- Keep immediate-use items like snacks and breakfast essentials at eye level and easily accessible.
- Dinner prep materials, baking supplies, canned goods, and backstock can be stored in a separate area.
- Make each zone visually distinct and choose storage vessels that look and function best with each zone and category.
Recommended pantry organization tools
Pantry Organization Success Story
How do you streamline a large walk-in pantry that needs to be stocked enough for a family of five? That’s the challenge the NEAT Method Morristown team met head-on in just eight hours.Â
The problem:
- Managing the pantry every day felt challenging
- It had become a catch-all area with items scattered everywhere
The solution:
- Bins and baskets with clear labeling
- Large baskets on the floor for storing bulk items like paper towels and extra stock
- Keeping immediate-use items like snacks and breakfast necessities in the kitchen
- Housing dinner prep materials, baking supplies, canned goods, and backstock in the pantry
The standout feature for the client was the labeling system. With three active boys, the clear labels were a major game-changer, simplifying tasks like locating items and storing groceries.Â
NEAT Method Solutions for Every Kitchen
Would you rather have someone organize your pantry for you? Talk to us about our white-glove kitchen organization services. We delight in bringing balance, joy, and purpose to every home.
xx,
the NEAT team
We are Ashley and Marissa, the founders of Neat Method.
Lets face it – we obviously love to organize and are a little…or maybe we should say a lot type-A. This perfect storm created The Neat Life. Welcome! We’ve seen it all, heard it all, organized it all, and are always obsessed with seeing a perfectly NEAT space. Even if a clutter free space doesn’t tickle your fancy as much as ours, we guarantee you will be entertained by our antics and drive to make the world a NEAT-er place!
