Kitchen & Pantry Organization
You know how everyone says the last mile of any race is always the hardest? Well, it’s the same for house projects. The last big checklist is always the most difficult to complete. So no, we may not have cabinet doors or door faces yet but we can still get to ORGANIZING!
Where do I start?
Tip 1 - Clean everything out! Cleaning out ALL of your drawers, shelves, and other nooks and crannies allows you to see what you have, what you need, and what you can get rid of. Throw out all the expired goods, the stuff you bought for that one random recipe and never used again, and the items that you just don’t use.
Tip 2 - Consider form vs function. The best-organized kitchen is the one that fits you and your family. If you’re constantly grabbing for water bottles, don’t put your bottles in a hard-to-reach space. If you have kids who constantly want snacks (like mine!), put snacks in an area that allows them to independently grab them. I know having your mix-matched drink cups right out in front may not be the prettiest thing but if it is going to make everyday tasks easier and more accessible for you then that’s where they should be. This is where you have to put functionality over aesthetics.
Tip 3 - Now is the fun part. Once you have your must-have items and you prioritize what needs to be front and center, you can start planning your organizational needs. Budget for organizers, lazy susans, and baskets? Go get them and make your organizing heart happy. My suggestion is to be practical though. If you know you won’t always organize granola bars by each individual brand and flavor offering, don’t get a 12-compartment organizer for them. Instead, opt for a basket and throw them all in.
“The best-organized kitchen is the one that works for you. ”
Our pantry cabinet
I love a mix of open baskets and closed containers. I can’t compartmentalize everything because I’d lose organization in the long run. I need a system that works for our busy lifestyle. Having large baskets and containers to throw like items together works best for us.
Read on to learn more about these products and get a glimpse inside our drawers. More storage & organization tips below!
Favorite Food Storage
I have tried a LOT of containers in the past. THESE rubbermaid containers have become my favorite dry-food storage option for a few reasons.
Photo: Set of 3, 16 cup containers with scoops.
They close tightly and have an extra seal to keep things fresh. I’ve never had anything go stale in them. They only have 2 latches (instead of 4) so the kids can get them open pretty easily, too. The latches have never broken on me. Plus, they’re square/rectangular so they stack and store really easily.
Because they are plastic, I only store dry goods in them. I typically use THESE larger glass ones for anything in the refrigerator that could potentially stain or need to be reheated.
I also use THESE glass ones for our lunches. I avoid microwaving in plastic at all costs. The glass works great for reheating.
Another container option
I’ve also had THESE OXO containers for years. I love them and use them often. I find that open snack items (pretzels, goldfish, popcorn, etc) go stale in them a bit quicker though. I use these containers to store my baking goods now.
Bins & Baskets
Some argue that clear is best so you can see everything you have but I just don’t love the look of it. I opt for THESE white XL containers (other colors available) to store all of our shelf-stable condiments. I have extra peanut butter, pasta sauces, oils, etc. in these bins.
I have our small appliances (hand mixer, waffle iron, etc) in some of THESE clear bins at the top of the pantry. I don’t reach for them often so they’re a bit out of the way but still easily accessible.
Snacks
If you have kids or are a snacker yourself, you know snacks need to be super easy to grab. I love throwing our snacks in big baskets. I know they’d never stay organized if I tried to separate them all out with individual dividers and containers. I buy THESE oversized baskets and stuff them. I like that they’re square so they fit into the drawers really nicely. This set is new so they’re a bit misshapen but they’ll eventually even out.
“This is where you have to put functionality over aesthetics. ”
I also have THESE clear containers in here to hold the kids’ snack cups, plates, and utensils. I love having everything they need within their reach. I try to get them to help themselves as much as possible.
THESE wicker-like baskets may also work well for you if you’re looking for a harder material. I’ve had them for years and they’ve moved from our office to our kitchen and now to kids play storage. They’re a bit smaller and are very sturdy.
Open Storage
When food is out on our open shelves or directly on the counter, I like THESE glass containers. I love the black lids for some added contrast. Plus, these have a seal so they keep food fresh. I have our protein powders and smoothie add-ins in these.
*picture coming. I must have forgotten to grab one!
Photo: 2 66oz containers and 1 one gallon container
I also love THESE glass containers with wooden lids. The black walnut lid matches our bar tops perfectly and they add a really warm, earthy element to the kitchen (if you’re into that look). They come in a lot of sizes. We use them for everything - coffee grounds to full boxes of pasta.
Plus, they come with a nice rubber piece that snuggly fits on the bottom of the container. This piece will save your cabinet shelves and the container itself.
In the drawers
If baskets and other organizers overwhelm you or just don’t excite you, I recommend starting with drawer separators. I love THESE separators because they disappear in the chaos of all my other wooden utensils. They also come in white and grey. I recommend the wood separators over any of the plastic ones. We have 22in drawers. Our drawers are deeper than average so the dividers don’t reach all the way to the back of the drawer. I added these little bamboo boxes to stabilize them.
I love THIS silverware holder. It expands so if you have a smaller drawer and don’t need the full thing, you can shrink it up a bit.
This is super random and probably not expected but this is my favorite drawer in our kitchen. This drawer makes me believe that we planned this space carefully and intentionally. We thought ahead and knew we needed a larger space for all of our baking pans. This drawer is directly under our oven/microwave unit and is about 2x deeper than our other drawers. Believe it or not, there is a pretty minimal organizer holding all of these pans up. I love it. I used THIS organizer because it isn’t bulky and allows you to adjust the spacing between each section. Our spacing varies depending on what we have in it.
One last thing - I hope you always remember that what you have is perfect for you. I know this pantry doesn’t have the glitz and glam like others out there but it’s about 4x bigger than the one installed when we purchased our home and I’m really stinking excited about it!
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