A pantry shelf with clear plastic containers of various dry goods, labeled for items like rice, noodles, cookies, and popcorn. The containers have white lids and are neatly organized in rows.
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Pantry Cabinet Organization

ByLisa

Hello my friends! Today I am switching gears a bit for some much needed organization in our pantry cabinet. This year has been anything but ordinary and has definitely changed how we eat, cook and store food at our house. Along with that, our pantry quickly became over run and quite chaotic. As store inventories remain somewhat unpredictable, the last thing I want to be doing is buying duplicates of food we already have and don’t need. So I decided to conquer our pantry cabinet organization once and for all!

Image of a meticulously organized pantry with clear containers labeled for items like pasta, rice, cookies, flour, and sugar. The decorative labels enhance the aesthetic while the neatly aligned containers transform the cabinet into a model of efficient organization.

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I consider our kitchen to be a relatively smart use of space but we do not have a walk in pantry that boasts loads of shallow shelves to fill. Instead, we have a pantry cabinet.

A modern kitchen features organized white cabinets, a stainless steel refrigerator, and a granite countertop. A white bowl filled with bright lemons and limes sits on the counter. A chalkboard menu is attached to the refrigerator door, keeping everything in its place.

While I am definitely thankful for this over sized cabinet, it does tend to get out of control quickly. So my goal was to create an organization system that was easy to maintain and sustainable! This is huge! Anyone can organize a space and make it look pretty for now, but if it isn’t maintainable, you will be organizing all over again in a few months. I learned that lesson long ago and have applied it to my closet and our hall closet with great success! A pair of tall, white cabinet doors with sleek silver handles, offering a minimalist design perfect for organization. The words "Garrison Street design studio" are printed in the lower left corner.

I must admit, my extra motivation to tackle this project was fueled when I recently found these air tight containers on sale at Costco. I have wanted some for a long time and I finally pulled the trigger. So far, I have not been disappointed! A box of OXO SoftWorks 9 Piece POP Container Set is displayed on a kitchen countertop, enhancing pantry organization. The packaging showcases various dry foods like popcorn, pretzels, and candies neatly stored in clear containers.

This is what the inside of the pantry cabinet looked like before. There wasn’t a lot of consistency as to where items lived and usually things just ended up where they fit. The bottom shelf was handy, but cans often got lost in the back of the deep cabinet. 

A neatly organized pantry cupboard boasts three shelves. The top shelf holds glasses and napkins, the middle is lined with various bottles and jars, while the bottom brims with canned goods and condiments. Pristine white cabinets elegantly surround these well-stocked shelves.

We also use the first drawer below the cabinet to store snacks and such. This drawer was always a train wreck! A well-organized drawer filled with various snacks in resealable bags and packages, including chocolate bark, Reese's, Ritz crackers, and other assorted treats—a mini pantry in your cabinet.

Pantry Cabinet Organization

Step 1

Take everything out. I mean it, everything! I know a lot of people really dislike this part, but it is necessary. When you leave items in place, you cannot see past the configuration you already have, leading to your same old habits, likely bad ones. This will also give you a chance to see long lost items that might be expired so you can toss them or maybe use them up before a pending expiration date. Not going to lie, I threw away some Ramen noodles that expired in 2016!A dining room showcases a black table adorned with snacks, beverages, and pantry staples, neatly organized under a striped cloth. Benches flank either side while a modern chandelier illuminates the scene, creating an ideal space for culinary inspiration beyond the nearby cabinet.

And my dining room table looked like this as a result of removing everything. Don’t worry, it always gets worse before it gets better. 

Step 2

Reconfigure. This part was big for me! While this cabinet is spacious, I do store non food items in here like serving dishes, extra wine glasses, and our vacuum sealer, which, by the way, we love! Ours was a Christmas gift last year and it has been amazing for storing everything from meat to bread to potatoes! Food stays so fresh and it has been a life saver when buying in bulk!An empty wooden pantry cabinet with open white doors and silver hinges displays a smooth, light-colored wood interior. The tall, spacious design offers ample organization opportunities with its simple and clean lines.

My initial thought was to take out our drawers entirely and replace them with shelves. I know some of you are gasping at the thought, but they do take up much more space vertically than a shelf. And, they really cannot handle the weight if completely filled with canned goods. I did a lot of rearranging and measuring before I finally landed on a configuration that accommodated everything I needed to house. I ditched one drawer, replaced it with a shelf, and moved the rest up a few. 

Step 3

Baskets! I believe organizing is only worth it if it is sustainable. The secret to making it sustainable is to make items easy to access and easy to put away. If if everything has to be removed to put one small thing away, you will never do it. Trust me, I speak from experience 😉 To assist with this, baskets are your best friend! I picked up a multitude of baskets and two can shelf organizers.This organizational cabinet features two white drawers and nine gray storage bins, each thoughtfully labeled with tags. Ideal for streamlining your pantry, its interior boasts a light wood finish that complements any decor. A multi-tiered spice rack sits on a speckled granite countertop. The white rack, with three gray, non-slip steps, is perfect for pantry organization and designed to display spices or similar items.

We have a fair amount of canned goods and honestly end up buying duplicates pretty often because we don’t know what we already have. As such, I wanted to make sure I could see all my cans! These can shelves are meant to be next to each other, but our pantry is extra deep since it’s a cabinet. So I improvised and added some scrap 2x4s to raise the back row so I could see all the labels.

White tiered shelf risers on a light wood shelf with wooden blocks placed underneath for extra height, perfect for efficient pantry organization.

I used a few bins on the side for extra items like condiments and kept less frequently used items in the back.

A well-organized pantry with tidy shelves showcases impeccable organization. The top shelves are empty, while the bottom shelf holds canned goods, jars, and bins brimming with various food items. With the door open, it beautifully displays an array of neatly arranged essentials.

Step 4

Fill up the airtight containers. I know I am going to sound like a complete psychopath, but this part was OH SO satisfying! No more ugly boxes, bags, or awkward containers. The best part is, they keep food fresh longer and help reduce waste from zip-lock bags. A kitchen counter covered with clear storage containers and various pantry items, such as instant oatmeal, pasta, crackers, and snacks, showcases perfect pantry organization. In the background, cabinets filled with more neatly arranged items line the shelves.

Naturally, I made fun labels for them too so there is no second guessing the contents. AND I am sharing these labels with all my incredible email subscribers, for FREE!

Two white sheets on a table showcase elegant black cursive labels for pantry organization, listing items like flour, sugar, noodles, pasta, rice, quinoa, and coffee. Perfect for a tidy cabinet!.

They are already formatted for Avery 18863 labels. All you have to do is print!A package of Avery Matte Clear Shipping Labels, featuring "Sure Feed Technology," is perfect for cabinet organization. The package contains 100 labels on 10 sheets, designed for inkjet printers, with dimensions of 2" x 4". Ideal for keeping your pantry neat and labeled.

Step 5

Put everything back. Having an organized pantry cabinet now is such a relief! I not only know where everything is but I also know what we have so I am not buying extras of items by mistake.

 

Remember the pantry drawer? A few more baskets to the rescue and that hot mess is gone! I simply grouped like items together. Yes, I do have a thing for Ramen Noodles, but most of the time we just use the noodles for Asian style dishes we make.

A drawer organized with various snacks, including ramen noodle packs, granola bars, almonds, crackers, and fruit snacks. Items are neatly arranged in baskets for easy access and separation, adding a touch of pantry organization.

The bottom shelf of the pantry was difficult to access before, not many items fit, and I never knew what was hiding in the back. Thanks to these simple baskets, I can now access everything with ease and put items away quickly. These baskets are also a great place to store potatoes, onions, garlic, etc.

A well-organized pantry showcases gray baskets on wooden shelves. One basket holds assorted onions and potatoes, while another displays small jars. Above, canned goods like beans and tomatoes are neatly stacked in white organizers for optimal cabinet efficiency.

I also reorganized our collection of spice rubs we use on the regular in these mini mason jars and used some chalkboard stickers to label them. 

A woven basket sits on a wooden shelf, organizing jars with metal lids. Each jar, labeled with chalkboard stickers, reads: Pork Rub, Baking Soda, Dark Horse Rub, and Salmon Rub. This pantry essential keeps your spices neatly in place.

On the upper shelf I added two more baskets for chips, bread, buns, tortillas and crackers. A wooden cabinet showcases wine glasses, white dishes, and bowls on the top shelf. Below are gray storage baskets perfect for pantry organization alongside a label maker. The bottom shelf neatly holds labeled containers filled with grains and pasta.

A gray basket containing packages of burger buns and tortillas, all wrapped in plastic, sits neatly on the granite countertop, showcasing a touch of pantry organization. A storage basket filled with various snack items, including reduced-fat wheat crackers, Saltines, organic blue corn tortilla chips, and Goya cookies, is neatly organized on a speckled countertop, ready to enhance your pantry cabinet's appeal.

I know this is going to sound crazy, but I feel so much less stress when I open the pantry now! Everything has a home and is easy to find and put away! 

A neatly organized pantry showcases a cabinet with labeled containers for pasta, rice, and snacks on the top shelf. Canned goods and jars, featuring beans and sauces, are arranged on the middle shelf. More containers are stored below in gray bins for optimal organization. A neatly organized pantry features labeled containers. The shelves, a testament to perfect organization, hold baskets with dishes, glass jars, and containers labeled with food items like pasta, bread crumbs, and quinoa. Canned goods and jars are stored efficiently on the lower shelves. A well-organized pantry with two shelves resembles a tidy cabinet. The top shelf holds various canned goods neatly lined up, while the bottom features clear bins containing snacks and jars, all arranged for easy access.

I feel like my whole kitchen just stepped up its game! I can find items with ease and make grocery lists quickly. Have I motivated you to organize your pantry? 

Shop the Look 

Food Storage Containers | Baskets | Vacuum Sealer | Small Mason Jars | Shelf Organizer | Label Paper | Printable Labels 

 

A side-by-side comparison of pantry organization. The "Before" image shows a cluttered space with various items scattered. The "After" image reveals an organized pantry with labeled containers, baskets, and neatly arranged cans in the cabinet for easy access.

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A kitchen pantry drawer filled with neatly organized, labeled containers. Visible labels include noodles, rice, cookies, popcorn, breadcrumbs, and quinoa. The transparent containers with white lids showcase a tidy array of dry food items.

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A small pantry boasts impeccable organization, with neatly arranged shelves featuring labeled containers of pasta, rice, and more. Transparent with white lids, these containers sit alongside gray baskets that enhance the cabinet's efficient storage solutions.

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