Pantry storage for your large or small kitchen

Those with small kitchens get all the sympathy and suggestions from everyone on how to make the most of their space. Unfortunately, I’ve found that having tons of kitchen space and a large pantry doesn’t guarantee you’ll have everything ready. No matter how hard I tried to organize my very generously sized pantry with its floor-to-ceiling wire shelves, it was always a mess in there. I finally realized that I needed help with pantry storage. Here are the pieces that saved the day for my kitchen:

1. Food Storage Containers – For non-perishable items like flour, sugar, cereal, crackers, pasta, coffee, and more, I now store them in clear airtight containers. I can quickly scan what I have and what I need. And I don’t have stale food because my kids and husband neglect to seal things properly.

2. Small Plastic Containers: On the lowest shelf of my pantry, I keep different sized clear open plastic containers where I can organize all my food into boxes and loose packets of noodles, rice, etc. Again, keep everything where I can see and grab to plan and prepare dinners.

3. Large Plastic Bins: I used to have a lot of wasted space on my pantry floor. Now, with larger plastic bins, I’ve been able to organize the miscellaneous things I keep in my pantry. Like my son’s play-doh toys and art supplies. It has really turned an unused area into something that looks like I have it all together.

4. Can Holders – These wire shelves are specifically designed to hold canned goods. Using these allowed me to free up space in my kitchen cabinets for other items.

I also use my pantry to store those seldom-used Christmas pots, pans, and dishes on the highest shelves. Organizing my pantry storage not only saves me time on a daily basis, but I don’t have to worry about keeping the door closed when guests are around. I love bragging about how organized I am now!