I think we can all agree that kitchen pantry organization is something we love to dream about but never really do anything about it. And while they are beautiful to look at, most of the ideas aren’t realistic for young adults who are always on the go.
So if you love a beautifully organized kitchen pantry, this is for you. Each of these ideas are great for people who are allll about the ~ascetic~ without all of the work! I have found that these are easy to maintain and maximize small apartment storage space.
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This post shares the most realistic kitchen pantry organization ideas that you will actually use in your first apartment.
The Best Kitchen Pantry Organization Ideas
Use big bins
The best way to achieve maximum organization with minimal effort is to shove things into big bins. Not only do these bins hide the clutter but it is easy to keep similar products together. I like to use bins for snacks, baking, noodles, and more.
Go to the dollar store
One of the biggest setbacks of kitchen pantry organization is the cost of the containers that people use. A simple way around this is to go to your local dollar store and see what goodies you can find. While they may not be the prettiest acrylic containers that the Home Edit uses, they will help you stay organized. Which is the main point of doing it, right?
Make things visible
To save yourself some money, it is a good idea to make sure things are visible so you know you have them. This should help with things getting pushed to the back of the cabinet and going bad. One way to do this is to stack the things with the longest shelf life in the back. Another option is to use acrylic containers like I mentioned earlier. However, I think you can find cheaper options on Amazon or HomeGoods than you can at The Container Store.
Use sealed containers
I was hesitant to add this one because lets be honest – no one wants to go through the trouble of transferring bagged goods to containers every time they buy something. But this is super helpful for keeping things fresh in your pantry. Plus it does look a little better than colorful bags thrown all over the place.
Use racks
These little wire racks are super helpful to maximize your small pantry space while helping to make it look more organized. If your want to step up your kitchen pantry organization, add in a few of these and call it a day lol.
Clean out your pantry
The absolute best tip I can give you for optimal kitchen pantry organization is to clean out your pantry. First, you should do this before you start buying bins to organize with so you don’t waste money. But you should also consider cleaning out your pantry every few months to make sure you don’t have expired food that you forgot about.
Prioritize most used ingredients
Give the prime real estate of your pantry shelves to the ingredients you use the most. It wouldn’t make sense to shove the cans of pasta sauce or bread to the back of the pantry if you cook with it every week. Instead, try putting your baking items on lower or higher shelves so you have more space for your dinner ingredients.
Group similar items
Kind of like with the bins, it is best to have similar items stored together. Even if you opt to forego the bins, try moving things around in your pantry. For example, all canned vegetables can be stored in one area, snacks in another, and baking supplies in another. This will help you keep things organized as you go shopping and add more food to your pantry.
Add labels
I saved this one for last because it is really going the extra mile. Adding labels not only looks nice but it helps you remember what you have in each bin so nothing gets wasted. However, it does add the extra task of either having them made or writing them yourself if you don’t like any of the pre-made options. And if you’re like me, your chicken scratch will have the opposite effect of making your kitchen pantry look beautifully organized.
This post shared my top tips for practical kitchen pantry storage
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