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Be honest: when was the last time you looked for foods you knew you had but couldn't find? Or did you find the item you were looking for only to find that it is long out of date?
If you were hoping to cook more, the first step isn't to head to the stove, but to watch how you store and sort the ingredients. As you begin spring cleaning, consider creating a pantry organization system that works for you.
Nicole Abramovici, co-founder of Genius Organizing , a professional organizing company in New York City, says a well-organized pantry can transform your kitchen. "An unorganized pantry creates several problems," Abramovici said.
She cites some of these problems: ingredients expire; Bulk containers can tip over and attract pests; or you can buy items you forgot, resulting in a cluttered pantry.
Through her work, Nicole Abramovici has developed a system to streamline the organization of the pantry and therefore the daily kitchen accordingly.
"Once you are organized and know what you have and where it is, you can use up any ingredients you forgot and make fabulous meals. You'll save time and money, and you'll probably try new dishes, too," he says.
Read on for Abramovici's best tips and product ideas for organizing your pantry.
1. To create a system, first consider the dimensions of your pantry
Before you begin the organizing process, take a look at what you are working on. What are the specific dimensions of your pantry? how many shelves do you have What height are the shelves? Do you have a small pantry or pantry?
After examining your space, you can plot where each type of item will be based on its size and frequency of use. "When planning a pantry or storage space, it's important to consider the terms of use or size requirements," Abramovici said.
She gives some advice.
- Items you use less often, like holiday baking supplies or specialty gadgets, can be placed on higher, hard-to-reach shelves.
- Everyday items like salt, olive oil, and coffee beans should be at shoulder height (or slightly above or below) for easy access.
- Heavy and bulky items can stay down so they don't slip out of your hands and land on your foot.
- Snacks can be placed on the lower rungs where kids can reach them, "provided they can self-regulate enough not to eat them all at once," Abramovici added.
Also consider how much space there is between your shelves. Larger rooms allow you to store larger items like cereal boxes. If your pantry shelves are adjustable, adjust them to fit the containers you typically buy.
2. Group similar items
Don't get lost on the shelves. To make your search easier, get inspiration from your local supermarket and collect similar items. That way, when your eye lands on an object, you'll know immediately what's nearby.
"You could have the pasta and sauce department, the different types of peanut butter and other spreads, the international tea department," Abramovici said. Or, items can be grouped into general categories such as canned goods, snack foods, carbs, and breakfast items.
3. Resist the urge to overstock the shelves.
If your pantry is too full, you will quickly become overwhelmed. "I've seen situations where there are so many things that you have to remove some to remove others, or even search for something," Abramovici said.
Empty shelf space allows you to mix and match items. If you prefer to buy items in bulk, set up a place in a different area of your home to store extras. Then move the items to the pantry as needed.
4. Seal open packages
Whether you're storing food in its original packaging or transferring it to jars, make sure the containers are tightly closed. "Containers that are not sealed properly can easily spill their contents or attract household pests," Abramovici said.
Bag clips can be useful for sealing things like potato chips and the inner bag of cereal boxes. Abramovici also likes containers with pop-up lids, like the OXO Good Grips POP storage containers . "They seal tight every time you close them," she says.
5. Prepare those buckets and containers
Abramovici relies on bins and containers when organizing pantries. "Everything inside the walls is immediately more organized," he said.
She recommends containers with handles, like these clear plastic bino storage containers . "Storage bins with handles are the easiest to pull out — just a few inches of a protruding handle can make a world of difference in your ability to grab something and pull it off a shelf," Abramovici said.
If you prefer an integrated handle to save space, Abramovici is a fan of iDesign's plastic kitchen containers .
He also likes a lazy susan (also called a turntable) like this one from Copco . "It's a great way to never have one object at a time. Just a simple twist and everything can come forward for removal," she says.
Abramovici suggests purchasing specific tools if they are right for your situation. "The idea is to install once and save forever," she says. That means only buy what you really need. Abramovici often encounters clients who buy too many organizational tools that don't fit in their space.
6. Make your doors work
Adding shelves to closet doors can "effectively quadruple your storage space," Abramovici said.
She suggests using closet doors, which she describes as "valuable real estate," to store extra groceries like spices. food packaging such as cling film or aluminum foil; or pot lid.
She prefers shelves that mount directly to the closet door, like these Joseph Joseph pot lid organizers , the mDesign metal hanging shelf, or this full-length adjustable Jumbl shelf. Over the door styles can keep your pantry door open.
7. Make a plan for deep shelves
Pantries with deep shelves can be tricky. It's easy to lose track of what's on the back and you could end up buying duplicates of products you already have or spend more time finding things.
"With deep shelves, you don't know what's there unless you create a system," Abramovici said.
To manage this, Abramovici suggests installing a sliding shelf like the G-Ting closet organizer or a stacker like the YouCopia ShelfSteps organizer that elevates items so they're visible. She also likes the aforementioned clear trash cans to organize an extra deep space.
If you don't use trash cans or containers, Abramovici recommends posting identical items online. "Even if you can't see past the first two cases of jars, you know what's in that row," says Abramovici.
Depending on the space, you can order larger items at the back so they don't tower over smaller items.
8. Remember that an Instagram-worthy pantry is entirely optional.
If you've spent time on TikTok or Instagram, you might feel the pressure of lugging around clear containers, taking all your dry groceries out of their original packaging, and adding adorable labels.
Abramovici points out that making a pantry work is more important than making it look good.
"If the endless thrill of seeing things in clear containers, or not seeing visually noisy containers, is worth the time it takes to add the extra step of decanting plus the cost of all the necessary containers, then I say go for it." go on and live this Instagram if." . If you'd rather devote your time to something else, life will go on fine if you choose nothing," he said.
One final pro tip: when labeling containers, make sure the labels are strong enough to withstand a wash.
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