I have been thinking a lot about pantries lately. Not necessarilywhat goes in them, but the pantries themselves. Of course we’d all love a huge walk-in pantry, but most of us – at least me – are lucky to make do with the cupboards next to the stove and maybe a closet-sized pantry with shelves for canned goods.
Now that I’ve been cooking at home more, I have found myself getting frustrated with a lack of organization. Even after purging, I have bottles of spices falling every time I open up the cupboard doors, and bags of rice and potatoes getting stuck in the pantry door. Half of my serving platters are stored in the bottom of my bedroom closet.
This is the cupboard next to my stove. The bottom shelf is spices. The middle shelf is “add ins,” such as raisins, honey, spices and things that are in bigger bottles. On the top shelf is smaller baking supplies like specialty flours and sugar.
This is my main pantry, where I put pasta, rice, grains, flour, canned items. Up top is bulky serving items.
When DH and I embarked on this reflooring project, I was ecstatic when we realized that since we are also downsizing our cleaning supplies, we can move the new eco friendly stuff to the bathroom (which has LOTS of storage), opening up a whole coat closet. We also have a double closet next to our kitchen that has a shelf where we store our crock pots, but the rest was beer making supplies and a few jackets. We relocated the jackets to another coat closet (I know, we have lots of closets in this house), the beer cans / bottles / equipment to the garage, and now I’ll have some more shelves! Yay, now I can put my canning and cheesemaking equipment somewhere other than on top of the refrigerator.
This is the cupboard above my stove. It includes sports nutrition, bulky water and coffee pitchers, and cheesemaking cultures.
This is the cupboard above my refrigerator. Very random stuff in there, ice cube trays, reynolds wrap, ziplocs, etc.
Just off the kitchen is a hallway with two storage areas.
It’s a double closet, and currently has crock pots on the two upper shelves. Below used to be some coats and bins for beer bottles / brewing equipment. I’d like to add shelving for bulk items, appliances (KitchenAid, food processor), and some recycling bins.
Pantry? Check.
List of things to buy? Check.
Containers? Uh, not check. That’s where I’m getting stuck. Sure, I’d love to have one of those custom pantries designed for my spaces, but plywood and plastic tubs (not Tupperware) are more our budget.
So, I’m hoping you can give me some great ideas. What cost-saving solutions have you discovered? How do you store your canning, processing, bulk items? Spices? Small appliances?
I so wish that I had a closet sized pantry. My cabinets look very much like yours, and I’m constanly trying to think of ways to reorganize.
I’ve passed the Beautiful Blogger award to you. Details on my blog! 🙂
oh my.
My kitchen is 7×10, my cupboards are poorly shaped and packed full, my cast iron and roaster live in my oven (and need to be moved when I bake) and I have six feet of counter space (not in a row.)
I keep a plastic garage shelving unit in my upstairs extra room where I store stuff I don’t need every single day.
I did buy square and rectangular plastic disposable containers (the kind you’re supposed to use for leftovers) and filled them with my dry stuff and stacked them in a couple of my cupboards. I re-purposed other containers and jars when I could – but the square/rectangle ones stack and nest together like they were made for the task.
Mostly, I organize by ruthless editing. In fact, I need me an editing day now…and real soon!
.-= Pat Steer (Gaelen)´s last blog ..Learn to Jam – IthaCan Food Preserving Workshop =-.
Thanks for stopping by Local Cook, nice post.
My biggest suggestion is to get a uniform set of plastic that will sit nicely together… so that you don’t have random things falling… I personally like wire shelves rather than wood, but wood are sturdier for cans…
My pantry has heaviest items at eye/arm level and lighter things above and below, with the bottom shelf reserved for the stuff the kids can get into on their own…
stopping by from SITS
Popped in from SITS! This reminds me to desperately reorganize my messy pantry!
.-= Blond Duck´s last blog ..The Perilious Tales of Pemberely Pet Shop 7 =-.
I need to do this too. Stopping by from SITS!
Great blog by the way! I am thinking of organizing friends locally to cook through the book as well.
I first started organizing my kitchen after I read “Sidetracked Home Executives” by Pam Young and Peggy Wilson. They have a kitchen organizing book as well. (They are very compulsive, so use what works for you from their books.) What I gained most from their kitchen book is to have your space organized into cold, hot, wet, dry areas to save time, footsteps, and energy. i.e. tea, coffee, and mugs near stove for hot water; all baking items (flour, sugar, b. soda, bowls,measuring cups/spoons,…) in one area,… Since reading that book 15 years ago, I have made only slight changes in how I organize my kitchen. I have a galley kitchen with a small pantry with drawers.
I put all equipment and bulk/surplus foods I don’t need often in the basement on shelves or on the floor, i.e. bulk flours, grains, beans, go in 2-5 gallon white plastic buckets on the floor. (Buckets can be found for free at grocery stores in the bakery after they use the frosting!) Canning jars and equipment, canned food, and extra spices go downstairs. I refill as needed. I have had trouble with pantry moths, so everything goes in a sealed container (clear if possible) of some sort. My spices are now on a shelf right next to the stove and the baking spices in a drawer next to my flours, sugars,…
Good luck. I am always looking for more ideas.
Canister set for flour/sugar, etc. Lazy Susan (preferable) or plastic baskets for spice organization. In a cabinet above or next to the stove, ideally. Good luck!