The 30 Best Pantry Organization Tricks of All Time

While there’s no reason to compete with that, having a well-organized pantry can save you time and money in the kitchen. And those are always great to have more of! Below, you’ll find 30 of the best hacks, tips, and tricks for making your pantry a space you’re proud of — including ideas for how to store boxes of pasta, the best way to see all your oils and sauces, how to utilize dead wall space, and more. 

Whether you have an expansive pantry or a single cabinet, the first step to pantry organization is taking inventory of what you already have. Clutter and disorganization breeds more clutter, La Fond reminds us, and only entices you to buy more of what you might already have. Which, of course, means even more clutter! 

So before starting your pantry overhaul, first take everything out (yes, everything!) and take inventory of what you have. Discard expired items and, if possible, combine items that are the same. 

With so many storage options out there, it might seem difficult to choose the best pantry organization system for you. But La Fond offers the following advice to make the decision simpler: “The best storage system for a pantry is one that works for you!” she says. “Some people like to keep foods in their original packaging, and others like to decant things into jars. Which system you choose should depend on your space and how you maintain things.”

But remember that beauty (and Instagram-ability) isn’t necessarily the goal. La Fond acknowledges that a system of jars is going to look beautiful, and in some cases save you space, but if you’re unlikely to fill those canisters after every shop, then it’s probably not the best system for you. 

Instead, she advises choosing bins that are as deep as your shelves will allow (without overhang) so you maximize your space and see everything you’ve got in your pantry. The Container Store and Amazon both sell tons of amazing clear pantry storage systems — once you’ve got bins on hand, it’s time to organize your pantry items into categories, or zones, for easy access. 

You’ll want to group your pantry items into categories that make sense to you, and there are a number of ways to do this. Godding shares one clever method: “I usually group items by category to mimic what you might find on the same aisle in a grocery store,” she says. “For example, rice and pasta are adjacent, soup and canned goods are on the same shelf, condiments are stored together.” 

Or, you can employ a simpler strategy and just label your bins by category. Popular categories for pantry organization include baking, condiments, breakfast, snacks, grains, canned goods, and beverages. But these groups are yours to make your own! 

Here, the organizing experts share some of their go-to tips for keeping a clean, well-organized pantry.

Once you’ve got a clean, beautiful, and well-organized pantry, the real work begins: keeping it that way! But it doesn’t have to be a hassle when you follow the tips that Godding and La Fond have shared with us. 

The key to keeping a clean and well-maintained pantry all year? Don’t worry — it isn’t a mandatory weekly deep cleaning. In fact, the whole purpose of pantry organization is to have a place for everything so that you can avoid having to clean out or restructure your pantry often. Experts shared some common mistakes to steer clear of in your quest for an organized pantry.

Labels are not just for leftovers in the fridge and freezer. By labeling your jars, you’ll be able to spot what you need at a glance. Oh and labels go beyond pretty jars, too — if you have a basket of, say, snacks for the kids, put a label on it. This way, the kids will be able to help themselves and put stuff back where it belongs. You can buy cute sticker labels, pick up some hanging tags, invest in a label maker, or just use a grease pencil on your glass jars.

I strongly believe that the dollar store should be your first stop once you decide to take pantry organization into your own hands. You’ll find so many baskets there, for such low prices!

Lazy Susans should be renamed to hard-working Susans! Because they really do so much to keep your pantry organized. Without one (or three!) it’ll be hard to see the bottles you have stashed toward the back of the shelf. With one, you can simply rotate everything and gain instant access. If you’re going to buy one thing for your panty, it should be a lazy Susan. These are a pro organizer’s favorite picks.

From pickle jars to juice containers to takeout tubs, your groceries likely already come with totally free storage vessels. As long as they’re food-safe and can be cleaned and reused, use them!

If you have kids, set up one lower shelf (or a basket on a shelf) that’s stocked with pre-approved snacks for the kiddos. This way, they can help themselves when they get hungry and you don’t have to worry about anyone climbing on chairs to get something from a high-up shelf.

If you have a few ingredients that you almost always use together for certain dishes or styles of cooking, store them together either in a basket or on a sheet pan that you can easily pull out when you need it. (We vote for sheet pans here, actually, because they’re a great way to contain any inadvertent spills or leaks.)

See that little wall all the way to the left in the photo above? It would usually be wasted space, but they added super-narrow floating shelves so it can be used for special little bottles and jars that would otherwise get lost on a deeper shelf.

This encompasses the idea of buying an ingredient for one random recipe and then never having a use for it ever again. If a recipe calls for something that you don’t have or have never used before, make sure you can use it in another dish, too. Otherwise, it’ll just take up valuable space in your pantry. See what you can sub or if you can leave it out, or gather up some other recipes and prepare to expand your horizons.

Ever send a stack of canned goods toppling to the ground? It’s not fun! That’s why we suggest getting some sort of system for your canned goods. Amazon sells a few different types that store cans on their sides and make it easy to pull one out without making a mess of the ones left behind.

Put small appliances on a rolling plant stand, an appliance roller, or sliders so you can easily pull out what you need. This idea works for any large basket or crate that you want to store on the floor of your closet-style pantry, too. Just add wheels or put the whole thing on a rolling stand!

Similarly, if you have the floor space in your pantry to stash a rolling cart (or even if you have room for it in a storage closet), load it up with, say, your baking supplies. Then, whenever you’re making a cake, you can roll it out and park it next to your work station, which eliminates a dozen trips back and forth to the pantry.

Your pantry is not the grocery store. You don’t need to have the name brand facing you. You just need to be able to tell what’s in a box and, usually, the skinny side is enough. Put boxes on the shelf this way and you’ll be able to fit more.

Bags of rice and beans can get floppy (read: messy!). Store them flat and they’re easy to stack neatly, as seen above.

More support for shopping at the dollar store: Contributor Ashley Poskin got these baskets and removable hooks for cheap and turned wasted wall space into produce storage. It’s easy to see what’s in each basket, and the wire allows air to circulate around the produce. You could do the same with mesh produce bags, like they do in France!

Another way to see ingredients in the back (in addition to adding lazy Susans) is to get shelf risers. You can get ones made just for your spices, but you can also get larger shelves that can hold boxes of pasta, jars of sauce, and more.

Decanting things into uniform containers can help you save space and give you a stunning pantry, while preventing pests. But, of course, your food already comes in containers, so this one’s totally up to you.

How smart is this pantry? Those custom shelves on the door add so much extra storage. If you’re not handy, consider hanging one of those over-the-door shoe racks or even just a few hooks.

Before you do your meal plan for the week, take a look to see what’s in your pantry and what you want to use up. Then, you can try to pick out meals that will include those ingredients. At the very least, try to do a pantry challenge (where you make dinner using only things in your pantry) at least once a month or so.

A copper basket, wallpaper in the back, a strip of washi tape along the edge of the shelves — add at least one pretty thing to your pantry! Not only will it help you crack a bit of a smile, but it’ll also inspire you to keep the space neat.

If you stash serving pieces in your pantry and don’t use them all that often, pick up a few cheap shower caps from the dollar store (or your next hotel stay) and put them to work as makeshift dust protectors. This way, when you need something, you won’t have to wash it first.

And if you’re currently storing baking sheets, cutting boards, and muffin tins in a pile on a pantry shelf, know that there’s a better way. Set up some tension rods and store them vertically like books. Then, you can pull out one without causing a mini avalanche.

Sure, you can buy a roll of shelf liner, but a non-slip shower mat might be cheaper at, you guessed it, the dollar store. Put it on a deep shelf with vases, serving bowls, and other fragile items.

Your honey container and pepper mill are probably the two messiest things in your pantry. The sticky goo! The little bits of pepper! Start storing those two things on a little plate or bowl in order to contain the mess and keep your shelves clean.

Some of the best organizing hacks use items you’d never think to put in your pantry. Try this IKEA dish rack trick, for example! It makes a perfect storage vessel for your snacks and bags.

Turns out, there are ideal measurements for pantry shelves. If you’ve just been using them as-is since you moved in, consider playing around with the heights to make the space work better for you.

Don’t have an actual pantry? Out of room in the one you do have? Fake a pantry wherever you can! I love how these clever home cooks used this kitchen’s tiered dessert stand to hold spices.

Seeing is believing … and finding what you need. A too-dark pantry can be impossible to navigate. If you can’t rewire the space to add an overhead light, you can always hang a battery-powered option.

Less of a hack and more of a habit, this is just a reminder that a little bit of regular maintenance goes a long way. Wipe up spills, turn packages so the labels face outward, put stuff back where it belongs, toss anything that’s expired, etc.! Do a bit each day as it comes up and you won’t need to do any sort of massive overhaul.