A well-stocked kitchen pantry can be a lifesaver when you need a quick and easy meal. However, finding the items you want can be difficult if you don’t have an effective organization system. You can organize your kitchen pantry and keep it that way by finding a method that works for you.
Keeping your kitchen pantry neat and tidy will be much easier if you get rid of a few things, so check expiration dates and discard old items. If you have some food that you’ve overstocked or never use, you can always donate to a local food bank!
The right method will help you find items when you need them. Spacious kitchen pantries are one of the many amenities you’ll find in our beautifully designed floor plans. You’ll find plenty of room for shelves within your pantry, so you can customize this space to fit your habits and needs. Get creative and explore options like bins, racks, carousel inserts, door organizers, slide-out racks, and extension shelves.
You can also make some food items last longer and enhance the aesthetic value of your kitchen pantry by swapping original packages for mason jars and clear canisters. Containers with similar sizes and shapes will allow you to stack items and save room, and you can use labels or colors to create a customized organization system to fit your style and needs.
Many people organize their kitchen pantries by grouping similar items together. If this method doesn’t work for you, you can store food based on how often you use it.
For instance, create a shelf with all your go-to staples for your family’s favorite dinner or keep all your baking essentials in the same spot. Keeping things clear and obvious will mean that when another family member wants to pitch in and help, it’s easy!
You should also make older food items easier to access (put them in front of newer items or on lower shelves) so you use them first. Encourage your children to be more independent with a shelf dedicated to school lunch items and healthy snacks, and keep junk food in less-convenient spots.
Create a checklist with all the items you use regularly to avoid filling your pantry with food you’ll never eat.
Keep some cooking basics like different oils and vinegar, and fill a spice rack with salt and pepper, dried herbs, and the seasonings you use frequently. Don’t forget about staples like canned goods, which are ideal for saving time when preparing dinner.
Also consider food that your family often enjoys. Stock your pantry with items like breakfast cereals, peanut butter, coffee and more. Similarly, if you enjoy baking, use one of your shelves to store flour, sugar, evaporated milk and other baking staples.
Make checking in on the pantry part of your normal kitchen cleaning routine. Set aside 5 minutes to take stock of your pantry items, organize any mess that’s accumulated for the week, and think through things you might need to add to the shopping list. Some people find this helpful to do on a weekend to help prepare for the week’s meals. This is also a good opportunity to pull out anything you know needs to get used up, or to make the decision to donate or compost food that your family won’t use in time.
A kitchen pantry is one of the most used areas of a home (and one that can easily get messy!). Koch Homes creates incredibly spacious pantries with thoughtfully placed built-in shelving, making it easier than ever to try these methods and keep your kitchen pantry organized.
Contact Koch Homes today to learn more about our communities and available homes.