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KARA MERCER
Keeping your food storage area organized and tidy takes some effort, but it’s worth it.
But what if you don’t have awalk-in pantryor anypantryat all?
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What if all you’ve got to work with is regular kitchen cabinets?
Can you still get all your food organized, accessible, and looking tidy?
The answer is yes, absolutely.
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How to Make Kitchen Cabinets into a Pantry
1.
Do you tend to stock a lot of canned goods?
Do you own a ton of baking ingredients or not many?
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Are you using multiple bags of bread, bagels, and English muffins?
This step rolls up under the mother of all organizing principles: Store like with like.
What you reach for daily should go at eye level in the upper cabinet.
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What you use only occasionally goes on the highest shelf and/or in the lower cabinet.
This is the same principle behind anefficiently organized closetordrawer.
Once you’ve settled on where each category of food will be located, label the shelf.
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Before you shop, know the purpose and ideal size of each organizer youre looking for.
They’re a storage classic.
But really, anyglass jar or containerwith a tight-fitting lid will work.
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You could repurpose pickle jars, mayonnaise jars, whatever.
The wider the mouth of the jar, the easier it is to use for food storage.
In this cabinet, we used glass jars for all the baking ingredients.
That makes it really easy to label, and relabel, jars.
Turntables are versatile, too.
Load the tallest stuff in the center of the turntable and the smaller, lower items around the edge.
Another bonus: If that oil or sticky syrup spills, the turntable will keep the mess contained.
But that catch-all needs to be organized, of course.
Silverware Organizer
They’re not just for knives and forks.
We’re talking teabags, individual servings of drink mixes, etc.
They also work for “filing” bars and discs of baking chocolate.
Experiment with different sizes and shapes of pans to find the right configuration for what you gotta store.
Just ensure your pans are shallow enough that the drawer can close.
Ideas for Storing Food in a Lower Cabinet
9.
Slide-out Shelves
Slide-out shelvesare the key to making a lower cabinet work as a pantry.
If your lower cabinet already has them, you’re in luck.
Models with adjustable width are the most versatile.
Clear is crucial here so you’re free to see what you have.
Bins are especially helpful for corralling small cans.
We suggest storing cans on their sides rather than stacked, to make it easier grab what you want.
