Pantry Makeover Tips to Inspire Your Inner Chef
Genius organization hacks for kitchen convenience
One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to get organized and declutter—and for the culinarily inclined, the kitchen pantry is the hub of the home. Imagine shelves upon shelves of Type-A organization, dining linens hung on racks, oversized kitchen items tucked away with easy access, Lazy Susans utilizing every inch of corner space, large glass jars full of grains, pastas, sugar, and flour—these are what a chef’s dreams are made of!
If you’re resolving to get your kitchen pantry in working order, then now is the time for an organization overhaul. After applying these 10 kitchen makeover tips, you’ll never discover an expired ingredient at the back of your pantry again—and every single little thing will have its own designated spot on your shelves.
1. Use clear containers to store pastas, rice, snacks, and baking materials. Make sure the lids seal tightly to keep items fresh. The biggest benefit? The ease of seeing when stock is getting low.
2. Incorporate L-shelves, which allow the full use of corner spaces in the pantry. Great for storing cookbooks, small appliances, or canned goods, these shelves are best kept at a depth of 12 inches to 16 inches to prevent items from getting lost.
3. Use sliding baskets for frequently used items. Great for children’s snacks, produce such as potatoes or onions, or dry goods, baskets set at a lower level make it easy to grab and go!
4. Create a drop station or staging area in the pantry as a surface to set groceries close to their permanent homes. Putting away the groceries will take no time at all!
5. Install a pant rack as a space to hang tablecloths. The dowels on this rack are rubberized, preventing slippage, and the pull-out features allow for easy removal and replacement. Make sure to measure the longest cloth in your collection and install the rack accordingly to prevent your linens from dragging on the floor.
6. Pantries tend to have poor lighting; use pull out racks specifically designed for spice jars or canned goods to bring these items into the light. The easy access also makes it easy to view expiration dates.
7. Oversized bins on slides are a great way to tuck away bulky items like recycling or pet food. Use open bins for recycled goods, but be sure to use a container with a tight-fitting lid for pet food so there are no unscheduled meals!
8. Install vertical dividers for hard-to-store items such as cookie sheets, platters, etc. A lower elevation is ideal, but storing these items vertically makes them easier to slide out at any height.
9. Create deep drawers to keep your fine linens dust-free. Shallower drawers can be used for cooking tools or serving utensils. Line drawers with silver cloth to prevent your fine silver from tarnishing.
10. Lazy Susans are a great way to utilize corner spaces. They come in a variety of shapes and heights, and are an incredibly efficient way to store smaller items such as spices, canned goods, and baking materials.
Best of luck in your kitchen pantry makeover!
Polly Lestikow is the president of Closet Factory in Denver, Colorado, which has been creating completely personalized and unique storage solutions for clients for 25 years. View their profile or contact Polly at 303-690-6901.
Content for this article provided by Closet Factory.
