Organize Your Pantry Like a Pro: 9 Simple Steps

We all know that feeling when you need something specific from your pantry and you are 100% sure you bought it the other day, but you JUST CAN’T find it. Why? Because your pantry is like a ‘black box’ – anything that gets in there – somehow disappears. 

Now, we both know what the reason for that is…and we both know the solution to this messy problem – yep, you got it right – it’s time to organize your pantry!

What is the best way to organize your pantry?

1. Take Everything Out of Your Pantry

This step is pretty straightforward. Before deciding what kind of pantry organization containers or bins you will need, or what to buy to organize your pantry – you need to know the real-time situation: what do you already have, what type of foods dominate, and what could be re-used for the organization. No need to over-spend and over-crowd your pantry with more unnecessary stuff that takes up space.

Best product for this step:

A set of clear handled bins is useful when you’re pulling everything out and sorting pantry items by type. The mDesign Clear Plastic Storage Bins with Handles work well because they let you temporarily group snacks, cans, baking items, and packets before deciding what actually goes back into the pantry.

Shop it here: mDesign Clear Pantry Storage Bins on Amazon

2. Organize your stuff

Now that you have everything in front of you, it’s time to organize your things: check for expiration dates of all the foods, and get rid of the stuff you haven’t used in months or even years (no excuses!). This way you will free up a lot of space. After you’re done, clean every shelf and drawer nicely.

Best product for this step:

If you want to make the decluttering stage easier, use large clear pantry bins with removable dividers. The ClearSpace Plastic Pantry Organization Bins are useful because you can separate opened snacks, baking items, condiments, or smaller packets while checking expiration dates.

Shop it here: ClearSpace Pantry Organizer Bins on Amazon

3. Group and categorize

When you are done with organizing your pantry items, group them by type, frequency of use, etc. 

For example, keep your oils or salad dressings in one place, grains, and pasta – in another group, snacks – too, and so on.

Also, items you use the most frequently – put upfront, on the middle shelves, up to your eye level. On the contrary, the ones that have a long expiration date and are used less frequently – should be put in the back or on the very top/bottom shelves.

Best product for this step:

The best product for grouping pantry items is a durable clear bin set. The Utopia Kitchen 6-Pack Clear Storage Bins helps create dedicated zones for snacks, pasta, breakfast items, sauces, and baking products, while still letting you see what’s inside.

Shop it here: Utopia Kitchen Clear Storage Bins on Amazon

4. Plan to organize your pantry

Now that you have organized your stuff and you are left with only those items that will go back to your pantry, it’s time to make a list of things you’ll need to organize your pantry: containers, bins, baskets, bags, labels for baskets. Also, if you can see that you need to refill on some kind of groceries – make a list too.

Best product for this step:

Before buying individual organizers, it helps to start with one larger container system. The OXO Good Grips 20-Piece POP Container Set is a strong “buy once” option because it includes multiple airtight, stackable containers for dry goods like flour, pasta, sugar, rice, oats, and snacks.

Shop it here: OXO Good Grips 20-Piece POP Container Set on Amazon

TIP: Decide the dominating style/color/functionality of your pantry first. E.g. – do you want the storage bins to be transparent, or not? Do you want them to be made of plastic, wood, or any other material? What kind of color palette you’d like to dominate? When you choose the main design of your pantry – stick to it and pick your containers accordingly.

5. Use storage containers and bins

Nothing makes your pantry look messier than different types of packages. Also, there’s a person in your family who likes to leave the empty packaging after he takes the last pack of snacks – your pantry can easily become messy in no time. That’s why it’s very important to get rid of any plastic or cardboard containers beforehand. 

E.g. keep your pasta and nuts in glass storage containers instead of in their packaging. Put all the little bags of snacks in one bigger container where they will not mix up with any other items in your pantry. Don’t leave your vegetables in their plastic bags – put them all nicely in the special sustainable bag you can hang somewhere in your pantry, or simply dedicate a separate basket for them. And the list goes on!

Best product for this step:

For this step, the OXO Good Grips POP Container Set is one of the best long-term pantry upgrades. The containers are airtight, stackable, and space-efficient, which makes them especially useful for replacing messy cardboard and plastic packaging with a cleaner, more uniform system.

Shop it here: OXO POP Container Set on Amazon

6. Label, label, label

That can’t be said too often because labelling your containers is a game-changer! Especially if your pantry containers are not transparent. Simply put a label on each of the pantry bins, containers, and baskets – you’ll thank yourself later.

If you want to organize your pantry in a way that it would last – labels are very important!

Best product for this step:

The best product for long-term labelling is a Bluetooth label maker. The Brother P-Touch Cube lets you create clean, consistent labels for pantry bins, containers, shelves, and baskets, so the whole system is easier to maintain.

Shop it here: Brother P-Touch Cube on Amazon

7. Don’t forget the pantry doors…

Many people forget this brilliant pantry spot – the doors! Pantry doors can be used in a variety of ways: you can hang over the door basket and free up the space on shelves. E.g. hang your bags of vegetables there. Another beautiful idea to take advantage of the pantry doors – is to hang a spice rack.

Not only it’s super convenient to store your spices there, but it also looks very cool!

Best product for this step:

An over-the-door organizer is one of the easiest ways to add storage without taking up shelf space. The ClosetMaid Adjustable Wall & Door Rack is useful for spices, wraps, small jars, packets, snacks, or lightweight pantry extras.

Shop it here: ClosetMaid Door Organizer on Amazon

8. … and wall space!

Not only doors but also walls can be also perfectly used to free up some space in your pantry. Hang your aprons, towels, or cleaning items, such as brooms, over there. It can also be used to hang some more shelves for your jars and oils.

Best product for this step:

If your pantry has empty wall space, a wall-mounted rack can turn it into practical storage. A BUKFEN 8-Tier Over the Door Pantry Organizer works especially well for narrow pantry walls where you want to store spices, jars, tea boxes, or small backup items without crowding the main shelves.

Shop it here: BUKFEN 8-Tier Over the Door Pantry Organizer on Amazon

9. Keep your pantry organized

Now, your pantry can become cluttered and messy again very fast if you do not do anything to keep it organized. Create some simple rules and ask your family members to stick to them: always put items in their place, take the groceries out of their packaging (if you decided to go with that), and clean your pantry once in a while to make sure the items haven’t expired, and so no. By doing this, you might never have to deep organize your pantry again.

Best product for this step:

To keep the pantry tidy after the first big reset, use stackable bins with lids. The Vtopmart Stackable Pantry Bins help prevent categories from mixing again and make it easier to maintain the system week after week.

Shop it here: Stackable Pantry Bins on Amazon

PRO TIP: Protect your shelves

Shelf liners are a great way to keep your pantry organized longer. It protects your shelves from wet foods, like oils. Also, it ensures that your jars and other bottles won’t slip off the shelves.

3 Useful Pantry Organization Tips

• Go for transparent storage bins. No matter how beautiful those dark glazed storage bins may look – they won’t be more convenient than the transparent ones. Transparent storage baskets allow you to see what’s inside them without taking everything out or even picking the box out of the shelf. It helps you to find what you’re looking for much faster and track your storage supplies much more conveniently.
• Stack your storage bins. Especially if your pantry is on the smaller side. Before planning to organize your pantry, think about how your storage bins will stack on each other. E.g. rectangular or square containers in this case are much better stackable than round ones.
• Make it simple. Avoid ‘exotic-looking storage bins that require specific knowledge on how to pen them and seal them correctly, etc. Pick the ones that are easy to use so that your family will have no trouble using them and help you keep the pantry organized for longer. Shortly speaking, organize your pantry in a way that is convenient and easy to use, not vice versa!

List of Essential Products to Organize Your Pantry

We have made a list of the items necessary to organize your pantry. They are the best in terms of the relation between the price and value. Besides, they can be used universally.