7 Tips to Organizing Your Kitchen

By Rachel RobbieUpdated: Mar. 20, 2019

The pantry: the commonly cluttered home to food that doesn’t need fridge time, but isn’t pretty enough for the fruit bowl. Here’s how to take your cupboard into a leaner, meaner league this year.

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1. Toss Out Old Food

Take everything out and ask yourself honestly: Am I really going to use that? If it’s open or past its prime, toss it. If you aren’t going to use it, donate cans and sealed items to the food bank.

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2. Make Food Categories

Take stock of what’s left; clear categories should emerge. Keep baking supplies on one shelf, grains and pastas on another. Keep snacks on a middle shelf for easy access.

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3. Use Containers

Seeing double? Put bulk foods into jars or plastic containers. Use baskets to hold small packages, and magazine files to keep boxes of pasta upright.

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4. Use Vertical Space

Chances are you have more height than depth to your space. Take advantage of that height by installing risers to stack cans and boxes.

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5. Get Everything Within Your Reach

Not everyone is blessed with slide-out shelving. Make items in the back easier to reach by arranging them in plastic trays — felt pads on the bottom will really get things moving.

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6. Make Use of the Sides

Repurpose shoe pockets and hang them inside cupboard doors to hold snacks and spices.

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7. Make Things Accessible

Take your favourite cooking oil, vinegar, and seasonings and arrange them neatly by your workstation. Not everything belongs in the pantry.

Originally Published: January 17, 2012