My pantry is little, not tiny. Just a basic L shape. When we first moved in, I ripped everything out of it and gave it a makeover, including having an electrical outlet added. I don't like things on our countertops, so this area in the pantry is for our coffee maker, blender, toaster, etc. The design and organization worked but everything didn't seem to always have a place...and I like things to have a place.
You may have heard of the show The Home Edit on Netflix. I began watching it. While I know it was trending on Netflix for awhile, I have to say, I'm in the minority and didn't love the show. If I had unlimited resources to buy storage containers of all sizes (side note: why are storage containers so expensive), I could probably have the same results. So, I didn't find a ton of value in the show in terms of ideas. My one takeaway was the idea of what they referred to as backstock, extra items that may not fit into your containers at one time such as a jumbo pack of Pringles from Costco.
To be honest, my intentions were good on having an organized pantry. But it's small and a lot of stuff was dumped in there with no proper place after a grocery haul. I got to thinking...I could buy some containers like the ones they used and reorganize my pantry as well. Why not? I was not dropping thousands of dollars on this project, but I didn't mind spending a few hundred to make the space work better. I also don't believe in putting everything into a clear container. After all, I might want Cinnamon Toast Crunch one week. When that runs out, the next week I may want Cheerios. To me, there is no reason to get rid of every box.
So, off I went. First, I took a before photo:
and then cleared out the pantry. I'm happy to report that I didn't find too many expired items.
Next, I grouped liked things together and placed an order at The Container Store (we don't have one locally) for these stacking containers. Be careful, because from what I can tell in the reviews, only The Home Edit line of these containers actually stack. Again, with no local store, I can't confirm. I ordered the large and the narrow.
The Container Store is backed up with their shipping (thanks to COVID and the show trending on Netflix...two bad combinations for this situation), so the dining room table sat like the photo above for longer than I would have liked. However, the containers finally came. I began to refill the pantry.
You can see, these stacking containers are great as they do stack well and also they have a "cut out" in the front, so you an easily reach for what you want without unstacking the container above.
I also ordered these drawers from The Container Store. The attachments worked with my Rubbermaid shelf system.
The top drawer has K-cups, stirrers, sweetener, etc. The middle drawer has napkins, and the third drawer has plastic grocery bags as well as reusable grocery bags. The drawers are three different sizes to meet each need.
I mentioned above that I redid the pantry when we first moved in. Here is what I am referring to regarding the appliances being in the pantry. With the electrical outlet in there as well, I use the appliances while they stay in the pantry.
This keeps our kitchen counters free from clutter.
When I was looking for organization items at The Container Store, I found this divided lazy-susan. I find it is perfect to load our variety of granola/protein bars that we have in the house.
Closer look:
Another item I found when looking for organization is this spice rack. It fits in a cabinet so that freed up more space in my pantry. I purchased this online from Target. I really like it.
Another thing I shared above was my one take away from The Home Edit show...and that is storage of backstock. I needed containers that didn't have a cut out for this part of my vision (The Home Edit containers do have a cut out for reaching in). I found appropriate size, clear containers on Amazon for this need. In the photo below, it's difficult to tell, but those are the containers as well as our backstock shelf.
I did order The Home Edit labels from The Container Store, but I haven't applied them yet. Honestly, I'm not sure that I want to. I believe people can see what is in a container without the label. There you have it - my updated pantry, which actually doesn't look that different, but it so much more organized! I think the game changer here is clear bins. Can you see the difference?
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