You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to start renovating your kitchen pantry. Here are 10 simple ways to make your cooking space more organized, aesthetically pleasing, and functional.
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10 Ways to Reinvent the Way Your Kitchen Pantry Looks
1. Switch to Pull-Out Drawers
Notice that cramped space under shelves and countertops? They’re often ignored, but a great way to maximize these kinds of tight spaces is by installing pull-out drawers.
You can store spices, kitchenware, and various cooking utensils in these drawers. That way, your shelves and cabinets are free for larger items such as food preserves and baking items, among others.
Plus, since they slide easily in tight spaces, they won’t even take up any extra space in your kitchen pantry.
2. Store Dry Items in Glass Jars
The best way to prolong the lifespan of dry food items is to keep them locked in airtight containers. The idea is to reduce exposure to outside contaminants as much as possible.
Now, the problem is that many homeowners keep dry goods such as pasta, spices, and cereals in opaque containers. So if they want to check what’s inside a jar, they’ll have to open it first.
This puts your food items at risk of contamination and exposure to all kinds of harmful elements such as moisture and bacteria. Also, opening every jar in your shelf can be time-consuming.
What you can do is to use transparent glass jars instead. That way, you can see exactly what specific jars contain without even having to touch them.
3. Hang Lids on a Door Rack
Finding a place to store pot lids is a tedious task. If you place them in the dish rack, they’ll take up too much space and possibly scratch your kitchenware.
You can try stacking them with the pots, but the structure would be very unstable. Just one nudge can topple the stacked pile.
And of course, leaving them on the countertop should be out of the question. Unless you’re fine with a cluttered cooking space.
What you can do instead of stacking them along with the dishes or pots is to hang them in a hanging rack on the shelf or cabinet. This is space-efficient, completely safe, and it allows the lids to air dry naturally,
4. Store Sachets and Packets Together
Keep all your sachets and packets in one space. That way, they don’t end up getting lost or separated from each other.
You can place them in a pull-out drawer, sachet rack, or even an empty napkin holder.
Note: Single-use plastic sachets are very harmful to the environment. In fact, most kinds of plastic waste take upward of 1000 years to decompose. So instead, opt to buy your food items, sachets, and powdered drinks in bulk and then store them in dry glass containers.
5. Hang the Pans
Similar to lids, pots are very space-consuming. If you love to cook and have multiple pots, then don’t expect to use your dish rack for anything else.
Want a more organized pantry? Try hanging them. Stick some nails into your walls or cabinets and then hang the pots there.
Just make sure to use a sturdy, fixed surface. If you hang them on something unstable like a shelf the entire structure might collapse. Yikes!
Pro Tip: Most hang their pots and lids together for functionality. But make sure to maintain some distance between them because having both pots and lids too close together will make your place look cramped. For example, rather than hanging them side by side, you can position them across each other on different fixtures.
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6. Place Commonly Used Spices and Ingredients Within Reach
Keep your commonly used spices and ingredients within reach. This tip especially applies to those who’re on the shorter side.
Now, the challenge here is if all your existing cabinets are too high up. Just imagine how much of a pain it is to call your partner every time you need to reach something on the top shelf, right?
What you can do is to install new shelves below the ones you already have. That way, more items are within your reach.
Tip: Experienced woodworkers can try making a kitchen stepping stool. It’s a very common item you often see in homesteads and rustic-style homes.
7. Install a Lazy Susan in Your Cabinet
How to organize pantry shelves that are cramped with various food items? The problem with them is that you have to rearrange the entire stock just to reach something at the back. It’s both time-consuming and inefficient.
Instead, install lazy susans inside your cabinet. That way, instead of rearranging the items on the shelves, you can simply swivel the lazy susan around.
Plus, they’re very cute and dainty so they add a homey, cozy vibe to your rustic kitchen pantry.
8. No Free Rack? Use a Shoe Organizer
Running out of free racks? No worries! A cool, innovative approach to organizing your pantry is by using hanging shoe organizers.
It’s a plastic organizer with multiple pockets on the surface. These pockets are large enough to fit a pair of shoes, so they should be able to carry most kitchenware, utensils, and cooking ingredients.
Apart from being very space-saving and functional, they’re also inexpensive. In fact, you can get a high-quality one for just around $20.
9. Use Same-Sized Containers
Invest in sets of same-sized food containers. They’re much easier to organize and they don’t look messy. You can go with glass jars, Tupperware, food containers, and lunch boxes, among others.
10. Stack Cans Together
A common mistake many homeowners commit is leaving canned goods scattered throughout different countertops.
Not only is this messy, but it’s also hazardous. What would you do if a heavy can fell on your small kid, right?
To prevent these kinds of accidents, make sure to store your canned goods in one place. Stack them together in a hidden drawer or shelf where it won’t cause accidents or take up too much space.
Checkout this homestead pantry tour from That 1870’s Homestead:
Don’t let the pandemic stop you from beautifying your homestead. There are plenty of renovation projects you can do using tools and materials that are easy to source. Those with woodworking skills can even make their own fixtures.
Whether you’re renovating your kitchen pantry or your entire living space, what’s important is creativity. At a time when resources are limited, you have to be imaginative.
Which of these kitchen pantry renovation hacks will you try out first? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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