The Pantry Nightmare
We’ve all been there. You open the door to your pantry, which could be straight out of a horror film: cans standing on end in precarious stacks; boxes tilting; a corn maze of dry goods hides who-knows-what in an inaccessible corner. How could you even begin to find the item you want?
But don’t worry, because we’re going to bring your pantry from chaos to covet with these 10 genius gadgets. We’ll keep our pantry cool to keep our dried goods fresher, plus help organize them for save space and to help out your grocery shopping.
- Roll it or stick it: There’s usually always some unused space between the ceiling and the shelf in pantries and cupboards. Sticking a polystyrene roll or any peg like storage rack solves space issues wonderfully. (Actually, it saves lots of space!)
- Containers: Made from food safe plastic, these containers come with lids. Stack them like a pro, making the best use of the space in your pantry.
The Game-Changing Gadgets
But aren’t gadgets those unnecessary, place-making things that you end up just giving to your next-door neighbor who doesn’t actually live next door because you don’t have children and they have three kids to get off the premises?
Oh no. Those are just gadgets. These are the lost tools designed to make your pantry work smarter, not harder, take up less space, not more, that will make your life easier and, for that reason, improve your cooking. If you use them, you’ll never go back the other way.
1. Lazy Susan Turntable
You’re no longer stuffing them to the back of the pantry, never to see the light of day again. Now, the lazy Susan turntable puts everything in plain sight. Listen to it go!
2. Stackable Containers
No more mismatched containers and lonely lids — none of which ever seems to fit in the bottom of the bin, either! Stackable containers are the ultimate space-saving pantry shelving option: they allow you to store your bulk dry goods while also using every last inch of vertical space you have available.
3. Can Organizer
Cans are pantry unsung heroes but they’re the hardest to organize — that’s where the can organizer saves the day. This handy gadget not only keeps your cans upright, visible and more accessible, but it also means you’ll never have to play can Jenga again.
4. Spice Rack
Spices are the X factor in creating palate-pleasing dishes, but, as well as the flavor, they are the X factor in pantry clutter. A good spice organization system keeps your spices sorted, sifted and stored within easy reach, so you’ll never have to scour your kitchen hunting for that tiny, elusive bottle of cumin again.
5. Airtight Food Storage Containers
Nothing is quite as bad for a pantry as stale snacks and rotten ingredients. But airtight food storage is your secret weapon to ward off staleness and keep the pantry pest invaders at bay.
6. Pantry Labels and Markers
Ever remove a jar or bag from your pantry and not be able to tell what’s inside? Pantry labels and markers are your answer. Label your containers, and never play the guessing game again.
7. Over-the-Door Organizer
Make good use of that useful pantry door space by storing your miniature items such as snacks, spices, and even cleaning supplies in the organizer on top of your door. This will allow you to save valuable shelf space.
8. Sliding Basket Drawers
Fed up with getting on all fours to reach the back of your pantry shelves? Sliding basket drawers allows you to reach everything at a stroke, from corners to front.
9. Pantry Shelving Units
If your pantry is short on the shelves, an adjustable shelving unit can make a huge difference. The shelves are adjustable, you can take the shelving apart and build it to accommodate your specific needs, and they can take advantage of every inch of vertical space.
10. Pantry Door Racks
Oh yes, and the pantry door. Door racks are another great place to store frequently used items such as snacks, spices or cleaning supplies so they are easy to grab and shelves can be freed up.
The Benefits of an Organized Pantry
And yet, I understand that with all these gadgets to buy, you might be thinking: ‘Ouch, my wallet.’ Who wouldn’t take the world’s cheapest vacuum cleaner and frame it? But you’re getting off cheap with the price of your sanity.
Having a pantry that’s organized in some way means that you no longer waste food or buy things you don’t need because you already had the stuff only you didn’t know how to get to it. If everything has a home, and myriad items are organized so efficiently, cooking will be easier.
More than that, though, there’s the aesthetic value of a good pantry. Refrigerator nirvana brought right into your home. Open that pantry door and relax as you take in the sight of perfectly ordered shelves and containers.
But what if?
In addition, being cheap, people just aren’t good organizers? What if the thought of bypassing carpal tunnel syndrome rattles around your brain as a string of incoherent syllables? I’m speaking for myself, of course, and I can count the times I’ve properly organized my pantry in the past six years on the fingers of one hand. I am no organized person, my friends. And that’s precisely why these little doo-dads are so brilliant.
Organization is taken completely out of your hands — you can pile as you please. No need to worry about trying to solve some puzzling arrangement, these simple, utilitarian gadgets will do it for you.
Indeed, even the sloppiest among us can appreciate the time-saving efficiency of a well-stocked kitchen. Grocery runs will be shorter and less expensive, with no more scrambling to find the last elusive ingredient — or buying duplicates. They’ll pay for themselves quickly.
Your pantry doesn’t have to be a source of stress and mess. These 10 gadgets will turn your pantry into an oil-slicked well-oiled machine. Part of the puzzle of making meal prep easy is having no chance to fail — and we want to make that easier for you.
Why not?
Experiment with a couple of essential items that target your worst woes, and let your pantry morph, slowly but surely, into a thing of beauty.
Because, at the end of the day, aside from everything else, an orderly larder is nothing less than a time-saver and a money-saver, a contributor to the saving of one’s sanity by negating time-consuming impulsive visits to the grocery store and, through preservation of food, the saving of money too. Who hasn’t wished their life to be that little bit easier, right?