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12 Easy Tips to Organize a Deep Pantry

Ah, the pantry… it might be your children’s favorite room in the house, but due to the constantly changing stock and those tiny hands getting into all sorts of snacks and goodies, it’s one of the hardest places to keep organized.

And while having the extra storage space that comes with a deep pantry can be nice, it can also be a curse because food items can easily get lost and expire. So learning how to organize deep pantry storage can be crucial.

Need more ideas? Organize Your Pantry Like a Professional and 15 Foolproof Ways to Store Tupperware and Food Storage Containers

An unorganized pantry can lead to lots of frustration and wasted food. Or, even worse—when you’re looking for a key ingredient for dinner only to realize you’re all out! If you’ve ever felt lost looking for things in your own kitchen storage, it might be time to organize your deep pantry.

Whether you use a walk-in space for your deep pantry or just a cupboard or cabinet, I’ve got some tips to help you utilize whatever space you have!

Before You Begin

It’s a good idea to organize your pantry when it’s fully stocked. I know it’s tempting to start this project when your pantry is looking lean so that you have fewer things to shuffle around, but it’s important to know what items you keep in your pantry on a regular basis so you can be sure to have space for it all going forward.

The First Step to Organizing a Deep Pantry

As usual, the first step is decluttering. I know people don’t often see food as “clutter,” but when it comes to your pantry, it certainly can be!

Go through everything in your pantry (and I mean everything) and get rid of anything expired. If you don’t keep up on the food in your deep pantry, you might be shocked at how many little things have sailed past their due date—so take everything out of your pantry and throw out anything that has expired. 

This is also a good time to do a bit of inventory of your items. Is there anything in the deep corners of your deep pantry that you’ve forgotten about? Is there a certain item that no one has been eating? Make a note of it so you can stop buying it. There’s no point if it just goes to waste! 

Also, make sure you give the shelves a good wipe down before you start putting your food back in the pantry. The pantry is one area that doesn’t get cleaned as much as it should since the shelves are usually packed full of cans or boxes of food. 

Now that you’ve decluttered and cleaned, here are a few tips to help make deep pantry organization a bit easier.

12 Tips for Organizing Your Deep Pantry

1. Categorize what you have

With all of your food out on your countertops or your kitchen table, separate it all into categories. You can make broad categories like snacks, grains, and breakfast foods, or you can make them very specific, like granola bars, pasta, oats, cereals, etc. Just make sure to keep any similar foods together. 

2. Designate zones within your pantry

This is why it’s important to have a fully stocked pantry when you’re organizing. You need to know about how much stuff you have on a regular basis within each category.  

If you keep a lot of pasta on hand, then that zone will need to be larger. Or, if you usually keep several boxes full of fruit snacks and granola bars, then you’ll want to make a big zone for snacks.

Designating specific zones for each category will help you find things more easily in the future. You’ll know exactly which shelf to go to when you’re looking for a can of beans or bag of rice, and you’ll also be able to keep track of when you’re almost out of something.

Creating zones when organizing a deep pantry is essential so you don’t waste food.

3. Put items you use often somewhere easily accessible

What item in your pantry does your family use on a daily basis? Cereal? Bread? Then stick it in the most accessible spot in your pantry. 

If you have a walk-in pantry, then place that zone closest to the door, so you can just reach in and grab it. If you use a cabinet or cupboard for your deep pantry, then pick a shelf you can easily reach.  

4. Keep snacks up high if you have young kids

I think most moms learn this tip the hard way. Have you ever had your child casually walk out of the pantry with a little snack they decided to treat themselves to? That’s always fun. 

If you have any foods you don’t want your kids to get into by themselves, make sure they are higher up or in a spot their little hands can’t get into easily. Use an upper shelf for any items you don’t want your children getting into.

Likewise, if you have anything you want them to be able to get themselves, put it lower down or on pull out shelves so they don’t need your help to reach it.

5. Put new items at the back

Just like at a grocery store, when you buy more of something, put it behind what you already have. I know that seems like common sense, but it’s all too easy to just chuck your new food at the front of the shelf when you’re trying to put away your groceries. 

Even though it might take you a few extra seconds each time you go grocery shopping, make sure you pull forward the items you already have and put your new canned goods and other foods in the back.  

This ensures your food won’t go bad or sit unused and forgotten in the back of the pantry. This works especially well if you have a pantry with deep shelves.

6. Organize according to size

Speaking of what to put at the back of your deep shelves, it’s a good idea to organize according to size. You know those long boxes of pasta? Stand those up behind shorter boxes or containers. That way you can easily see every item on the shelf without having to move things around.

This tip works even if you’re organizing by basket. If you’re using a bin or basket for each category, you can still organize your items by size within each basket. 

7. Get matching bins or baskets

Matching baskets or containers in a pantry makes everything look really put together and tidy. Bins and baskets are particularly helpful if you want to organize a deep pantry – it allows you to create sections of items and things don’t get buried as easily.

You can plan ahead and figure out what zones and categories you want before organizing day, so you have enough time to buy baskets and have them ready to go, or you can just buy a bunch of different sizes and see what works while you’re organizing. Then return the unused ones or save them for future projects. 

If you don’t want to purchase a set of bins or baskets, you can always make your own. I know someone who uses the bottom half of sturdy containers (like protein shake boxes) and covers them in contact paper to organize things like loose bags of seasoning or fruit snacks.

Depending on how large of boxes you can find, it might not work for larger items, but you can at least organize your small stuff this way! It will definitely help keep your pantry organized and help prevent wasted space.

8. Putting baking supplies in clear containers

This isn’t a necessary step, but it’ll help take your pantry to the next level. Get clear containers for your baking supplies like your different sugars and flour and ditch those pesky bags they come in. You should be able to easily find clear bins from a container store.

Those bags always seem to spill flour and brown sugar everywhere when you’re trying to open and close them, plus it’s almost impossible to stack them. If you get big, clear containers, you can stack them nicely, which will keep your pantry organized while saving space. 

Plus, you’ll be able to easily see when you’re getting low on any of your baking supplies! 

Use these bins for things like flour, sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, oats, and nuts. You can even do this with pasta and cereal if you have room and like having everything super visible.

If you get smaller stacking bins as well, you can use them for baking powder, baking soda, chocolate chips, flax seeds, chia seeds, and other backing ingredients.

9. Label everything

When I say everything, I mean everything. Obviously, you’ll want to label bins and containers, but label shelves as well. Labeling is one of the best things you can do when it comes to organizing. Not only will it make everything easier to identify when you’re cooking, but it’ll also help you with maintaining your newly organized deep pantry.

When everyone in the house can easily see where everything goes, they’ll be able to put things away in the correct spot when helping to unload groceries!

Printing your own custom labels is super easy, too!

10.

Use hanging shelves on the door.

I’m all about using up every bit of space you have, and the back of the door is no exception. 

If you use a cupboard for your pantry and have limited space, look into buying hanging shelves or baskets for the door. You can put cans, jars, baking mixes, or even spices in them! Even if you have a separate pantry and need a few extra shelves, you can easily find some over-the-door wire racks online that can give you the space you need.

11. Add drawers on deep shelves

I love adding drawers to shelves. Drawers make it so much easier to keep things organized, and you won’t have to constantly be moving items in the front to get to the ones in the back, because you can just slide the drawer right out and have access to everything. 

It’ll also help you save room on your shelves as the drawers will utilize that often-wasted vertical space. I highly recommend getting a small set of wire or basket drawers put in your pantry.

12. Use a lazy-susan in the corner

Getting a small lazy Susan for any awkward corners or high shelves you can barely reach is a gamechanger. You won’t have to pull tons of stuff off the shelf to get to the cans or spices at the back anymore. Lazy susans are particularly helpful when you need to organize a deep pantry.

Just leave enough space for you to be able to quickly spin the lazy susan around and you’re good to go! It keeps your pantry organized and functional.

13. Make a section for backstock

This is a good idea if you have a top shelf or several upper shelves that are difficult to access regularly. Put your extra stock up there, and just bring it down when you need it. 

Of course, this won’t apply to everyone and your pantry might not be large enough for a backstock section, but if you tend to buy a bunch of stuff on sale and save it for later—designating an area for all those excess goodies can help you stay organized. 

A Few Final Tips

While you’re planning out and organizing your pantry, remember that it needs to be an efficient system that you can maintain. You don’t want to spend hours decluttering, cleaning, and organizing your own pantry when it’s just going to get messy the next time you come home with groceries.

So make sure your deep pantry organization system works for you. Be realistic about the food you usually have and what you use most often. 

Put things away properly right when you get back from the store. It might take a bit longer to put away new groceries, but it will be super helpful in the long run when it comes to keeping your deep pantry organized!

Having an organized pantry will make cooking so much easier! Take some time to make your pantry organization work for you and you’ll definitely notice a huge difference.

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10 ways to organize pantry shelves |

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By Tara King

published

Knowing how to organize deep pantry shelves efficiently will make a huge difference to your pantry. One thing deep pantry shelves don’t lack is space – they can house an awful lot of 'stuff'. While this is great in terms of storage, it does mean they can easily descend into a dumping ground for kitchen clutter if not organized properly. 

When organizing a kitchen, deep pantry shelves require a little extra planning. Packing them full may feel like a good use of space but trust us when we say taking a minimal approach is the best way to maximize their usefulness. 

Having an efficient food storage system in place has its own set of benefits – relaxed cooking and less food waste, for a start – while easy access to other staples (food processors, platters, cake stands, linens, etc) should result in a smoother-running kitchen overall.  

If you are looking for pantry ideas that can help you organize deep pantry shelves, we have plenty of expert tips below.

How to organize deep pantry shelves

We’ve spoken to the experts about organizing a pantry and gathered some of the easiest ways to organize deep pantry shelves, from pantry storage ideas to decluttering tips, to help you keep your pantry staples orderly, organized and always close to hand. They’re tips that will prove useful for laundry room organization and organizing a utility room with deep shelves, too.

1. Make a plan  

(Image credit: Drew Forsyth)

Start with a clear out of pantry shelving. ‘When organizing deep pantry shelves, decluttering is the best place to start. Go through every tin, packet, jar and bottle and get rid of anything past its sell-by date or that you really won’t use at all (ensuring you recycle what you can). Do the same for kitchen items, too. That way you’re only left with what you need to put back, and you can start to assign locations.  

‘I recommend using sticky notes to quickly jot down where you think things might go before you actually replace them, it helps you to get an overall holistic view of your storage situation’, says Heather Hoerzen, design editor at Havenly .

2. Choose pull-out storage 

(Image credit: Life Kitchens)

 ‘If you can upgrade to mounted drawers inside deep pantry shelving, it's a game changer’, says Betsy Moyer, founder of The Estate of Things . ’You'll see so much more of what you store. And we all know the key to succeed in properly utilizing your pantry storage is visibility.’

Or use baskets and bins or transparent containers, including those you’ve set aside as a result of organizing Tupperware – this performs the same function as organizing kitchen drawers, and they have added benefit of being able to pull right out, particularly useful for higher up shelving. 

You can then set them down on a counter and have a proper rifle through – essentially a removable drawer,’ says Ann Lightfoot, co-founder of Done & Done Home . They’re ideal for grouping smaller like-items – think organizing spices – that would otherwise get lost at the back of a cabinet.

When organizing pantry drawers, particularly deep ones, use kitchen organizers such as dividers or bespoke inserts to keep everything neatly categorized.

Pantry door ideas, like the one above, can complement deep pantry shelves, allowing you to store smaller items efficiently.

3. Reserve lower shelves for heavier items

(Image credit: Humphery Munson)

Deep pantry shelves are ideal for storing sizeable items of cookware, organizing pots and pans, and stashing appliances or large bags of overfill foods, as the space between top and bottom allows cooks to reach inside easily and access heavier items, reducing the risk of potential accidents. 

‘If it’s heavy, store it low, says Richard Davonport, managing director at Davonport . ‘It sounds simple, but you really don’t want to be accessing heavy items overhead.’ 

When deciding exactly what goes where, assign the heaviest items to shelves that are reachable without stretching up or bending down – similarly to how you would when organizing kitchen cabinets.  

4. And store seldom-used items up high 

(Image credit: Future)

Higher up deep pantry shelving should be reserved for those items that are rarely used – think cocktail straws for parties, cookie cutters for Christmas, and so on. 

Try to avoid putting delicate items such as glass jars or appliances on high shelves to avoid any unnecessary breakages.

5. Enlist pantry helpers 

(Image credit: Future)

Deep pantry shelves may offer plenty of space, but they need to be organized properly in order to make the best of it. From wire-racks and bins to carousels and risers, investing pantry organizers can make all the difference. Think about exactly what you want to store on the shelf and which would most benefit you.  

‘Tinned food can be placed on a shelf to the back atop risers to allow you to see what you have without digging through several layers of cans, and clear containers stacked underneath are really helpful to easily spot what you need without rummaging’, says Stephanie Nixon, kitchen designer at Neptune .  

6. Stack food in height order

(Image credit: Garden Trading)

It’s tempting to put items at the front as you’ve just used them, but this results in smaller items getting lost and forgotten, particularly when organizing deep pantry shelves. Stacking in height order allows you to see what you’ve got clearly and helps you to avoid knocking things over when you’re reaching all the way back.  

7. Pay attention to use-by dates  

Position items according to how soon they’re due to go off. This is the way it’s done in supermarkets to ensure customers buy the stock going out of date first.  Professional organizer Brenda Scott of Tidy My Space refers to this as the ‘FIFO’ method: 

‘Think first in first out… when you purchase an item it goes to the back of the grouping so the item with the nearest expiration date always remains at the front,’ she says.

8. Create eye-pleasing displays  

(Image credit: Olive Barr)

Decorative kitchen storage ideas can make a huge difference to your pantry’s look and feel, so creating a stylish display is vital when organizing deep pantry shelves, particularly if they’re open or have glass doors.  

To keep shelves looking neat, tidy and mindfully arranged, organize them by grouping items into clusters of odd numbers, ideally three items, and add different heights and sizes in each cluster.  

Baskets offer a practical way of storing your unsightly pantry items, while maintaining a neat and tidy aesthetic. Similarly, decanting dried goods in neatly labelled glass jars makes for a stylish display, plus you can see when stocks are running low at a quick glance. There’s also no risk of packets opening and spilling everywhere – never an easy clean-up job, and even less so on deep shelves.

Labels aren’t just practical; they add style and character to your pantry, too. Consider chalkboard labels for jars and luggage tags for baskets. 

9. Store appliances on deep pantry shelves  

When organizing kitchen countertops, minimalism is key, particularly now when dual-purpose kitchen/entertaining spaces are more popular than ever. The fewer appliances you have out on show, the better.  

‘Deep pantry shelves are perfect for housing small appliances such as kettles, toasters and coffee machines, freeing up valuable workspace,’ says Will Lyne, lead designer and owner of Christopher Peters Kitchens & Interiors . 

Emma Cowburn, kitchen designer at Harvey Jones agrees, and adds: ‘Consider having them fitted with sockets at the back so you can plug and use the appliances where they are, then simply close the doors on any clutter.’  

10. Don’t be tempted to overload 

By their very nature, deep pantry shelves can house a lot of 'stuff'. It’s tempting to fill the space – particularly if you’re organizing a small kitchen, but it’s not conducive to effective storage overall. 

‘Deep pantry shelves are handy for hiding away lots of clutter, but that doesn’t necessarily make them user-friendly,’ advises Richard. ‘If your non-stick frying pan is always hiding underneath five other saucepans of various shapes and sizes it will be frustrating every time you need to use it, so try to give each item its own space, particularly ones you use every day. ’ 

How do I organize narrow and deep pantry shelves? 

Reserve narrow and deep pantry shelves for smaller items and use transparent containers or baskets to group them. Be sure to measure the height and width of the shelf before deciding on pull out storage – you ideally want a snug fit, so you’re not left with dead space at the back. Label each container clearly so you can pull one out – like a removable drawer, find what you need, and slide it back in again.

You could also consider installing a tall, slim rack for wine storage.

How do you organize a deep corner pantry?  

Fitting pantry shelves is a brilliant way to make the most of an unused corner in your kitchen – opt for floating styles rather than ones fitted with brackets to utilize space. 

Pantry organizers are your best friend in a deep corner pantry. Stack risers along the shelves and store tinned goods on top, with overflows tucked underneath. As you use the tins, always replace the one on top of the riser so you know where you’re looking next time. Make the most of open corner space with carousel storage – easy access to condiments, spices, oils and other bottled items. 

Get rid of packaging to save on space and decant dried goods into clear, glass jars that sit snugly side by side. Make sure the taller items go towards the back, so you don’t end up knocking things over as you reach in and keep most frequently used items – and those with closer expiry dates – near the front. 

For 10 years, Tara King worked as a Content Editor in the magazine industry, before leaving to become freelance, covering interior design, wellbeing, craft and homemaking. As well as writing for Ideal Home, Style at Home, Country Homes & Interiors, Tara’s keen eye for styling combined with a passion for creating a happy – and functional – family home has led to a series of organization and cleaning features for H&G. 

High deep shelves - what is wrong and how to solve the problem?

Surely you remember from childhood the standard Soviet cabinets with high and deep shelves. There were such people in my childhood, and I remember well how difficult it was to maintain order there. Now the furniture market has become much more diverse, but the problem has not gone away - every second of my clients is faced with the difficulties of organizing storage on high deep shelves.

Let's see why high deep shelves are inconvenient and how to solve this problem.

What to do? It's simple - any shelf can be upgraded.

The shelf can be sawn to the desired size in any furniture store or you can buy a telescopic shelf that expands to different widths and is set to any height by surprise.


This solution is suitable for any cabinet, but most often such inserts are used in kitchen cabinets. Insert shelves double the storage space of the high shelf.


Perfectly structure the space of high shelves and allow you to use their upper part.

Most often used in kitchen cabinets. For it, you will need an organizer in the form of steps, which allows you to optimally use the space of the shelf and provides access to the back row.

Choose organizers with a lid and stack them on top of each other. This way you make optimal use of the space on the high shelf. This method is suitable for any area.

Allows you to structure the space of a too deep shelf and facilitate access to things at the back wall. An important rule is to keep the rarely used at the back, and the often used in plain sight.

Life hack! You can connect the front and back containers with clerical clips or jumpers to get this design in one motion.

A universal technique that allows you to use the entire space of a high deep shelf not only in a closet with clothes, but also in kitchen cabinets.

For vertical storage in the kitchen, tall narrow containers are suitable. Such containers are suitable for storing household chemicals, oils and sauces, rolls of parchment, foil and cling film, cutting boards and other categories. They come with wheels and a front handle, which makes them even more convenient.


Life hack! As organizers for the vertical, you can use ordinary paper holders.

Suitable for hard to reach shelves in the kitchen or bathroom. On such trays you can put oils, spices, sauces, and in the bathroom - different bubbles. The tray rotates, and this makes it easier to access any item on it. Such trays come in different diameters, plastic, wooden, metal, single-tier and multi-tier. Choose to your taste!


When should high deep shelves be used?

How can replace high deep shelves if you are at the stage of choosing the right furniture or designing a project?

Here we are more likely talking about additional elements, it is hardly possible to do without such shelves.

- low shelves In this case, the cabinet will be more spacious;

- drawers. Ideal for organizing vertical storage without special organizers;

- mesh baskets with guides. They are ventilated, retractable, it is convenient to get things, you can organize vertical storage;

- rods;

- sliding shelves. It is convenient to use, even if such a shelf is deep.

Each category has different elements. So let your closet be varied!

Article author: Slugina Svetlana - https://proporyadok. ru/implementers/slugina-svetlana

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10 space optimization ideas - INMYROOM

Tips

Not enough space in your closet? InMyRoom has put together a collection of tips to help you tidy up your closet and make the most of your space.

The dream of every modern fashionista is her own spacious wardrobe where you can not only store your belongings, but also create their new extravagant images. But if you can't boast of having such, this is a selection for you. Tidying up the closet optimize space.

Idea #1: tiered coat hanger

If possible, hang most of your clothes on hangers. At the same time, a great option is to use equally thin hangers: this way you can save space in the closet. Each thing on separate hangers, in no case in layers - this ideal, of course, for many unattainable. There are multi-tiered hangers, they will save a little space in the closet, and at the same time things will remain in sight. Hangers are easy to upgrade and do it yourself - just fasten them with keys from aluminum cans.

Idea #2: one bar is good, but two is better

Try to fix not one, but two hanger rods in two rows. Hang skirts, trousers, jeans on the lower bar; on the top - blouses, tops, sweaters, cardigans. Can optionally sort clothes by type: blouses to blouses, trousers to trousers. But not forget to leave room for long things - and do not make a bar under them: dresses, maxi skirts, coats, raincoats will be stored here.

Idea No. 3: strict accounting

Smart idea - use for organization space with signs, pictures, sign, hang photos outfits for wardrobe doors.

Search Among the many shoe boxes, the right one is not an easy task. Do photos of each pair of shoes and attach them to the appropriate boxes. Now, when searching, you will not need to turn the entire cabinet upside down.

Idea #4: Laundry Organizers

The power of small things is that there are many of them. Small wardrobe items - panties, socks, tights, bras - are not easy to organize, which means a mess in the chest of drawers and extra time to pack. Laundry is best stored in drawers. So that the search for the right thing does not turn into an adventure, you can buy laundry organizers. Their practicality, efficiency and beautiful design will appeal to true connoisseurs of harmony. And socks, tights, stockings can be folded into retractable baskets.

Idea #5: Vacuum bags

When closet space is really bad, it makes sense to tidy things up out of the closet until next fall-winter or spring-summer. The main thing is to understand what things you definitely won't need it. For example, now is the time to put summer things away so that down jackets, fur coats and other warm clothes boldly take their rightful seasonal place in the closet.

Vacuum bags save the day – an incredibly convenient way to compactly store bulky items! It can also be useful to you when traveling when the volume of things is much exceeds the capabilities of a suitcase!

Idea #6: weekly plan

If want to turn your closet into a realm of perfect order, in advance plan what you will wear on a certain day. Place each set of clothes on a separate hanger, accompanied by the appropriate label.

Idea #7: a look for the future

For items that have already been worn, you can purchase a separate hanger or tailor's mannequin to hang clothes on it the next day. So you will have a look at the image from the side, otherwise there is only one in the mirror, but in the photo then another. Have you noticed this?

You can collect outfits for several days in advance and hang them together, for this there are very interesting design solutions outside closet.

Learn more