With a few inexpensive plastic bins and some smart organizing, your deep pantry can be functional and work for your lifestyle! Links updated October 2023.
When you have less than ten days to move across the state, you don’t have very much time to be picky about the apartment you’re moving into. When we toured the apartment we first lived in when we moved to DFW, I loved everything about it, except one thing.
It had a deep pantry.
You know the kind I’m talking about.
It’s more like a black hole with shelves:
Ugh. Just look at it.
If you have one, you know that things get pushed to the back, never to be found again.
You know you have to take out half the items in the shelf if you want something in the back.
You know that there seems to be no good way to keep it in order.
It might look something like this…
Keepin’ it real here, y’all. This is actually what my pantry looked like, and I knew I needed to figure out a system.
After about an hour of work, I had an organized deep pantry! Today I’m sharing my tips and tricks that will help you go from what you see above to what you see below!
How to Organize A Deep Pantry
First, Invest in some clear organization bins.
The longer the better. This will allow you to group items together. You simply slide out the bin to grab what you need, then slide it back in. No more pulling out jars and cans, clutching them in your arms while trying to grab something out of the back. These bins will totally transform your pantry by making it functional.
I found mine at HomeGoods for $4.99 each. These and these are similar in style. Buy extra, and what you don’t use you can always return. I put some in the fridge for my meal-prepped snacks. You also want them to be clear so you can see what’s inside them!
Take Everything Out
Clear off the counters and take everything out of your pantry.
Next, wipe it down with a damp cloth or food-safe cleaner. You need a clean slate to start with! You can use this time to toss anything old or expired, too. Look over the food items you have and group like items together.
The most important part of organizing your pantry is that you want it to be functional. Think of the items you use the most, as you want them to be front and center. An organized pantry is no good if it doesn’t work for your life.
For example, I made one bin full of “toppings”, like honey, chia seeds, flax seeds, almonds, cacao nibs, my favorite grain-free granola, etc. I use these weekly for smoothies and oatmeal, so I needed it to be easily accessible.
First Things First
The first thing you need to do is decide what goes to the back of your pantry.
You can put the tallest items in the back, or the things you use less frequently. I opted to put tall things in the back as I can see them over the bins.
Pantry Storage
Next, slide your bins in. I chose to keep them on the edges and fill them with similar items. You could fill one bin with your kids’ snacks and put it low in the pantry for them to find easily.
If you need more storage, you can always take advantage of the aerial space by putting in under-the-shelf storage solutions, seen in the picture above. That specific one is meant for K-Cups, but I keep straws there for easy access with my morning smoothies. These are some similar ones from Amazon.
Another space hack is to combine similar items in a container. I used this cereal storage to combine pastas, rice and quinoa. There’s another one that has all my chocolate chips and cookie mix-ins. You could do this with dried fruits, cereals/granolas, anything! By tossing the big pasta boxes, you save a big amount of space. Remember, tall storage options are your friend.
Finish Up
Lastly, slide in the things you use most often. For us, that is chia seeds, a food scale, apple cider vinegar, and coffee. An odd assortment, I know! This way the things we use the most are easily accessible.
With a few organization bins and some smart organizing, your deep pantry can be totally functional and work for your lifestyle! Do you have any tips to help you organize your pantry? Share them below!
Thanks for reading,
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I solved my problem with a deep pantry by using large 21” lazy Susans on the 5 shelves which I purchased at an Organization shop about 20 years ago. I stock each with like items. everything is so easy to find and up front as I swivel around.
I also use smaller lazy Susans For spices, and teas which are stored in labeled tins for freshness.
Lazy Susans are a lifesaver! I tried to put one in the cabinet for my spices but it was too large. I need to find a smaller one!
You can make one small enough to fit in your pantry/cupboard. You just need two 8” round cake pans and a small bag of marbles. Take one pan, add the marbles to cover the bottom (single layer) then nest the second pan inside. Fill with your spices and spin the pan top pan! There you have it!
This is a great idea!
So glad I found this! I currently store china, fancy glasses, drink dispensers, etc. in my deep pantry, but it’s time to store those items where they are still accessible, but not taking up prime kitchen space. I’ve been doing a lot reorganizing in my kitchen. One thing I’ve done is to combine like items in baskets, and then number the baskets on the front. Then I have a list inside the cupboard door with all the items in each basket written in PENCIL. That way I can erase the item if I use it up, or can move things around if needed. I’m determined to find organization solutions that I can maintain! Thanks for helping with this particular cupboard!
I love that idea! So glad you found the tips helpful!
I keep a small flashlight in one of the front bins. Very dark in the back of my pantry.
I was thinking of having an accessible flashlight too!
Thanks for posting organizing a deep pantry. Here it is 2022 and searched for some tips for my very messy deep pantry. Your suggestions on containers worked 100 percent. I bought a few large containers and that was the solution. I’ve tried smaller containers but it didn’t help much. Now I just pull out the large basket container and can easily access the back of the pantry with ease and view as the back has a shelf particularly I like for canned goods.
Thanks again, Carol
May I ask where did you find that particular under shelf basket. I’ve been trying to find one that size, but I can only find wide ones.
I put in sliding drawers. ends the issue of not being able to reach the back.
I love that idea!
I did the same thing to mine. I have the same cabinets and I had a bunch of can goods made one of the shelves fall and I had a mess. I love the way it is now very functional.
I have tried everything to figure out how to organize my pantry! This is one of the only things that helped!! Thank you so much
Awesome, I’m so glad!
I’m just about to move into our renovated house which due to space needed to have a deep shelf pantry, thanks you for your tips as I look to work out my kitchen storage.
Yay I’m so glad! Hope it’s gone well!
One of our deep pantry shelves has our plates and bowls. Less frequently used bowls/plates go in the back, but they’re super easy to access when needed. This leaves space in the typical cupboards for food (or whatever).