How to Organize Your Pantry
In the kitchen, an organized pantry is a major must-have. Knowing what items you have and what your inventory is can save you time (and frustration) when you're ready to make a meal. Here, Carter Oosterhouse shows you how to group your items so that they're easy to find and stored properly.
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Step 1: Clear It Out
Clear everything out of your pantry and give it a quick cleaning before organizing and restocking.
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Step 2: Create Groups
Organize in groups of similar items to make things easy to find the next time you make a meal.
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Step 3: Suggestions For Spices
The flavor of spices can be altered by heat, so keep them in the pantry instead of next to the stove.
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Step 4: Make Use of Mason Jars
Put grains, cereals, salt and pasta in mason jars so you can see exactly what you have.
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Step 5: Proper Storage
Oils, preserves and picked items last longer, so put them in the back so they're out of the way.
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Step 6: Label Away
Add interchangeable labels to your shelves for added organization.
Step 1: Clear It Out
Clear everything out of your pantry and give it a quick cleaning before organizing and restocking.
Step 2: Create Groups
Organize in groups of similar items to make things easy to find the next time you make a meal.
Step 3: Suggestion for Spices
The flavor of spices can be altered by heat, so keep them in the pantry instead of next to the stove.
Step 4: Make Use of Mason Jars
Put grains, cereals, salt and pasta in mason jars so you can see exactly what you have.
Step 5: Proper Storage
Oils, preserves and picked items last longer, so put them in the back so they're out of the way.
Step 6: Label Away
Add interchangeable labels to your shelves for added organization.
Items You'll Need
- Pantry Items
- Mason Jars
- Labels
- Cleaning Supplies



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120 Comments
I love the idea of placing labels... to define the areas. As far as the pantry itself goes... It's lovely BUT... I'd just need about 5 or 6 of them. :P
March 20 2013 at 11:10 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHmm maybe I'm one of those "Survivalists" and don't know it.
Is the " five o'clock shadow look" this guy has, supposed to make us think he he a strong, virile, handsome . he-man who shows us how to do things we can't figure out ourselves? Just wonderin......
March 20 2013 at 7:47 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyReally? He acts like he is talking to a bunch of 5 yr olds....UM.....Pssssst....more than not..women know pretty much how to organize their kitchen and what works best for them...oh and BTW those mason jar aren't going to cut it for grains..pasta..cereals etc... those items you buy at the store don't come in pint size packages you would need a dozen jars just for the cereal....
March 20 2013 at 6:26 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyUm, that's a pantry ...........maybe part of a pantry......... To me a pantry is a small room you can walk into and have supplies ready for a month or two...... this thing he calls a pantry is kewl for the spices and different teas and coffees maybe.. but as far as the pastas and the rices,and the canned goods.... we don't want to go to the store every few days to fill up on supples.........Once a month is fine.......every few days who the heck has the time..........give me a room with great shelves and I will be soooooooo happy!
March 20 2013 at 6:26 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI like Carter but I don't like his pantry. I could not even get all of my dry goods or can goods in there. I need a walkin pantry. I have one on the small size but it sure holds more that that thing. My ideal pantry is a 10 x 10 like my aunt had when I was growing up. She llived on a farm and I would visit her, I loved her pantry. It had everything in it and she did not have pull out anything to look behind. LOL. I would not have that thing he called a pantry. It would be the first thing to go.
October 07 2012 at 7:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyTo Corey39184, Do you keep fresh foods in the pantry? By its very nature, a pantry is for canned & dry goods. Fresh foods would be kept in the refrigerator. This website is about organizing your pantry, not an editorial about fresh versus canned food. I do agree with Michael that the shelves are not very functional; they are not high enough for many products and each shelf only holds 3 or 4 items; way too much wasted space. Of course the best way to organize is to keep like things together, most used things in front, rotate stock....not much new information here!
January 23 2012 at 9:54 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyNot particularly helpful since most of us have much simpler open pantries that we have to stick our heads way inside of,
January 23 2012 at 5:55 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyIf I had a pantry like this I could organize my stuff too.
Those shelves take up more room than the food does
January 23 2012 at 4:03 AM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down ReplyTo bad these guy couldn't clean up for this show they look nasty and their hair is greasy
January 23 2012 at 4:01 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Replythis is what you call organized, he could't even get the cans and jars in ???????
January 23 2012 at 3:24 AM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down Reply