Photo: Jeff the Trojan / Flickr

Whether you have a tiny pantry or you’re lucky enough to have a walk-in space for storing your kitchen necessities, organising it will go a long way towards making your life easier. All you need to do to make the most of your pantry is have all your goods easily accessible, make good use of shelf space and remember to label everything. Here’s a guide to organising your pantry the easy way.

Tip 1: put your baking goods together

If you bake often, it’s likely you have accumulated a lot of baking-related items in your pantry, from hundreds and thousands to cake decorating kits, to essentials like flour and baking powder. Organising your baking goods will go a long way towards making the most of your pantry space. Invest in at least one basket dedicated to your baking goodies, and label it clearly. If you have the space, use even more baskets – one for the essentials, one for cake decorating, and one for appliances like mixers and measuring spoons.

Tip 2: store heavy appliances at the back

Store heavy appliances like blenders you don’t use very often and pasta machines at the back of your pantry shelves in trays, while making sure there’s space for them to slide out easily. Storing attachments in the same tray as the appliances will mean you never have to waste time hunting for bits and pieces you need for that recipe.

Tip 3: a Lazy Susan for tins and bottles

Tins and bottles are bulky and can be awkward to store. If your tins and bottles are arranged in rows, it may be difficult to see, and get to, items behind them. A Lazy Susan is a great storage solution. You can simply turn it around until the items you need are facing you. The best way to use your Lazy Susan is to place larger items at the back and smaller items in front for super easy access.

Tip 4: store dry goods in clear containers

Decanting your dry goods into containers will save on mess and space. You don’t want to waste time mopping up flour that has fallen onto the shelves and floor. Use clear containers so you can see what’s inside them, and label items that look similar like flour and self-raising flour. Square and rectangular containers are the best space saving options.

Tip 5: buy packets of herbs and spices

Many people have a large range of herbs and spices they use in their cooking, and they can take up a lot of space. Buying packets of herbs and spices and organising them alphabetically in a CD folder may seem like a lot of work, but is well worth the effort.

Finally, don’t neglect your recipes. Many of us accumulate recipes on bits of paper, whether printed from the Internet or cut out of magazinesPlace them in plastic folders and file them away to keep them safe. The plastic folders can be wiped down if necessary, so your recipes won’t be spoilt by ingredients spilling on them.

Tags: recipes