Out of sight does not necessarily mean out of mind. If you’re craving one of those immaculately curated pantries that keep popping up in your Instagram feed, it’s time to throw open the doors and create a store cupboard you’ll be proud to parade.
Whether you’ve got a modest kitchen cupboard or the luxury of a walk-in butler’s pantry, a makeover is totally achievable in as little as a few hours on a rainy afternoon. In fact, this is one time when you’re at an advantage if you’re working with a smaller space because your restricted shelf storage means you will have less clutter to corral.
And remember the goal here is not just to be functional, but to be fabulous too. Why not take the opportunity to paint your pantry a cute colour, wallpaper the back wall or place pretty paper liners on the shelves?
How to cut the clutter:
Take our step-by-step advice to rationalise your larder space.
1. Take everything out of the pantry, checking each item as you go and arrange them into three groups:
- Long-expired items to throw in the bin (see Waste Not, below).
- Anything you don’t think you’ll eat, donate to a food bank or pātaka.
- Items to go back in the pantry.
2. Decant open boxes and plastic bags to jars or containers and label them.
3. Give all surfaces of your pantry a good clean.
4. Make a plan for where everything will go in your pantry, taking into account:
- Store like with like. Keep your rice varieties together, your baking goods together and so on. Channel the aisles of a supermarket and you’ll get the picture. Group the items on your bench or table so you can see how much shelf space you’ll need for each.
- Put the things you use often within easy reach, and the occasional items such as the ham stand you only use at Christmas, way up the top or in tricky corners.
- Designate an area for spreads, cereals and breakfast basics, a place for teas, coffee and hot beverages, and another for oils, vinegar and sauces.
- If you have a big enough pantry, reserve a shelf up high or down low for your small appliances – things like the slow cooker and processor you don’t use daily. If there’s anything there that you haven’t used for years, donate it.
- Keep spices and herbs in jars, not boxes, to keep them fresher for longer. Store them in a spice rack on the wall of your pantry or keep them in a drawer near the hob where you’re most likely to use them. Don’t forget to label the lids so you can see at a glance which is which.
- Keep long-store vegetables in woven or wire baskets or wooden crates, but don’t store potatoes and onions together, as the ethylene gas emitted by the onions will shorten the life of the potatoes.
- If you have children, be careful what you put on the low shelves. Some parents like to keep a few healthy snacks here so the kids can help themselves.
- Adjust the shelf heights to fit your items. Find your tallest box or bottle in each group and move the shelves up or down as necessary.
- Consider whether you want to group some items in baskets or boxes. This works well for smallish packets, such as noodles and spice mixes.
- Return everything to the pantry using your new system.
10 top storage tips
1. Dry goods stay freshest in their unopened original packaging, but once they’re opened it’s a good idea to transfer them to an airtight container. Wait until you’ve fully emptied the jar or container, then take the opportunity to wash and dry it thoroughly before refilling it. You may also want to note the expiry date on the label or the base of the container.
2. When you transfer an unfamiliar ingredient to a jar or container, cut out the cooking instructions panel from the packaging and pop it inside or tape it to the back or base.
3. If you buy a new item before the old one runs out, store it next to the old one so you remember that it’s there.
4. To save plastic waste, take the empty jars to a bulk goods store and refill them directly.
5. Square containers are more space-efficient than round jars, as they can butt against each other snugly, so if you’re really squeezed for space and your budget allows, invest in a set of modular square and rectangular containers. If you have enough space and prefer a more rustic look, glass jars are a classic.
6. Use clear containers if possible so you can easily see how much you have left and restock when necessary.
7. Set aside a few stylish items to display on open shelves in your kitchen, particularly foods that you use often. For example, you could transfer your everyday favourite tea bags to a stylish caddy so you can keep them handy near the kettle.
8. Investigate whether you can add an over-the-door rack to the inside of your pantry door to maximise a small space.
9. If you’re renovating your kitchen cabinetry, check out the clever new pull-out pantry designs – they make great supplementary storage.
10. Keep a small stepping stool in your pantry so you can easily reach the high shelves.
All about the label
If you’ve ever used salt instead of sugar when baking a cake, you’ll know where we’re coming from when we emphasise the importance of labelling everything.
We’re fans of the masking tape and marker pen technique you’ll see in restaurant kitchens around the world, but if you’re after a more bougie look you can use a label maker, buy a set of pretty labels, design your own and print them out, or just hand-write on your jars or containers with a liquid chalk marker.
Keep it clean
A little ongoing maintenance is all it takes to keep your pantry tidy and fresh.
- To keep weevils and other nasties away from dry ingredients such as flour, put a dried chilli or a bay leaf into each jar or pop a bunch of bay sprigs on each pantry shelf.
- Hang your shopping list on the inside of your pantry door so you can easily jot down when something needs replenishing.
- Resist the urge to buy in bulk if you don’t go through a lot of something. Herbs and spices lose their flavour over time, nuts go rancid (we suggest you keep them in the freezer) and yeast loses its oomph, so it’s false economy to buy large quantities if you end up throwing out half of it.
- Take your time when putting away your grocery shopping to make sure you follow the rules you’ve set.
- Make a diary note to overhaul your pantry, wipe out the shelves and jettison old goods a couple of times a year.
Shop these handy pantry storage solutions
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