12 Snack-tastic Ways to Increase Pantry Space
Living with a small pantry can be a huge problem, especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed. A pantry that’s constantly cluttered and never seems to have enough room can be incredibly frustrating, and can make meal time a headache.
Well, we’re here to help you with your organization woes. We’ve complied a gigantic list of tips for making the most out of the space in your pantry.
Tips for Increasing Pantry Space
Follow these steps to increase the space in your pantry:
- If your pantry is tall but narrow, try investing in a few short racks that build upon the vertical space. Stackable wire racks are great for adding valuable vertical row space. Racks that are built to store food on a shelf and directly underneath — which are called double deck racks — can also utilized unused space directly below shelving. The top of the double deck rack is built like a regular separator while the bottom is more of a basket, making storing different types of food and cookware easier.
- Rethink your food selections. Small individually-packaged food can often take up a lot of valuable space because of the extra packaging. Cut down on the snacks and switch to the family-sized portions instead. Doing so will likely help save you some money, too.
- Try reducing the amount of “extras” you keep on hand. If you know you’re not going to use certain “extras” before the next trip to the grocery store, plan to buy less of those items. Consider moving the extra food to an alternative storage space such as the basement; a pantry should only store items that you need on a regular basis. Other alternative storage spaces can include the garage or even a space underneath the stairs, but keep in mind that pests may be a factor when storing food outdoors. If you store food outdoors, make sure you keep it carefully concealed.
- Let go of the mindset of having “one of everything;” especially when it comes to snacks. Try dedicating a maximum of one shelf to snacks.
- Pitch all of the expired food, as well as the food you and your family will never eat. It also helps to stop saving that extra 1/4 inch of pancake mix — use the rest of the package when cooking.
- Use what you already have in stock before you buy more. This is especially true if you have a soft spot for dessert decorations — sprinkles, cake toppers, marshmallow fluff and extra icing — holding off on buying these items for a while can open up a ton of space.
- Pitch the cookware and storage items you don’t need. If you haven’t used that cookie tin since you received it as a gift four Christmases ago, it might be time to let it go.
- Consider giving your extra spices away or pitching them. If you haven’t used a spice in a year or two, chances are that you won’t miss it when it’s gone. Try separating the essential spices from rest of your spices to figure out which ones to pitch and which ones to keep.
- Keep items that you use frequently out of the pantry and on the countertops. Cooking spray, vegetable oil, coffee creamer and coffee can likely all be left within arm’s reach.
- Install pantry door organizers if there is room for them. Not all pantries will have room for a door organizer, but installing one can really help if your pantry does have the extra space for one. Door organizers — such as spice racks — can be great for storing spices and other smaller-sized “extras.” If you don’t have room in your pantry for a door rack, you could install one on a regular door instead.
- Combine food and other items into one box. If you have two boxes of Cheerios but both are half full, dump one into the other. You could get creative with it and start combining your cereals as well — putting the Frosted Mini-Wheats in with the Frosted Flakes — doing so will be sure to maximize your pantry storage space.
- Buy several storage hooks and install them on the walls of the pantry. Oven mitts and similar kitchen items can hang from the hooks to give your kitchen and nice organized look.
If you’re ready to pitch your old pantry or simply need more shelving for your current one, we’ve got you covered! At Harkraft, we specialize in top-of-the-line pantry organization products. We sell and install door and wall racks for spices, bottles, and small jars, as well as premium wire pantry shelving. We also sell tiered shelf organizers and see-through wire baskets that will allow you stay organized as well as see what’s in your pantry without having to pull the items out or shuffle them around.
If your old pantry just isn’t performing up to snuff anymore, give us a call at (763) 544-4478. You can also contact us online to receive a free pantry design consultation. Each of our pantry organization items and installation services come along with a Lifetime Guarantee.
