My secret to healthy cooking starts with a well-organized pantry — because if you can see all the nutritious ingredients you have to cook with, the inspiration for filling and flavorful meals will come much more easily. With the help of a few simple tools and gadgets, you can transform your kitchen pantry in no time. So whether you’re tidying up after the holidays or preparing for an early spring cleaning, I’ve rounded up my favorite food storage and organizing items that will make it easier to enjoy healthy recipes with your family.
From small closets to walk-in pantries, I’ve got helpful pantry organization ideas for transforming any sized pantry into a neat and tidy oasis to find all your spices, canned goods, cleaning supplies, and other pantry staples with ease. These 14 must-have pantry storage items are some of my personal favorites for perfect organization and peace of mind when it comes to cooking.
My Top Picks
- Best Wire Storage Baskets: mDesign Metal Farmhouse Wire Organizer Storage Bin Basket- $59.99 at Amazon
- Best Lazy Susan: Copco Basics Non-Skid Pantry Cabinet 12-inch Lazy Susan Turntable – $9.99 at Amazon
- Best Tiered Storage: Copco Non-Skid 3-Tier Spice Pantry Kitchen Cabinet Organizer, 15-Inch – $17 at Walmart
- Best Airtight Food Storage Containers: OXO Good Grips 10-Piece POP Container Set – $109 at Home Depot
- Best Plastic Storage Baskets: mDesign Kitchen Storage Box – $21.99 at Amazon
Reviews of Pantry Organization Ideas
1. Best Wire Storage Baskets: mDesign Metal Farmhouse Wire Organizer Storage Bin Basket
I love these stylish wire storage baskets because they’re as fashionable as they are functional — just look at those natural wood handles! The steel wire makes these baskets durable, whether you’re filling them with root vegetables and onions or granola bars, and the handles make them easy to carry or move. They’re typically sold in a set of a few different sizes, which means you can save money, and all of your pantry baskets will match!
2. Best Lazy Susan: Copco Basics Non-Skid Pantry Cabinet 12-inch Lazy Susan Turntable
It’s no secret that Lazy Susan’s are great for your dining table, but have you ever thought about putting one in your pantry? This simple gadget is an affordable way to make sure all your spices, salts, and seasonings are easy to find with a simple spin of the turntable. I like this Lazy Susan because it has a non-skid surface, which means it’ll grip onto everything you put on top, so things don’t go flying when you turn it.
3. Best Tiered Storage: Copco Non-Skid 3-Tier Spice Pantry Kitchen Cabinet Organizer
A tiered organizer is an amazing solution for your pantry if you’re short on space and want to see different spices or cans of food at once. It’s similarly affordable to the Lazy Susan and has the same non-skid pads — so there’s no need to worry if you accidentally bump the shelves while searching for the perfect seasoning. It can easily fit all of my go-to spices for cooking healthy recipes, like ground cumin, paprika, ground cinnamon, kosher salt, ground turmeric, and so many more.
4. Best Airtight Food Storage Containers: OXO Good Grips 10-Piece POP Container Set
I absolutely love OXO products (they make my favorite mandoline and plenty of other great kitchen prep tools), and this set is no exception. These storage containers are airtight and stackable, which makes them perfect for filling with baking staples like flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and rolled oats.
The airtight seal is also great for keeping nutritious snacks extra fresh, whether you’re making a batch of my easy Air Fryer Chickpeas, Healthy Pizza Bites, or Homemade Parmesan Crisps — simply store them into your containers so you’ve always got healthy snacks on hand that stay fresh!
5. Best Plastic Storage Baskets: mDesign Kitchen Storage Boxes
These clear bins are more of an investment than the other pantry storage containers, but they’re great because they’re sturdy, stackable, and space-saving. I love filling my pantry with mDesign bins, and I have them in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit different foods and spaces. I also use them in my refrigerator and cabinets, too!
You’ll be able to see exactly how many of each ingredient or food you have left in the bin or box thanks to the clear plastic, which will save you time when it comes to putting together your grocery list for restocking.
Get the mDesign Kitchen Storage Box:
Get the mDesign Kitchen Storage Bins:
Get the mDesign Kitchen Organizer (4-Pack):
mDesign Food Storage Organizer Bins (8-Pack):
6. Best Labels: Mantah Chalkboard Label Stickers with 2 White Chalk Markers
Even with clear storage bins and boxes lining your pantry shelves, I like to label everything so I know what’s what. These chalkboard label stickers come with white chalk markers so you can easily write the names of your food and ingredients on each sticker — and if you mess up, just wipe it off with a wet paper towel!
You can also add dates to things like flour and sugar to help you remember how old those ingredients are. This way, you’ll never cook or bake with ingredients that are past their prime.
7. Best Over the Door Organizer: 1Easylife 6-Tier Over the Door Pantry Organizer
No matter how big or small your pantry is, chances are you can create extra storage space for yourself by using an over-the-door pantry organizer. The top of the shelf fits easily over most doors without any screws or suction cups needed. Once it’s properly hung, I like to organize my shelves by product type — canned goods on one shelf, snacks on another, and so on.
8. Best Bottle Storage: mDesign Stackable 3-Bottle Organizer
These stackable bottle organizers are the best way to store reusable water bottles, coffee thermoses, tall cans, and wine (the main ingredient in my Weight Watcher-friendly wine spritzers!). Each rack holds three bottles, and the clear plastic design allows you to see everything you’ve stacked up easily.
9. Best Plastic Bag Storage: SpaceAid Bag Storage Organizer
Whether I’m packing snacks for myself or lunch for my kids, this plastic bag organizer helps you stay organized. I love the natural wood finish because it matches many of my other favorite kitchen items. It’s super easy to refill a specific bag slot once they’re empty — all you need to do is slide the lid to one side and pop in a fresh box. This bamboo organizer has slots for snack-, sandwich-, quart-, and gallon-sized ziplock bags.
10. Best Hooks: GLUIT Heavy Duty Adhesive Hooks (12-Pack)
Adhesive wall hooks are a great storage solution for any part of your home. I like to use them in my pantry to hang aprons, reusable canvas bags, and any cleaning tools that are compatible with hooks (like a broom, mop, or duster). These work with marble, glass, wood, plastic, tile, metal, and plexiglass, but you shouldn’t use them on painted or wallpapered walls.
11. Best Tray Organizer: mDesign X-Large Steel Storage Tray Organizer
If you store your baking sheets in your pantry, this steel tray organizer will save you from that tower of trays crashing down at any moment. This organizer has five slots for filling with baking sheets, muffin tins, and even cutting boards.
12. Best Cart for Small Spaces: SPACEKEEPER Slim Rolling Storage Cart, 4-Tier
If you have awkward, narrow spaces that could be used for additional pantry storage — just slide this cart right in! It has four tiers that are perfect for filling with spices, cleaning supplies, kitchen towels, and other non-perishable food items.
13. Best Can Storage: Simple Houseware Stackable Beverage Can Organizer, 2-Pack
If your family loves drinking sparkling water — the perfect ingredient for bubbly drinks like my Citrus Margarita Spritzer — then you need this can organizer for your pantry. Each rack holds 12 cans, so with this 2-pack you can store 24! It’s also great for canned goods.
14. Best Tea Organizer: mDesign 3-Drawer Tea Organizer
If you’re a big tea drinker, this organizer will help you get rid of those bulky boxes the tea bags are packaged in. It has three drawers with clear fronts so you can easily see which tea you’re grabbing — it’s also great for sweetener packets, coffee pods, and honey sticks!
About Me
I’m the author and recipe developer behind Skinnytaste, which features hundreds of nutritious, family-friendly recipes. Since I spend a lot of time in my kitchen developing recipes and cooking for myself and my family, it’s extra important to keep things organized. My recipes combine seasonal, whole foods with healthy pantry staples like canned beans, crushed tomatoes, and whole wheat flour —and my life is so much easier when my pantry is tidy.
I’ve personally used the products in this article, and they also have thousands of online reviews. These tools are my favorites for keeping my pantry neat and organized.
Everything You Need to Know About Organizing a Pantry
How Do You Organize a Pantry?
The first step to organizing your pantry is to get rid of expired foods, duplicate cleaning products, and anything else that might be adding unnecessary clutter. Next, take everything out of your pantry, so you can see what space you have to work with.
This is also when you’ll want to pop in those helpful organizers from above, like the Lazy Susan, tiered spice shelves, bottle storage, over-the-door organizer, and other storage solutions. Once you have all your organizers arranged where you want them, you can put the pantry items in their new places. This might feel like a big game of Tetris, but I promise it will be worth it!
How Do I Maximize My Pantry Space?
I like to maximize my pantry space with stacking boxes and tiered shelving, which is why I recommended many of the products above. If your pantry has a door, the over-the-door shelves are especially helpful to maximize pantry space!
How Do I Organize a Small Kitchen Without a Pantry?
If you have a small kitchen, shelving will be your best friend in the cabinets you already have — clear, stacking boxes with labels on them make all your items easy to find, even if you don’t have a dedicated pantry.
Prices were accurate at time of publication.