The Best Kitchen Pantry Organizers to Simplify Your Life

Maximize your pantry space and perk up your kitchen at the same time with these simple storage solutions.

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An organized kitchen pantry is more than just a visual treat (or Instagram #goals). For starters, knowing what you have in your kitchen will make for an easier, more enjoyable time cooking and baking—meaning no digging around for ingredients when you’ve got a hot pan on the stove or you’re in the middle of a crucial mixing step. But furthermore, it’ll help you reduce food waste because you're less likely to buy ingredients that you already have in your pantry (they were likely just hidden in the very back, out of sight or easy access).

There are a number of different options for organizing your pantry, from clear drawers to Lazy Susans to multi-tiered shelves. With the right tools and strategy, everything in your pantry will have a place, and you’ll know exactly where to find the ingredient you need without much effort. If you’ve got stacks of cans collecting dust or an overflowing spice cabinet, this roundup is for you. 

Here are some of the best kitchen pantry organizers out there to help you get started.

Best Overall

iDesign Linus Acrylic Drawer Organizer Collection

ilinus-acrylic-collection

Courtesy of Bed Bath & Beyond

What We Love: Offers customized storage of differently sized drawers and cabinets

What We Don’t Love: Some dimensions listed are of the outer measurements of the pieces

“There is no one-size-fits-all method to keeping your space neatly organized,” says Caroline Solomon, home organizing expert and founder of Neatly Home Organizing. “How you choose to organize your pantry depends on how frequently you cook, your aesthetic preferences, and how much you value function over form,” she adds.

This bestselling organizer collection by iDesign, which has garnered praise from scores of reviewers online, embodies Solomon’s sentiment. It’s a versatile modular collection that offers customized storage solutions for kitchen drawers and cabinets of various sizes.

In the collection, there are 11 different pieces ranging in price, and you can mix and match the ones you want to suit your needs. There are rectangular drawer organizers, utensil trays, an expandable organizer, and more. The sturdy, BPA-free plastic organizers have non-skid feet, so they won’t slide around your drawers when you open and close them. Plus, they have stylish chrome accents.

Everything in the set matches, so whichever products you choose, you’ll end up with a clean, cohesive look.

Price at time of publish: $12

Material: BPA-free plastic | Dimensions: Varies | Weight: Varies | Number of Pieces: 1 to 11

Best Budget

ClosetMaid 3456 Large Shelf

closetmaid-large-shelf

Courtesy of Amazon

What We Love: Simple and light, sturdy, inexpensive, no assembly required

What We Don’t Love: Non-adjustable size, doesn’t fold up for storage

Simple, yet effective, this shelf from ClosetMaid (which is available in either a white or a chrome finish) gets the job done. You can use it to organize the food in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer, as well as your dishes and cleaning products. It can also be used to maximize counter space, and there’s no assembly required. 

ClosetMaid's Large Shelf shows that pantry organization doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. All you need to do is place this shelf inside a cabinet to give yourself some extra storage space—such as to make room in your small cupboard for a new casserole dish or to store bowls and salad plates side by side (just a couple of examples shared by online reviewers).

Price at time of publish: $22

Material: Epoxy-coated steel | Dimensions: 8.4 x 16.25 x 5.7 inches | Weight: 0.4 pounds

Best for Small Spaces

Copco Basics Non-Skid Lazy Susan Turntable, 12-Inch

4.7
Copco 2555-0190 Non-Skid Pantry Cabinet Lazy Su

Amazon

What We Love: Inexpensive, sturdy, versatile

What We Don’t Love: Raised rim is somewhat large and may take up valuable real estate

Have deep shelves or a small kitchen? Lazy Susans are a tried and true storage solution that will help you out, says Solomon. “With deep shelves, it’s all too easy to forget about all those condiments, spices, and vinegars hidden deep in the recesses of your pantry,” she says. With Lazy Susans, nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

A turntable is a solid solution for maximizing small spaces because the rotating design allows you to have easy access to more items. One top-rated online option is the Copco Pantry Cabinet Lazy Susan Turntable, which comes in a variety of colors to suit your aesthetic, and it boasts thousands of positive online reviews. There are also 9-inch and 18-inch versions available.

This turntable has a non-skid surface so that your items stay in place when it’s rotated, and the outer rim helps to keep things from falling off. Several users also like this turntable because it’s plenty sturdy, and can even be used in the fridge to hold sauce bottles, pickle jars, salad dressings, and more.

Price at time of publish: $10

Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 1.5 inches | Weight: 1 pound

Related: The Best Spice Racks

Best for Spices

Lynk Professional Slide-Out Spice Rack, 10-inch

Lynk Professional Slide-Out Spice Rack, 10-inch

Amazon

What We Love: Sleek chrome finish, easy to slide out

What We Don’t Love: Can only hold about 10 average-sized spice bottles

If you’ve got a cabinet full of spices and you have trouble finding the ones you need, this slide-out spice rack is a handy solution. Depending on the size of your cabinet and how many spices you need to organize, Lynk offers a variety of sizes, with wider and taller (and double-tier) options. Organize your spices alphabetically, by cuisine, by use (savory cooking versus baking spices, for example)—whatever works best for you.

Narrow pull-out spice racks like this one from Lynk are particularly helpful when it comes to maximizing pantry space in small kitchens, according to Solomon. “Creativity is key. If your pantry shelves are especially narrow, treat yourself to a sleek pull-out spice rack organizer, and it will suddenly make your tiny pantry feel cute and chic,” she says.

Price at time of publish: $24

Material: Steel with chrome finish, polymer tray | Dimensions: 10.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches | Weight: 2 pounds

Best Stackable

OXO Good Grips Pop 10-Container Food Storage Set

4.3
Oxo Good Grips Pop 10-Container Food Storage Set

Courtesy of Amazon

What We Love: Top-rack dishwasher safe, versatile, stackable

What We Don’t Love: It’s a predetermined set—you can’t swap out some pieces for others

Tidy up the look of your pantry by storing ingredients like coffee, nuts, and even dried fruit in these BPA-free plastic containers by OXO. Each container has a corresponding push-button lid with a silicone gasket that creates an airtight seal. 

This OXO Good Grips POP container set includes the following: one 2.8-quart container, one 2.7-quart container, one 2.2-quart container, one 4.4-quart container, two 1.1-quart containers, two 0.6-quart containers, and two 0.4-quart containers. They have curved corners, which make it easy to pour out ingredients when measuring, and they’re stackable, too. 

These containers are great for keeping staples like white sugar, brown sugar, and flour fresh, according to several reviewers, because of their easy-to-use pop tops that they say are indeed airtight (and double as lids). Not only that, but the lids can lock in accessories such as scoops and levels (sold separately). 

Price at time of publish: $114

Material: BPA-free plastic | Dimensions: Varies, 19.9 x 18 x 7 inches total | Weight: 10.1 pounds total | Number of Pieces: 10

Related: The Best Food Storage Container Sets

Best Shelf

The Container Store Large Expand-A-Shelf

expand-a-shelf

Courtesy of Container Store

What We Love: Expandable, three tiers, makes it easy to reach every can in your cabinet

What We Don’t Love: Some say this doesn’t sit fully flat on the shelf when expanded

This three-tiered shelf allows you to see all your canned goods at a quick glance, which not only looks better but also helps you to actually use what’s in your pantry—no more digging around and taking things out to find your last can of black beans. Plus, with three tiers available, you get a total of four levels of storage when you include your actual shelf’s surface.

This expanding shelf expands from 13 to 25 inches, and each shelf is about 3.9 inches wide. The larger size is perfect for larger jars, cans, tins, and boxes; the smaller version is great for spices. The shelf is made up of two halves, which allow it to expand to fit your cabinet or accommodate the number of cans you have. Note that you need at least 11.6 inches of depth in your cabinet for this shelf to fit.

Price at time of publish: $18

Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 13 x 11.6 x 6.1 inches (length expands to 25 inches) | Weight: N/A | Number of Pieces: 2

Final Verdict

The iDesign Linus Acrylic Drawer Organizer Collection is the best overall because of its versatility: You can combine any of the 11 pieces any number of ways to create your own customized storage solution (view the options at The Container Store). Looking to get a better view into your deep shelves? Go for the Large Expand-a-Shelf to maximize your existing shelf space (view at The Container Store).

What to Look for When Buying Kitchen Pantry Organizers

Amount of Space 

It may be tempting to try to copy the beautifully organized pantries you see on Pinterest or Instagram, but it’s more important for your organizers to match the size of your kitchen and how you use it. Measure how much space you have in your cabinets, and when purchasing racks, shelves, or pull-out bins, make sure to note the exterior dimensions to ensure that what you’re buying will actually fit in your cabinet.

Type

Think about the way you use your kitchen. Do you have a bunch of cans precariously stacked in a high cabinet that keeps you from using them? If so, multi-tiered shelves are a helpful solution. The same goes for organizing spices. A spice rack looks nice, but are you willing to pour your spices into identical containers, and do you have the counter space? If you have deep cabinets, a pull-out rack can help keep spices organized in their original containers.

Material

As far as materials go, this is also a matter of personal preference. Plastic containers and bins have the advantage of being easy to clean, and if they’re transparent, you can actually see what you’re storing without having to open them. If you have a specific aesthetic that you’re going for in your kitchen, you may want to use materials like wood or rattan to keep things consistent.

In addition to your preference, you also need to consider the amount of space you have and what exactly you plan to store, says Sara Losonci, professional home organizer and founder of Shelfie. “A general rule to follow is to buy the same size and color bins to keep the cabinet streamlined,” she says. 

FAQs

How do I organize a pantry with deep shelves? 

To get the most use out of deep cabinets, pick up pull-out drawers, baskets, or bins. This way, you can take everything out and pick what you need rather than pushing things around to find items at the back. Another solution is to store lesser-used kitchen appliances, serving platters, or bowls at the back, and keep your most-used items at the front.

Losonci likes Lazy Susans in particular for maximizing your space for small items. “Some people think they waste space, but in reality, when the back of your cabinets is where items go to die, that isn’t helping you either,” she explains.

What are the best ways to maximize my kitchen pantry space? 

Store your most used items in places that are easy to grab. For everything else, organize your food in a way that they are easy to see and/or access. The last thing you want is pantry items not getting used and taking up unnecessary space, or buying ingredients at the store that you already have on hand. An organized pantry will not only make it easier for you to cook and bake, it will also help to prevent food waste.

Why Trust Simply Recipes?

Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a freelance journalist who specializes in food and drink content. She interviewed professional chefs and home organizers from across the United States to learn about kitchen organization and cooking basics, and she's always keen to share this knowledge with readers. Cooking big breakfasts on weekends is her happy place, and having an organized kitchen is key to whipping up multiple elements (eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes) so that everything is ready to eat at the same time.

Read Next: The Best Meal Prep Containers

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  1. Food and Drug Administration. Bisphenol A (BPA): Use in food contact application.

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