Redoing our pantry--need some help!

[brendat4]

Hi all! We are finally going to reorganize our pantry soon and I've been planning out all that I want it to be. Basically we are going to remove all the old shelves and put in new ones that are taller. It is a semi-walk in (not really a walk-in but you could if you needed to) and in the corner of our kitchen so it's kind of an odd shape (like have of a hexagon sort of). I don't know what the builder was thinking but not even a regular cereal box will fit on any shelf except the top one. Anyway, I have a couple of questions:

--I want to add some bins for storage of items like garlic, onions and potatoes. What would be the best kind for me to install? We live in a very humid and hot climate and the pantry does not have its own vent in it so any circulation it receives is by leaving the door open--which is about half the time. Should I use metal wire bins, plastic, etc.?

--I've organized my pantry into "areas" for storage--like baking items, grains, sauces/jellies/syrups/jams, canned veggies & fruits, spices, alchol (not much since we rarely use the stuff), baby food (one NEW reason we're redoing the pantry even though I plan to start making some of the food myself), etc. Do you all have any other suggestions on what I might include?

Right now we are battling with things falling all over the place. I do have A LOT of my stuff in Tupperware modular mates (I used to sell it) so that helps a bunch, but we're still needing some major organization! Any suggestions/hints, etc. are welcome!

Thanks!

[Terrytx]

Off the top of my head, the one suggestion I would try for is to have pull out shelves. My son and daughter in law just moved into their "new" home and have this in their cabinets. If I ever get to re-do my pantry, that will be a must. It makes it so easy to reach those things that get lost in the back of the shelf.

[browneye]

I second the pull-out shelf idea, depending on how deep your shelves are. I have pull-outs that are fairly deep, and they are FABULOUS!

Also, if you keep a lot of spices in there, one thing that I have is a spice rack that is built into the backside of the door to the pantry, so all you do is open the door and voila', there are your spices. It is very space saving as well.

As far as storage bins for potatoes, etc... I would probably lean towards plastic if you live in a humid climate, I steer away from Metal due to the rust issues....

Hope that helps....

[gertdog]

I've never gotten to design my own pantry but look forward to doing so someday! I have those same short shelves that won't fit cereal or tall bottles. Grrr.

In terms of storing potatoes, etc... I had a hot, humid pantry once. Definitely place those bins on the lowest shelf possible (heat rises) but with a little air circulation underneath. Make sure air can circulate in and around the veggies. I'd go for a plastic or metal bin with holes to let the veggies breathe and that you can easily pull out and clean.

This is very simple and you may already have them, but I love my little spice shelves... just a set of small white plastic steps that elevates the back rows of spices so that you can see everything on your spice shelf at once.

I've become a huge fan lately of those plain plastic bins (w/o lids) for organizing in the kitchen. In my baking cupboard, a large bin holds light and dark brown sugars, powdered and granulated all together so the bags aren't sliding all over the place when I open the cupboard. A small bin holds all my extracts and food colorings together. Another smallish bin holds baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, etc. It really cuts down on me knocking things over as I reach for something in the back of the cupboard. My fiance likes the system too, as it's much easier for him to find things on his infrequent ventures into the kitchen.

Good luck!

[catharine]

One idea to contribute

I don’t know if you have a door on your pantry like I do. But I found this great thing at Bed, Bath and Beyond that is a coated wire rack the size of the door that you screw in. It is so great- it only cost about $30 and it gave me a lot of extra storage space for cereal boxes, cans and bottles, that I wouldn’t have otherwise. People don’t realize that the inside of the door is potential storage space.

One good place for ideas is www.containerstore.com. I just looked there and it might be helpful.

[lorilei]

How exciting to be rennovating the glorified pantry!:)

I have no idea what your decorating style is like, but if your home supports it, baskets are an excellent option for storing veggies and other perishables. You can buy baskets lined with muslin, which is perfect for potatoes and onions (it allows air to circulate and absorbs moisture at the same time). The baskets won't allow as much light in, and they look lovely in a pantry environment!