r/organizing • u/pothosqween • 1d ago
How would you organize this small kitchen cabinet?
As you can see I have a shelf buried in there. It might be too much food, sure, but it’s also just a small space. The shelves can be moved higher or lower, if it helps. Open to any and all suggestions.
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u/pinkysaurusrawr 1d ago
Honestly I would try to find secondary storage. Is there any way to make room for condiments/sauces elsewhere, or canned goods or grains. Taking out one of the categories of items here and storing them somewhere else would create a lot of space.
I also have a cupboard like this that is my pantry, and organizing it is hard. I group things by category, and I am in the process of slowly moving things into jars, rather than their packaging - rice, barley, pasta, granola, etc. I use pasta sauce jars for it, so it's slow because I only use so much pasta sauce lol, but it really helps me to have everything in clear, labeled containers of the same shape/size. Less visual overwhelm & I'm more likely to use stuff.
Maybe a couple of clear plastic organizer bins, like the ones designed for refrigerator storage, for small things like the miso soup packets. A lazy susan for the bottom shelf, where you have sauces and condiments would help as well. And be honest with yourself if you'll never eat some of this, and try to find it new homes.
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u/msmaynards 1d ago
If you aren't filling the upper shelves with boxes or ? that fill shelf front to back use bins which eliminates the possibility of losing things to back corners. My cheap aluminum roasting pan fits perfectly so look around, maybe you have some rarely used container that can be pressed into service.
Collect floppy bags and small items into their own bins. Maybe dry beans, popcorn and pasta aren't exactly the same category of food but they sure need the same type of storage!
I've got a half depth shelf similar to yours and have avoided piling in front by adding door bins opposite it for spices in constant use as are the tall and half height sections. Great to remind me that I've got interesting mixes to add to foods. Just right for oils, vinegars and sauces.
Use cut down cardboard boxes to try all this out.
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u/Brooklynpolarbear22 1d ago
I would have done my cabinet the same way. Really.
You need more room.
I added sliders in. But those are only for small bottles. Mine is deep enough for 2 rows. I have on each side. I just use as shelves.
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u/penlowe 7h ago
Some notes on repackaging:
Some foods last longer when repackaged because if put in the right kind of tight sealing bins or jars, they stay fresher and bug free much longer.
Things that should always be taken out of their store packages snd moved to tight sealing types: sugar, any ground grain (flour, corn meal, etc), any whole grain (rice, oats, quinoa, popcorn etc), dry beans and lentils.
Things that just store better in uniform sealing containers (and most storage containers are clear so you can see how much you have left):
Cereal, granola, cookies, crackers, and other snack type foods. This helps keep the kitchen tidy because you do not overbuy, you know there’s only half a sleeve of Ritz.
If you have limited space, it’s worth buying space saving containers that fit tight and stack well.
Keeping what you already have fresh and organized cuts waste from your grocery bill as well. So consider the cost of nice containers a long term savings investment.
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u/linguinibubbles 1d ago
Depending on your capacity, empty the cabinet shelf by shelf or all at once. Group similar items together - for example, baking stuff, cooking stuff, canned goods, etc. Toss any expired items. Within each group, see if there are duplicates you can part with.
When you put items back on the shelves, keep them grouped by category, and put your favorite items back first. So you might have a baking zone, a condiments zone, a canned goods zone, etc. If you have the means, get some baskets to keep items together (label them if that would help you), or lazy Susans so items don't get lost at the back of the cupboard.
If there are any items that don't fit after all your favorites have made it into the cupboard, consider discarding them. (Look up the container concept.) Alternatively, see if there are any items nearing their expiration dates that you can put in a "Use Now" pile in the kitchen to make space quickly.