The Best Pantry Organizers

They come in many different styles and forms, from racks to drawers to bins and more, so you can pick what best suits your pantry and your personal needs.

Buying Guide for Pantry Organizers

Why should you buy a pantry organizer?

There’s no need to complicate your day by digging through your pantry for ingredients. Whether you’re cooking dinner, trying out a new recipe, or looking for a quick snack, pantry organizers can help you get to the items that you want quicker. Organizers come in many shapes and sizes to ensure that ingredients of all kinds can be stored conveniently.

What should you look for in pantry organizers?

• Type: There isn’t just one universal type of pantry organizer. They come in multiple styles and designs, allowing you to pick the one that best suits your needs and your pantry. The most common types of pantry organizers are airtight bins, racks, drawers, and over-the-door models. All of these allow you to store (and sometimes stack) your food, drinks, and other products in a more organized and compact fashion. Over-the-door models are also great if you don’t have a very large pantry since they create extra storage space that otherwise isn’t being utilized.
• Purpose: Some pantry organizers are multipurpose and versatile, while others are designed for a specific type of product. Drawers and over-the-door models, for instance, aren’t built for one particular food or item, so you can store odds and ends inside of them as long as they fit. Some types of racks might be designed to cradle canned, jarred, and/or bottled foods and drinks, so they won’t work for bagged foods or paper products. Since airtight bins are meant for dry foods and baking ingredients, you probably wouldn’t use them for canned goods or items like napkins or paper plates. Consider what types of items you keep in your pantry and pick your pantry organizer accordingly.
• Size and Capacity: A pantry organizer obviously isn’t going to work if it doesn’t fit in your pantry. You might find it worthwhile to measure your pantry shelves’ dimensions before shopping, so you know what will fit inside and on top of them. This might not be necessary if you plan to buy a rack to keep directly on the floor or an over-the-door model, unless you have an unusually small pantry, as these are usually designed to fit standard doors. You’ll also want to check and see whether the pantry organizer has a capacity listed, especially if it’s built for specific items like cans or dry foods. Also, consider whether you’re buying a single organizer or a set.

How much can you expect to pay for a pantry organizer?

The construction and size of a pantry organizer make all the difference in its price. Organizers that rely on soldered metal or molded plastic will be around $20 to $30. Items with no lids or handles will be slightly less, as they’re more bear-bones. Think about it like this: If there are more features, the price will go up. Asking for more out of your pantry organizer will force you to dig a little deeper into your pockets.

Our Picks for the Best Pantry Organizers

Pros: If you’re going to get organized, you might as well go all out with a serious kit. This 14-piece storage container set features airtight containers with snap-closure lids in a range of sizes. This includes four small, four medium, four tall, and four extra-tall containers. You get stylish labels and a white chalk pen for easy use. Better still, this set comes with four measuring cups.

Cons:  Depending on what you plan to store in these containers, you may find that the smallest sizes are somewhat impractical.

Bottom Line: If you need a variety of sizes to get your pantry properly organized, this 14-piece set that comes with bonus labels, a marker, and measuring cups is a great starting point.

 

Pros: If you’re someone whose pantry contains many canned goods like soups, tuna, and vegetables, this is the pantry organizer for you. At 17 by 11.5 by 14 inches, this sturdy metal rack was designed with cans and jars in mind. It allows you to stack up to 36 cans and jars of varying sizes instead of leaving them strewn willy-nilly on your pantry shelves or floor. It also saves you the trouble and time of sorting through all your cans to find the one that you want since their labels will be displayed by the cans, bottles, and jars lying on the side. This rack comes with six movable plastic dividers, so you can adjust it for different-sized containers. Some minor, easy assembly is required, although you don’t need any extra hardware to do so.

Cons: If this rack is placed against the wall or below a shelf, it’s difficult to refill. It’s also difficult to access different canned goods because, while there are nine openings, they each need to have a specific can in order to work effectively. Some buyers have found that the top rack bows in the middle when it’s filled with heavy cans.

Bottom Line: This can organizer is great for people who go through canned beans, soups, and vegetables quickly. It isn’t the easiest to refill, but it can make your foods look more organized in the pantry.

 

Pros: Even if you have plenty of shelves in your pantry, it can be hard to properly organize each shelf depending on the size of the items you’re rearranging. This three-tiered cabinet box organizer allows you to create additional shelving and keep items neatly arranged. This pick features easy tool-free assembly and is also adjustable so you can remove a shelf if you need to store bulkier items.

Cons:  While very functional, this is a pricier option if you need to buy several to organize your shelves.

Bottom Line: Create more storage space and keep essentials organized with this adjustable rack shelf organizer.

 

Pros: Even if you’re an organizing pro, there’s an eventual point where you’ve maximized exactly as much space as is humanly possible from your shelves. And unless your pantry is large enough where you can bring in a freestanding drawer set, you’re going to need to be creative. This over-the-door organizer helps you add additional storage without sacrificing available floor space. With a rust-resistant design and easy installation with the option for wall mounting, this basket organizer is an easy solution for your storage problems.

Cons: Although this does create more storage space, in reality, the baskets can only accommodate smaller items.

Bottom Line: Over-the-door storage is nothing new, but this is a great way to store more items in your pantry without creating clutter on the floor.

 

Pros: Whether you need to maximize storage in a pantry cabinet or shelf, this two-tier organizer makes life easy by adding the concept of a basket drawer. That means you don’t have to stretch and struggle to pull items out of the back of the basket. Instead, you can pull the drawer out for easy handling. Available in five colors, this drawer can easily be added to other areas of your home beyond your pantry if you prefer.

Cons: While cute, this can get pricey fast if you need to add a bunch to your pantry.

Bottom Line: Stop struggling to pull items out of the back of your pantry with this sliding basket organizer drawer.

Final Thoughts

Not being able to find that specific ingredient or feeling overwhelmed by the stack of items in your pantry might leave you with little motivation to dive into cooking. However, you can jump back in with the ease of pantry organizers. They help you give a place to your most-used spices, ingredients, and snacks. If your pantry’s current state is overwhelming you, a pantry organizer can manage that mess and make it easier for you to find your most beloved food items.