Ten ideas for a tip-top pantry

Chris Warnes

Piles of tins, bottles and bags, half-used goods and the odd unidentified or out-of-date object... If this sounds like the grim state of your kitchen pantry, arm yourself with new containers, clever caddies and storage solutions to get you back on the well-organised track. Here’s how.

Sort pantry items into like groups and stow them together.
Transfer ingredients to clear tubs (like the Décor containers used here) as you can easily see what’s inside them.
Employ baskets and containers to hold groups of items. Square or rectangular shapes make the best use of space.
Position regularly used products between eye and waist level. Easy reach!
Refill supplies from the back, bringing older items to the front.
Put heavy products on low shelves to prevent accidents.
Affix racks to doors for spices, plastic wrap and foil. Also assemble a set of ‘shelf raisers’ to c8reate mezzanine levels.
Review pantry items each season; do a total clear-out and 9clean once a year.
Stick labels on shelves to identify where items belong; add sensor lights to make them more visible.
If pantry moths or weevils appear, dispose of any spoiled goods. Clean shelves and containers. To catch moths, buy traps from Bunnings. To prevent weevils, freeze newly bought dry goods (flour, oats, rice etc) for 4–7 days to kill eggs and larvae, if present.