How To Organise Your Kitchen To Keep It Clutter Free And Food Fresh....

Cluttered worksurfaces, dried pasta twirls just jumped out of the cupboard at you, and that jar of marinara sauce placed so hap-hazardously on the top shelf you're too afraid to open the cupboard door in case in falls and lands you in the emergency room with a black and eye and a concussion! Well don't worry, help is at hand....

The kitchen is my favourite room in the house, I've always called it the heart of the house because growing up it was the room in my mum's house where all of the weird and wonderful conversations took place while cooking the dinner, and it's the room where my nan would bake all of her amazing baked goods to stock her chest freezer, all those amazing pies and cakes made her house smell like a cupcake. So making sure a kitchen is well thought out and that its storage is functional is pretty close to my heart.

So let’s talk about kitchen storage, if you’re lucky enough to have a pantry or a larder cupboard as they are sometimes called in the UK, no matter the size or shape, it is always a good idea to think about how you intend to store food and/or drink in there. There are obviously huge advantages to having a pantry which often people here in the UK create out of their understairs cupboard. But how do you actually stock a pantry in a way that utilises the much treasured space.

Well, here are a few little tips that can be utilised to make the most of the space, whether you have a pantry, a larder unit or just straight forward kitchen cupboards.

Tip #1 Budget. Once you know your budget, be realistic about it and remember most of what you'll be purchasing will likely be one off purchases, not something you'll have to make either monthly or weekly repurchases of. Once you know your budget, you'll know how much your finances will allow and whether you want to purchase all of the things you will need in one go or over a period of time once you have seen how much you can fit where.

Tip #2 Location of items. Whatever you decide to do, it is always good to think about the location of the bigger bulkier items first. For example, the big jar of flour, the big jar of pasta, the jars of rice etc. To assist with this, think about a selection of glass or plastic storage jars with airtight lids such as the 5.8l set of 2 from Ornami or the 3.9l set of 2 glass jars with airtight lids from Myiosus. Both sizes can easily accommodate several packs of pasta, rice, flour, etc and keep your pantry neat and tidy. There are various airtight containers to suit all budgets and spaces, such as the iDesign storage containers available in small, medium and large, which are perfect for the storage of dried food and snacks. The best part about these containers is that no matter how frequently they are used, the airtight seal doesn't seem to deteriorate thus the seal is always secure. If you are on a slightly stricter budget, how about this 9 piece airtight storage container set from Taiwudi? These are definitely value for money and can be used in the freezer too. I personally prefer glass storage containers but sometimes, plastic is a must, especially with children and animals.

Tip #3 Think about the material you want your storage jars or containers to be made out of. Storage jars and containers are available is both glass and acrylic plastic, depending on the use, one particular material might be better and even healthier to use than another. Speaking of glass, how about this 18-piece food storage set that is dishwasher, oven, microwave and freezer friendly? The set consists of 9 glass containers and 9 transparent lids. Or how about this set of 6 glass containers with transparent lids from 5 stars united? These are fantastic for keeping salad and other produce fresh in your fridge. Check out my fridge restock shorts on TikTok to see them in use. Perhaps plastic or acrylic are your preference, if you have children who will be accessing them for snacks, why not try a 1 gallon airtight cookie jar with flip lid? This makes a perfect storage jar for cookies, pasta, even animal treats.

Give some thought to how you're going to store other dried foods.

Tip #4, Think about storing smaller packets of food and snacks. These large stackable metal wire baskets are perfect for keeping packets of crisps, pretzels, snack bags etc together and also keeping a close eye on your home's stock levels to minimise wastage and keep costs down. Don't forget to rotate items, fresh to the back and older to the front as even dried food and food with a longer shelf life still has a shelf life and over time will start to degrade and become rancid. This does include tins as the metals used to make the tin can break down over time, so tin cans also need to be rotated and used up.

Tip #5, height, as the wire baskets are also stackable, they are also a great option for smaller spaces or tall and deep shelves as you can build up the height, as opposed to having to rely on depth or width. Just remember to put the heaviest items at the bottom and the lightest at the top and to rotate your food stock weekly. Depending on the amount of space you have, why not try a cereal dispenser, that way you won’t have to worry about open packets of cereal going stale or boxes taking up unnecessary room. These are great if you have little kids who love to snack and you want them to have a healthier option as you can fill the dispenser with your choice of snack and the rotating arm dispenses a small portion into the little bowl below. How about these mDesign clear acrylic pull out drawers in various different sizes and available in sets if 1, 2 or 4. These are fantastic for any pantry or cupboard as they can be stacked side-by-side or on top of each other.

Ideas for storing smaller loose items for easy access

Tip #6, think about how you plan to store loose items such as snack bars, bags of sweets, etc. How about these mDesign set of 4 Plastic Kitchen Organisers with hinged lid. These have removable plastic insets and can be used with or without them. I used one of mine with a 50/50 split and store dryer sheets in it. The other is used to house our various flavours of tea bags. The construction of the boxes is just fabulous, and the plastic is very strong and sturdy. They are slightly pricy, but well worth the money due to their durability and very sturdy construction. How about these mDesign Set of 2 Fridge and Freezer Containers with Hinged Lids in a variety of sizes to suit your needs?

Tip #7, if you are short on space why not think about collapsible containers such as Coreslux collapsible food storage containers with lids in 4 sizes? These are both fridge and freezer safe, dishwasher safe and come with clear solid plastic clip lids so you can clearly see the contents. The best thing about these is that if you are only storing a very small amount of food or leftovers for example, you can pop the lid on, open the air stopper on the top, and actually collapse the container down to the size that is needed with the food inside, then pop the stopper back and it is air tight and the exact size needed to store your food. Perfect for smaller spaces, snacks such as pretzels and nuts, or storing that last portion of lasagne or casserole that nobody wanted in the freezer or fridge while leaving plenty of room to spare!

Stay turned for more organisation tips and oodles more links to a variety of products that are sure to make your home life easier and much more organised. If you like what you've read so far, please click the like button and feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email. And don't forget that you can purchase any of the items that are hyperlinked in this blog by either clicking on the link, or if you would prefer to see what other items are listed in the various other blog posts, please check out the affiliation links pages on the main site.

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