Cluttered, Crowded Pantry? Convert Kitchen Drawers Into A Mini Cupboard With A Clever Trick

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When it comes to prevalent kitchen issues, struggles with space are especially common. Too often, the cooking area is squeezed into limited real estate, and even just storing food in the pantry becomes difficult. After all, playing Eye Spy with ingredients not only curtails shopping, but can limit your will to cook at all.

So, to expand your cupboard space, consider converting kitchen drawers into food storage areas. At first, the concept may seem chaotic: Drawers are slim and get easily cluttered. Yet the key is to buy a set of air-tight bins like these Storeganize Food Containers. You can vary their volume depending on ingredient quantities, but just make sure their height doesn't exceed your drawer. Then, pour in your snacks, grains, rice, nuts, and flour, and other shelf-stable goods for easy storage.

@thekwendyhome

I was chucking all our dried foods in this drawer and decided to organize it all with air tight food containers from @Wayfair today! It's so satisfying. Check out the link in my bio for everything I used! #wayfair AD

♬ original sound – thekwendyhome

These ingredients will be out of sight, but easy to take out and cook with. And such an approach could also work with open shelving, but that kitchen trend's main disadvantages of cleanliness and aesthetics apply here. So stick to carefully arranging the boxes inside the drawer, and you can readily store more ingredients stress-free.

Even with kitchen drawers repurposed, you may still be looking for some added pantry real estate. For starters, storing your food efficiently can aid in making the most of limited space. To further ease navigation, organize your kitchen pantry like Ina Garten, keeping foods categorized and labels readily visible. Throw away anything you never use, and group duplicates together. You may find that a deep clean can open up a surprising amount of room.

Furthermore, optimize space in a way tailored to your kitchen. Maximize your deep shelves, adding baskets and containers to layer the space. Consider creating areas dedicated to specific purposes: Think baking essentials or dried pastas all in one container. And prioritize easy-to-reach areas for frequently used items. One thoughtful afternoon of reorganization can save time for months to come.

Next, place your efforts into finding a home for items outside the pantry. You can use two tension rods as a paper towel storage hack, and purchase a Wood Spice Rack for Countertop storage. Have lots of cans you never use? Stack them into a box and deposit them into another closet — although don't forget canned food does taste worse with time.

Finally, consider purchasing an entirely new storage space altogether. You could buy a small cabinet, reuse a freestanding shelf from around the house, or even install new cabinets if applicable. With a multifaceted organizational approach, you can achieve more pantry space than expected, easing your culinary experience.