One of my organizing objectives this year was to invest in pantry storage bins. I was fed up with digging through containers only to find out we were missing something, once more! If you appreciate the appearance of a stylish pantry with coordinated labels and food storage bins, this article is tailored for you.
I will be discussing the finest types of bins (including capacity and how much they can hold) for pantry essentials such as cereal, crackers, pretzels, oats, nuts, flour, and sugar. I also discovered the ideal organizers for granola bars, canned items, and children’s snacks. Prepared to discard the cardboard boxes and craft a Pinterest-worthy pantry? Let’s begin.
Additional posts regarding our pantry:
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What I Selected: Pantry Storage Sets
After conducting extensive research, I selected the following bins and containers for our pantry. I opted for sets as they provide the best value.
- OXO Good Grips 3-Piece POP Cereal Dispenser Set (3.4 Qt), $56 x 2 = $112
- OXO Good Grips Airtight POP Large Cereal Dispenser (4.5 Qt), $26 x 3 = $78
- Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers Set of 14, $79 x 2 = $158
- mDesign 2-Pack Plastic Divided Bin, $24
- The Home Edit 2-Pack Stacking Bins, $20
- The Home Edit 5-Piece Pantry Edit, $15
- The Home Edit Narrow Bin, $6
- mDesign 3-Pack Woven Baskets, $65
- mDesign Clip-On Basket and Bin Tags, $12
- Savvy and Sorted Pantry Labels, $25 x 2 = $50
The total expense for our pantry storage bins was $540 prior to tax. I always keep both budget and practicality in consideration, and I believe these achieve a nice equilibrium. I selected items that are robust and well-reviewed as I intend to utilize them for many years ahead.
Best Cereal Container for a Pantry
Let’s kick off with one of the most favored snacks in our pantry: cereal! Do any other kids desire to consume cereal at breakfast, lunch, and dinner? We typically have a considerable assortment available, and the cardboard boxes alongside plastic bags were becoming a bit overwhelming. After exploring pantry storage bins for cereal, I opted for OXO dispensers.
The OXO dispenser is an excellent cereal bin since it is simple to grip, pop open, and pour with one hand. My children might require two hands, yet they can effortlessly pour the cereal by themselves which is a considerable advantage!
In the initial image above, you can observe that I acquired two varying sizes of the OXO cereal dispenser. The larger dispenser (4.5 qt) is optimal for bulk or “giant size” cereal packages (over 20 oz net weight). In our residence, we utilize these for Cheerios and the hugely popular Reese’s Puffs.
The medium dispenser (3.4 qt) is available in a 3-pack which is an excellent bargain. These can accommodate any standard sized cereal box and some “family sized” boxes (approximately 18 oz net weight) depending on the density of the cereal. We employ them for Raisin Bran, Oatmeal Squares, Chex, and granola.
OXO also offers a small dispenser (2.5 qt) that is exclusively for granola but I did not acquire one. I believed the medium size would be more adaptable, and they also represent a better value as a 3-pack.
Best Snack Organizer for a Pantry
Decanting granola bars is something I enjoy since it allows for quick grab-and-go snacks, plus you can easily check how many treats are remaining on shopping days. This divided bin from Amazon serves as the ideal solution! It can also function as a snack organizer for other products like applesauce pouches or single-serving bags of crackers or nuts.
This is a side view—you can observe that the snack organizer consists of four compartments. Each section of the bin comfortably accommodates four to six granola bars based on their size.
Top Pantry Storage Solutions for Snacks
Up next are the best pantry storage options for crackers and pretzels! You’ll spot many Rubbermaid Brilliance containers from here onward.
I employed the 6.6 cup variant for medium bags of crackers and pretzels (approximately 6 oz net weight). The 8.1 cup container, which is specifically designed for spaghetti, managed to hold four sleeves of Ritz crackers and a bigger bag of pretzels (8 oz net weight).
Advice: Gluten Free Labels
Since my husband has Celiac disease, we required additional gluten-free labels. I purchased two sets of labels and trimmed the phrase “gluten free” from the extra labels. Alternatively, if you own a label maker, you could design your own!
Containers for Nuts, Trail Mix, and Dried Fruits
We frequently consume peanuts and trail mix as snacks, so two of the 7.8 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance containers were utilized for them. They can easily contain two medium bags (28 oz total net weight) of trail mix or peanuts. I’ve also included two scoops that came with the set of containers to simplify portioning.
Presenting some of the smaller Rubbermaid Brilliance vessels. The 3.2 cup capacity is ideal for medium packets (approximately 12 oz net weight) of walnuts, pecans, and raisins. The tiniest 1.3 cup container is suitable for minor packets of seeds and dried fruit. In this image, you’ll notice that I trimmed the labels to fit the petite containers.
Top Flour Storage Containers for a Pantry
Next on the list, baking necessities. I utilized two 12 cup and two 7.8 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance vessels for almond flour, oat flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour. These are excellent flour storage containers for a pantry! While we don’t keep all-purpose flour, if we had it, I would opt for the 16 cup vessel (the largest size).
A quick note: my label set did not feature “oat flour,” so I combined two separate labels to make one!
Optimal Sugar Storage Vessels for a Pantry
Having discussed flour, here’s the pantry storage vessels I chose for sugar.
I already owned this 1.5 quart (6 cup) brown sugar container, but you could also choose a 7.8 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance vessel, similar to what I used for powdered sugar. The larger 12 cup vessel is excellent for holding standard granulated sugar.
Containers for Oatmeal and Old Fashioned Oats
Introducing the largest Rubbermaid Brilliance vessel–the 16 cup size! It serves wonderfully for the large tubs (42 oz net weight) of quick oats or oatmeal that my children adore for breakfast. The 12 cup size is outstanding for the old-fashioned oats that we utilize for baking.
Pantry Storage Vessels for Baking Necessities
Concluding my pantry storage options for baking necessities, the 7.8 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance containers are ideal for chocolate chips and cocoa powder. You can conveniently accommodate two packages of chocolate chips (total net weight of 24 oz) or two cans of cocoa powder (total net weight of 16 oz).
At last, I utilized my leftover two 6.6 cup containers for some assorted baking ingredients that we had available—coconut sugar and gluten-free pecans. Tip: I wouldn’t recommend using this tall container design for any powdered items, as it would be challenging to reach inside without creating a mess.
Pantry Can Organizer
Taking a break from food storage containers for a moment, I wanted to highlight the tiered organizer that I utilized for storing canned goods. This is an excellent pantry can organizer that would also be suitable for spice jars. It comes from The Home Edit collection at Walmart, which is both economical and well-made.
Here’s a side view. The organizer accommodates standard 15 oz cans seamlessly.
Optimal Pasta Storage Containers for a Pantry
I mentioned previously that my husband has Celiac disease, hence we avoid consuming much pasta. However, if we did, I would use the tall 8.1 cup and 6.6 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance containers as displayed above for crackers and pretzels.
My children do eat pasta, and Annie’s mac-and-cheese is their favorite. I utilized a transparent bin from The Home Edit’s pantry collection which is ideal for boxed pasta. The bin measures 10 in x 10 in square, allowing space for another row of boxes or other pasta types behind this one.
Optimal Protein
Powder Storage Vessel
As I did not require the oversized 16 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance container for all-purpose flour, I repurposed it to hold our protein powder. A substantial tub of protein powder fits inside (22 oz net weight).
Pantry Storage Vessels for Confection and Chocolate
Behold my last two Rubbermaid Brilliance vessels! I utilized the 7.8 cup size for mini chocolates while reserving the 3.2 cup size for our preferred dark chocolate bars. Ultimately, a slender bin gathers any assorted treats and candies.
Children’s Snack Organizer for a Pantry
I believe that anticipating summer vacation influenced my decision to select The Home Edit stackable open front bins for children’s snacks! I desired a snack organizer that maintains everything neat and visually accessible. These bins are an excellent storage option for fruit cups, fruit snacks, and individual bags of chips or crackers. They also simplify packing school lunches.
Optimal Pantry Storage Baskets for Refills
At last, I purchased this trio of woven baskets to accommodate various pantry items and refills. I previously mentioned the teabag organizer we store in a kitchen drawer in this article. For the pantry, I utilized a woven basket for the tea bag refills.
Woven baskets are also excellent for those miscellaneous items that you prefer not to decant. I’m using this one for marshmallows and pre-packaged cookies.
And that concludes every pantry storage vessel I acquired for our pantry revamp! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below, and be sure to check out these other pantry posts:
Happy organizing,
