by Ann Marie Dwyer

Created on: February 27, 2007   Last Updated: December 21, 2008

Consider what makes a great kitchen: Ease of finding ingredients and tools. Professional kitchens have this in common. Even when you shop, items are grouped by logical ingredients. Pastas and sauces are together. Side dishes, baking supplies and snacks all have specific aisles. Organizing the space in your pantry is as easy as thinking about the way you cook.

By arranging the contents of the pantry according to meal type and dish type, you can use this system to cut your grocery bill (by knowing what to buy and when), cooking time (ingredients at your fingertips) and clutter. By using your own style, your pantry can even be a bright spot in your day.

If you want a consistent face, put ingredients in containers like those listed below. For the budget-minded pantry, group items by shelf or portions of shelves. For a combination of both plans, use shelf riders. They hang and create storage space beneath the shelf. The key is: Like items together.

1) Place two hole-handled baskets (they stack easily) on each shelf in the annoying corner cabinet. If your pantry does not extend into a corner, simply put baskets on the shelf. Rather than the outer boxes, which eat up valuable space, transfer small inner food packs into spaghetti sauce jars, zipper bags or clear storage canisters to place in the baskets. This will also protect your food from pests and prolong freshness.

The ones used most:

(A) The breakfast basket- canisters, spaghetti sauce jars and bins of breakfast foods- oatmeal packets, breakfast drink mixes, cereal and fruit bars. Much kinder to the eye than box labels!

(B) The snack basket- tins of cookies, bins of granola bars or fruit snacks, spaghetti sauce jars of chocolate confections, peanut butter.

(C) The baking basket- cornstarch, flour, gelatin, pudding, icing, cocoa.

(D) The spice basket- spices are grouped by ethnicity, packs of spice for meatloaf, gravy and assorted sauces.

(E) The pasta basket-macaroni in every shape

(F) The side dish basket- packets of flavored rices, pastas with sauce, ready-made rice or beans, macaroni & cheese.

(G) The baby basket- bottles, nipples, sip cups

The as-need ones:

(H) The linen basket- finger towels, napkins, kitchen towels, dishcloths

(I) The entertaining basket- back behind one used everyday- disposable utensils, paper plates and cups

(J) The appliance basket- bottom shelf back corner- the waffle iron, sandwich maker, blender, hand mixer

This allows for quick access to the items used most often and makes retrieving less-used

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