Food cupboards a mess pic included.

[Getitdone247]

How do I organise my food cupboards they are in a real mess. I have included pictures because visual helps me explain better.

I can't reach the top shelves. And I can't reach the cupboard with the spices in. Well I can reach the front of it if I over stretch. So it's not great. As its in the corner above work top.

I feel like im not seeing food that can be used. I opend the cupboard and go blind

Is it worth me add some type of storage or something. For the crossants etc . I need them to be in sight thought . When I use a bread bin we forget anything in it and it gos moldy.

Also a bread bin?

Sorry, if it's been said and there have been many more practical suggestions...but I have deep cupboards too and I have a small but strong torch in all of them. Very simple, but it helps.

Nothing is in any order. I’ve got all my tins together, all my spices and herbs are together, all my cereal is together, tea and coffee etc is together. Pasta and rice are in one cupboard. That sort of thing.

My place used to be a right bloody chaotic mess but I got pissed off and got it all sorted last month. I got rid of everything that was past sell by date or never used, and then grouped things together.

I've found that the following helps:
-a massive spice rack thing that hangs over the door and all my spices and herbs go there.
-Tiered shelf inserts for cans and jars (so that I can see what cans/jars are at the back of shelves).
-the carousel/lazy susan type things for bottles of condiments (oils, vinegars etc)
-clear plastic boxes (which are labelled) to store packets of flour, baking goods etc in.
-I do have some food things in mason jars etc but not everything. So the plain flour is in a large container, but the bread flours and self raising flour packets are in a clear plastic box in the cupboard
-I group stuff together and don't buy more than what will fill the spaces that I have (this is easy for me, as it is just me and two DC). This helps me to keep on top of exactly what I have, and it's saved quite a bit of food from being wasted.

Are you able to freeze some of the bread/bakery products? That will give a bit of extra space.

Putting the higher up stuff into tubs or plastic boxes helps a lot.

For Packers etc it means you can group them together a lift the whole lot down to rummage.

I find the ones you get in farm foods/Iceland will little individually wrapped brownies or muffins a good fit....with the bonus you get to eat the cakes!

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This for the tall cupboards and it folds away

Baskets for sauces and spices. Can rack for tins.

This is my pantry. I love the turn tables, so easy to see everything. Got them of Amazon. Put stuff in containers for better stacking. Spices on the door.

If you don't want to damage the door, these ihook things are amazing. I've had one holding sunscreen, tooth brushes and hair spray stuck to the bathroom mirror for 10 yrs or so. I've now put a paper towel one up and am thinking about the spice one for the pantry door.

https://www.hsw.com.au/white-magic-i-hook-spice-rack/

Thank you. I was thinking something like that

I had a massive sort out of our food storage earlier this year as it was getting silly.

Storage solutions for you to consider:

• add more shelves into your kitchen cupboards and/or adjust the height of the shelves you have now. Use the top shelves for the items you use least often.
• Use containers to decant pasta, rice and cereal into. Make sure these are stackable, if it would use the space better.
• Use storage boxes for other items (I have these - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09T4D9SX6?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k0_1_7&amp=&crid=1UFKMOOPFQN3Q&amp=&sprefix=curver+). They hold, for example, six full size cans in them. I have them labelled with things like "soups and beans", "gravies and sauces", etc. You can just grab the box you need and it's easy to know what needs replenishing.
• Consider whether your current plates and pans cupboards would be better swapped with your current food cupboards.
• Also, consider whether you have too much "stuff" in other cupboards. I did a big sort out of the "mug" cupboard and gave a load to our charity shop and freed up an entire shelf.
• Under shelf storage for things like spices and foil/cling film are good. I have the under shelf chopping boards, spice rack and cling film rack from Joseph Joseph. I use these because my kitchen cupboards don't have the ability to be moved or have extra shelves installed.

Other things that can also help:

• meal prepping/planning in advance so know what you need to buy and don't end up buying too many of the same things constantly
• online food shopping where you can look round your cupboards adding things as you go, rather than looking at shelves while you're there thinking "did I buy a new jar of jam last week? I don't remember - I'll just grab one now, just in case".
• Have a digital "shopping list". I use Alexa. Anyone can just say "Alexa, add X to my shopping list" when they realise we're running low.

I did a big reorganisation at the beginning of this year and started meal planning too. I already was doing online shopping, but I am now wasting far less food than I used to because I have a better control over my "stock" and it's more obvious when things have been used up.

I have this stool at home (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071JB9SC8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - folds up neatly when I don't need it.

I meant something like this for corner cupboard

https://www.diy.com/departments/grey-soft-close-rh-corner-cabinet-40cm-pull-out-storage/8010880013023_BQ.prd?storeId=1152

I've got kilner bags from amazon for spices and I have them in a big wire basket... easy to grab and easy to find spice you need (I have a lot)

I have some battery operated spot lights that can be controlled by remote control! You can get rechargeable ones now, that would probably be better.

I have what I lovingly call my "larder" but is actually the cupboard under the stairs. The back of it is really dark so use the remote to turn all the lights on before I delve around in the depths!

Spice racks fitted to the inside of your cupboard doors will free up a lot of space.

And also get some

I wish I has a cupboard like that. I did have a big floor to ceiling cupboard. But I removed it because I could not fit my fridge freezer in.

I wanted something like this but it's out of my budget 😕 maybe I can find something similar

i put the cereal on the top shelf as i only need to grab the bottom to get it out.

sorted spices into 2 ice cream tubs so i can drag them all out together (they stack on top of one another)

Put all baking small bits into a sealable Really useful box so thats all together.

my shelves can have the shelf height re-done as the holes are pre-drilled. so that helps.

I don't want to be mean op (my cupboards are a bit of a mess too!) but it looks like you just randomly throw stuff into the cupboards and then wonder why it isn't tidy! You don't need anything fancy...just an acceptance that food cupboards need tidying very regularly.

Yes ,i meant something like this. They aren't cheap. I bet we can try something a but cheaper.

I also hear you on not jumping up these days. 😅 my days of doing that are also getting slim to none.

That's exactly what I do . That's why I'm asking. My brain does not brain. And I do things like that won't fit oh stick it there. And before I know it other stuff follows and then I think I don't have much food when I have plenty but it's sort of lost

Can other people in the house access the top shelves? With/without a step up?

If so I would move items you need infrequently up there, big pans, serving dishes, teapots, salad spinners, fancy glassware. That way you ask for it to be brought down the morning/night before you need it.

Then look at accessable cupboard space, no point having cups sitting in a tall bottom cupboard at the bottom when they could be in a shorter narrow cupboard on top.

That sort of organisation.

Spices in a drawer under crockery is handy and get use of space.

My kitchen is not well designed and the cupboards were a messing I had a lot of duplicates so got a lot of boxes. Now I have a box with all my pasta in, one with rice, one with stock cubes and sauce mixes etc, this means I know exactly where things are and how much I have.

One thing I was shocked at was the different types and amount of sugar I had, when I couldn't find what I needed I'd been buying more!

They look like average cupboards in the UK to be fair. Maybe at least put all the spices on one shelf together, and get another bread bin? You can fancy containers and a label machine, or lazy Susan’s or buckets, but who can be arsed with that.

Firstly clear out your tupperware and use any tubs that don't have lids, or lids don't seal to store things in the food cupboard.
Categorise things into food groups e.g. tins - beans, tomatoes, soup, fruit; condiments; dry goods - rice, pasta, noodles etc. If you have multiples of things then stack them one behind the other so you can see there's more than one in the cupboard.
You need to allocate anything that doesn't get used as often e.g. baking flour, sugar etc to the top shelves and the stuff you use daily e.g. breakfast cereal so it's within easy reach.
B&M used to a decent range of "fridge storage" which I use in food cupboards to store spices and packs of rice etc.
And definitely buy a step!

I have a very tiny kitchen, so have to store most of my food in a pantry cupboard in the conservatory. It used to be a nightmare to keep tidy & get at things without emptying the whole cupboard, so I now have canned goods grouped by type in boxes, and dry goods like rice, flour, sugar etc in sealed storage jars.
I get that doesn't really help with the reaching issue, but might help keep the lower cupboards and shelves you can reach a bit more tidy and accessible?