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.

I use magnetic spice jars that stick to side of fridge. Love them

I bought a load of mason jars and most dried goods are stored in those - I got a bulk load of chalkboard labels from Poundland and labelled them in chalk pen. (Although you could just use a sharpie as it washes off glass in the dishwasher).

I have a number of the cheap plastic baskets in different colours so the pink one has baking items (bicarb baking powder, cinnamon etc), blue has curry spices, green has herbs and red has Chinese and Thai inredients eg soy, fish sauce, five spice, star anise etc). So depending on what I'm cooking I just take the relevant basket down and put it back when I've finished. I also have one for microwave rice and lentil sachets. I decant packets of seeds and less common dried fruit into labelled jam jars and pesto jars and store those in a larger basket next to the flour jars.

Jars and tins are sorted to keep like with like - so passata, sweet corn, olives and other veg together, next to them tuna, anchovies. Next shelf down has tinned fruit, custard and all the breakfast spreads.

Neat. And you don't have that much in the cupboards which makes it much easier to keep them tidy.

What about a see through plastic box, serves the purpose of a bread bin but is see through so you can still see the croissants?

You could get one of those pull down spice racks for the top cupboard to make them more reachable.

Get a step stool and a lazy Susan device for cupboards and fridges. They are great!

Go visit IKEA - they have some great storage/shelf rack ideas. Saved my soul ☺️

I am almost too organised, I scare people a little! So lazy Susan’s and boxes are your friend as has been said above. Also tin organisers https://amzn.eu/d/a39eM0E

Take everything out, group by item. One box for each type and label the front, stack items in date order of needing to be used. Clear boxes are better IMHO as they give a clearer overview of what you have.

Spices are best in racks on the wall or on the backs of doors so you can see the spice at first glance.

I have lazy Susan’s too for the top shelf of my fridge and one for sauces and one for spreads… they are game changers!

I am short and my cupboards are high and I get sick of asking my six foot husband for things so I bought a collapsing step stool which has been a godsend for cleaning light fittings too!

Step stools are v useful. If you can afford, get the KikStep type, which are very safe to stand on & have two height-levels. I have three: one upstairs; one downstairs (for high larder shelves); one for the garden (pensioned off due to lost castor, but still useful outside).

Thank you definitely a good idea

@PiggieWig just wondering if that is free standing or do you have to mount it?

Isn't just shit how presses (what the Irish call cupboards 😂) are, I'm convinced it was a 7 foot tall man who invented them, someone who never went shopping and discovered the height of ingredients and containers. It's the same here in Ireland, end up with ridiculous heights, shelves too small /narrow and can't be adjusted and even if you do adjust them you then end up with a space above that you can fit nothing .

I always end up pulling over a chair 😔 nearly killing myself. I'm envious of some of the storage and organisation in these pics people have put up.

My serious issues are with tupperware 😳😳 we use so much then lids go missing then they turn up months later after I've bought more, I end up holding in the big plastic box I've them stored in and closing the press really quickly. Then pots 🙄🙄 They're another story, and medications, so much meds here storage boxes everywhere, it's like a drug cartel dropped off the goods and legged it .

CHARMDI Black Spice Rack Organiser, 2 Tier Spices Organizers and Storage Racks, Spice Racks Free Standing for kitchen Countertop Organizer
https://amzn.eu/d/0Lgll8B what about something like that for the herbs op?

My shelves are worse than yours but you do need small steps

Your biggest problem is that stuff is everywhere. I bet you've got multiple versions of several things, all in different cupboards.

I'd pull everything out, and group together similar items on a table or work surface. So, all the herbs and spices, all the dried rice/pasta etc.
Then get rid of duplicate, and start loading the cupboard with whatever you use the most first.
So, if you always use rice or pasta and jars, put thm in easy reach shelves. The stuff you use least often will then be on the higher shelves.

I have a similar issue with an awkward cupboard over a countertop which is really hard to get to. I use a stepladder to try and get to it, but it is difficult and I worry about falling off it.
I also have open shelves which are a mess.
Today I decided to start to move everything around, but of course everything needs cleaning first.
The position of everything was ok when we had an electric kettle, but now we have a gas one (have done for a few years) the tea & coffee stuff is across the kitchen from the hob. So you end up going back and forth and with having a helpful dog who likes to get under our feet, who is also deaf, it's getting a bit difficult.
My plan is to move things to the top of the awkward cupboard, lesser used at the back and more used at the front. It's currently chaos in there, but I need to get it in some sort of order for the morning.

Your cupboards aren’t bad at all, OP. I’ve seen far worse!

Shelves within like www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/variera-shelf-insert-white-80136622/

We have this for our spice jars
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0C3Q9X3LT?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

and dried goods are in various storage containers eg these in various sizes
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0CNXSTBG6?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

we try to keep the same sorts of stuff in one cupboard

Unopened packs go on the top shelves ready to fill up the containers when they are empty

I have a bread bin with clear front so I don't get nasty surprises after the bread has mutated after a few weeks being forgotten about in the dark. Visibility is important. Mine is big enough to fit other short life baked goods.

I try to keep things near point of use. The spices and condiments are near the hob. Less frequently used things like baking or tea and coffee (only used by guests) are kept in the more awkward corners.

Small packets like baking ingedients are kept together in a container. Mushroom punnets are surprusingly good for small things!

Like things are kept together. Tins are stacked together with the same type of food. I line them backwards into the cupboard so I'll end up with all the baked beans together. They're easy to find and manage stock. Similar ingredients will be lined up next to each other. Keep labels facing the front.

It's easy to maintain because everything has its place and the system reduces over-buying. I'm not naturally organised and this is low maintainence and takes time to unravel.

Yeah I know its just I feel like it's hard to find and reach things I will definitely get steps and racks/ shelves type thing to allow Mr to store things better

Oh pullout spice rack is great

I use lots of old ice cream tubs to store things like sauces or spices. That way I ca
take the whole tub out and get what I need out. Keeps it all from toppling over in each other and saucy bits getting on the shelf. Just an idea.

You've got lots of space, it's just poorly organised. I'd remove everything and then rethink what you use the most, and put all spices for example at eyelevel; regroup all categories; and get more baskets like that white one you have to order some items.

I have plastic baskets with straight sides for my spices. They function like drawers in the cupboard. When I'm baking, I pull out a basket and take out what I need for my recipe, then back it all goes when I'm finished.

I have magnetic spice racks stuck to the side of my fridge.

For white rice, I have a big glass container with a lid. For small packs of rice like brown rice or wild rice, I have canning/ kilner jars.
I also keep lentils of various kinds in these jars, as well as stuff like dessicated coconut, corn starch, bulgur wheat, Farina, dried beans, orzo, etc.

Different kinds of flour are kept in big Tupperware containers in a specific cupboard. Same goes for sugar, baking soda, etc.

For items like packs of pasta I have stacking baskets /shelves that I bought one time in Aldi. I have spaghetti on one shelf, macaroni on another, rigatoni/ lasagna sheets, etc, on others.

Tea bags - I have a lot, all kept in square containers in a cupboard, separated by flavour.

All buns, rolls, etc are kept in a big glass container with a lid or in the fridge.

For higher shelves, I have a small step ladder.