Pantry Hacks from the Pros: Type A Tried and True Series
Products We Love (And What To Avoid)
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Here at Type A, we have tried it all! Bins that break after a short season of use, the fancy pants organizers that just make things more complicated, and the so-called “time-saving” solutions that end up being a bigger hassle than help. After years of testing and organizing every type of pantry imaginable, we’ve found a few game-changing products that truly work. These are the daily go-to's that have been thoroughly put to the test for durability, practicality, and, most importantly, how they make your life easier. Oh — and they’re pretty too! ✨
Whether you’re scrambling to find an ingredient while cooking, packing kids' lunches, or just trying to keep your pantry from becoming a disaster zone, these products help make the day-to-day a little more organized and a lot less stressful. No more hunting through cluttered shelves—just grab what you need, when you need it, and get back to what really matters: getting dinner on the table or those lunch boxes packed!
Maximizing Every Inch of Space
Lazy Susans
What We Love:
Lazy Susans are a pantry staple for a reason. They’re great for storing things like small jars, condiments, or spices. Their rotating design means you can easily reach everything, without playing the “how many jars will I knock over today” game.
We especially love using these in corners to capitalize on every bit of space, as well as up high for hard-to-reach items. Lazy Susans save time, space, and frustration– and we are here for it!
Note: We recommend staying away from lazy susans or turntables that have built in dividers that aren’t removable. We find that this pigeonholes you and causes more trouble than good for kitchen and pantry spaces.
Our Favorite 9” - 11” Options:
Our Favorite 11.5” - 16” Options:
Tiered Stands
Tiered stands are another one of our favorite pantry products. They’re perfect for keeping bottles, cans, or jars organized and easy to access. No more digging through the back of the pantry, or stacking to dangerous heights—everything is visible and easy to grab.
We especially love them for organizing spices, canned goods and condiments. The tiered design also helps you utilize vertical space efficiently, making the most of your pantry shelves.
Large Expand-A-Shelf
What We Love:
This one is our top favorite if you have the shelf depth. Each 3.75” wide shelf accomodates the larger cans and jars which the more narrow tiered racks struggle with. This also comes in at one of the most expandable options on the market, expanding from 13” to a whopping 25”.
We end up coming back to this one over and over for its versatility and durability within a pantry for canned goods - It’s a little overkill and too wide for spices. Opt for either our over the door pick or something more shallow and narrow for those.
Note: I see complaints from some online about the plastic not laying flat at the point of expandability. This can some times happen after taking it out of the package but it quickly relaxes, especially after cans are put in place!
Our top picks for different dimensions and aesthetics:
Narrow Shelves (8”-10.5” Depths)
Deeper Shelves (11”- 12" Depth)
Over-the-Door Systems
Elfa: The Ultimate Spice Collection Solution
What We Love:
Say hello to one of our favorite products in almost any space! The Elfa over-the-door system from CS is a fantastic way to maximize space.
There are two huge reasons that we opt for Miss Elfa over other door solutions on the market:
Customizability: You can mix and match baskets to what your space needs specifically and have it grow with you over time. It also uses your space to the fullest. Basically every other system on the market is trying to cater to most spaces. Most are half or three-quarter of a door in size or have particularly narrow baskets. Just be sure to get the right standard center runner for your door size :)
Security without mounting or drilling: Almost everything you will find on the market is just hooked over the top of the door and will jumble and shake every time you open the door without additional securing. The Elfa system has a standard that runs the entire distance of the door with brackets securing it tightly both on the top and bottom of the door. Hear me when I say - they are immovable after its tightened up properly. No holes necessary and it can move with you anywhere!
We specifically love using this system with mesh baskets (rather than the ventilated ones) to securely store seasonings, sauces, and other small pantry essentials. Although the ventilated still work great, the mesh design keeps everything stable and visible while preventing smaller items, like spice packets, from slipping through.
Mixing and matching the deeper and narrower mesh basket options also lets us make the most of available space, creating a customized, functional setup that works for any pantry.
Type A Tip: To make finding spices a breeze, we like to organize our spices alphabetically by grouping them into baskets labeled by letter ranges (i.e. “A-C, D-G, and so on). This way, everything is neatly categorized, so you can quickly locate what you need without rummaging.
Note: Take precise measurements to be sure you have the clearance for the depth of the baskets in your space so you can properly close the door! Also be sure to order the correct “standard” size, which is the center vertical runner that the baskets hook onto. The great thing about Elfa is, the baskets can move anywhere along the standard, making it completely customizable!
Elfa Over-the-Door Components + Accessories:
2. Let Function Meet Design: Streamlining Containment
When it comes to bins and baskets, we recommend mixing and matching to get the perfect balance of style and function. Above all of this is durability for daily use, and we have put all of these bins through the ringer.
As always, we recommend that you take good measurements and use all available depth that you have on your shelves so that nothing gets left behind to find next spring cleaning 🙃 🧹
Clear Bins: Visibility and Uniformity
Clear bins are essential for those who like to see everything at a glance. Perfect for open pantry storage, these bins keep things visible, so you can quickly spot what you need without digging through multiple containers. We love using clear bins for just about anything in the pantry.
The transparent design creates a uniform and tidy look while offering easy access to your pantry essentials. With clear bins, you not only keep everything organized but also make it simple to track what’s running low.
10 - 12” Shelf Depth:
14 - 18” Shelf Depth:
Opaque Bins: Streamlined, Practical, and Stylish
If you prefer a more uniform, out-of-sight solution, this is the product for you. These bins offer a streamlined appearance that keeps everything looking neat and organized while providing the functionality you need. One of our OG favs is the white plastic handle bins from the Container Store.
Container Store Plastic Handle Bins
What We Love:
They’re simple, sleek, and affordable, with the added benefit of being easy to clean. The built-in handles make them practical for accessing pantry items quickly, and their minimalist design is perfect for creating a clean, cohesive look. If white isn’t your style, they also come in a variety of colors, so you can choose the one that best fits your pantry’s aesthetic. These bins are versatile and perfect for storing everything from snacks to canned goods, helping you maintain a tidy, organized space.
Type A Tip: This goes for any bin, but we LOVE how these look turned lengthwise or front to back on a shelf. This not only allows for varying up the spaces aesthetic but also uses shelf depth in the most efficient way that you need. Take a peek at some of our spaces that we have used them in!
These bins come in the following sizes, making them perfect for virtually any space depending on how you turn them:
S: 6.5” x 9.5” x 4”
M: 9.5” x 13” x 5.5”
L: 11.5” x 14.25” x 7”
Textured Baskets: A Stylish Touch
Textured baskets, like hyacinth or woven varieties, are perfect for adding a cozy, natural touch to your pantry. We recommend using these to group together items like snacks, canned goods, or pantry extras. We always love having a variety of at least two styles of bins to keep a balanced look in a pantry and not a row of the same bins over and over.
Note: We typically reserve these for pantry items that aren’t sticky or messy, as these are porous and not as easy to clean. We leave these types of items to the plastic favorites mentioned above. If this is a concern for you, we use these awesome shelf liners in the bottom of the hyacinths to keep them wipeable, fresh, and clean!
Clear Airtight Containers: Keep It Fresh
When it comes to dry goods like flour, sugar, and cereal, we swear by these clear, airtight containers. Not only do they keep your food fresh for longer, but they also offer a clean, uniform look.
OXO GoodGrips POP Square Containers
What We Love:
What do we love about these specifically? They are easy to open, have a wide opening (you can actually fit a measuring cup in there), stack well together, and are extremely durable. Let me shout it louder - modular is key! One of the most common frustrations our clients deal with are mismatched airtight containers that don’t nest well together and forfeit valuable space with their rounded edges.
The OXO Good Grips Pop Container line solves all of these problems and aren’t going anywhere— meaning you can add to your collection whenever you need!
Note: We do like the rectangular POP line as well, but they are a bit more narrow. We wouldn’t recommend them for things you want to be able to scoop out, but are great for things like small seeds or decanted nuts.
If you don’t have adjustable shelves…
Some spaces can be particularly tricky, especially if you are not able to or don’t have the budget to alter your pantry storage space. If you are in a situation where you can't adjust shelving height and are losing a lot of vertical space in between each shelf, we recommend utilizing stackable sliding drawer bins like these.
We recommend these bins to solve height issues, but with reservations…We find these bins to be a little annoying if you don’t open them perfectly.
Particularly, if there isn’t enough weight in the bottom drawer to keep the stacked bins from sliding forward on the shelf. The fix is simple though, by creating a habit of using two hands—one to hold the base and the other to open the drawer.
If you know that this required patience is not for you…(speaking to myself here) I would probably avoid them.
Why do we still recommend them? We’ve tried using shelf risers to create another level for bins, under-shelf hanging racks, and other drawer systems that fit on shelves, and they all have too many drawbacks to make any of them a go-to, problem-solving product.
Type A Tip: We also will sometimes just use the bin open on top of the drawer unit, as you can see below!
3. Pantry Pitfalls: What to Avoid
While it’s tempting to buy every product that promises to make your pantry more organized, some products just don’t live up to the hype. They may work in very particular instances and circumstances but are not one of our tried and true picks for most spaces. Here are the ones we recommend steering clear of:
Stackable Can Organizers
These can seem like a great way to store cans, but they often cause more problems than they solve. Cans can roll out or topple if the organizer isn’t a perfect fit, and it can be difficult to read labels without digging through. Instead, we suggest using tiered stands or sturdy bins where cans can be grouped together.
Overly Complicated Spice Organizers
Spice storage can be a tricky one, but those high-tech spice organizers with intricate compartments or dispensers often make things more complicated than they need to be. These systems tend to be rigid, only fitting certain spice bottle shapes or sizes. Plus, many require you to refill them from larger containers, which is messy and time-consuming. We prefer a simpler solution: tiered stands, lazy susans, or the Elfa over-the-door system. These keep everything within reach and allow you to see your full spice collection at a glance.
Under-Shelf Hanging Racks
Under-shelf hanging racks can seem like a great way to add extra storage, but they often end up being more trouble than they’re worth. These racks can be somewhat unstable, difficult to access, or just a bit too small for the items you want to store. Instead, opt for utilizing an adjustable shelving solution or pull-out drawer bins that I mentioned above that give you more flexibility and easier access to your items. Also, if you are dealing with a shelf that has a cabinet door, there’s like a 50/50 chance your door will still close on the cabinet where you hang these shelves.
Keep It Simple
When it comes to pantry organization, the goal is simple: make your life easier. The products we swear by aren’t just for show—they’re the real deal, tested in real kitchens and pantries with real messes. These are the go-to’s that make grabbing ingredients a breeze, packing lunches feel effortless, and keeping everything in its place without the hassle.
These products are the essentials that get the job done. So go ahead, embrace the simplicity, and let your pantry work for you. You’ll thank yourself every time you reach for that jar of pasta or grab a quick snack!
