Although my family eats mainly fresh vegetables, we still need to keep cans of beans, quick sauces and condiments available for nights when we are pinched for time. Thank goodness that there are several wonderful ways to organize our caned goods! My three favorite solutions are shown below with the pluses and minuses listed.
Favorite #1 The Extra Large Lazy Susan
I love this organizer! It not only holds massive amounts of cans, it also organizes the pantry areas that become dark and deep black holes. So, instead of piling cans or boxes in front of one another, simply stack and spin until you find what you need. These organizers are a little pricey ($25 + each) but they are worth their price in gold. I currently have over 35 cans on one and loved it so much that I added a second one on the shelf below!
The minus ~ if you do not have a deep dark recessed hole in your pantry, this is not for you, The smaller lazy susan is great for condiment bottles but this boehemoth only works in areas 25″ or larger.
Second Runner Up ~ The Can Stacker Shelf
This organizer makes you feel really efficient and official. Once this shelf is in place within your pantry, all cans are visible and accounted for just like in the grocery. These shelves expand and contract to fit the length of the shelf at hand.
The Minus ~ Make sure to buy the extra large shelves, the others will hold only small spice bottles or micro-sized cans.
Third Place Contender ~ The Drop-Down Wire Organizer
After using this ditty for a year or so, I determined that it was only useful for items that I use repetitively and buy in mass. For me, this means my favorite Mexican sauce (for everything) El Pato, and my cat food. Items are organized behind each other and it is designed to roll the next one forward after the first one is used.
The Minus ~ It takes up too much shelf space unless you have a large quantity of the same items that you use over and over. As you can see in this photo, this was the beginning of my experience and my cans were not necessarily as organized as I had hoped. The size was a bit wonky so I even ended up storing packaged goods along with the cans. Not the best solution! Once I began using it strictly for my cat food and El Pato collection, it became more user friendly.
We Want Your Ideas!
Please let us know if you have created any other solutions for organizing your canned goods or your pantry. All ideas are welcome here at addSpace. The more minds that ponder a problem, the greater the results. Go ahead and take a moment to post your solutions below so others can learn from you as well!
Kathy, YOU ARE AMAZING! thank you to keep us organize and going with your good ideas. If you have any customer needs a birdcage, i will let you take charge… ha ha ha
Happy Memorial Day,
Carmen Daily
760-420 08 86
http://www.animalenvironments.com
BIRD CAGES BY CARMEN
Where did you find the large lazy susan? I looked all over the Internet for one and can’t seem to find the one with a lip for inside my pantry. The cans in my pantry are overflowing and so disorganized! Thanks for your help!
The only place I have been able to find the giant Lazy Susan is at the Container Store. If you don’t have one nearby, you can order it online. Get one, you wont be sorry. It is a workhorse and holds more cans than you will believe and it is very strong.