Ok, truth time… When I first saw Khloé Kardashian’s pantry tour on Hulu, I paused the episode and just… stared. Everything was clear. Beautiful. Calm. Not a single crumpled granola bar wrapper or stale bag of pretzels in sight. Their pantries are legendary and I’m sure housekeeper genies had something to do with this.. a little shrine to order and indulgence.
I remember looking at my own pantry that night. One side had a half-torn Costco box of fruit snacks. The other had a bag of rice that had spilled, been swept, and somehow still kept reappearing like glitter. I sighed. Shut the door. And made a promise: I was going to fix it. Not Kardashian-fix it. Just… make it work. In my budget. With my kids. With all our quirks.
Here’s what helped—and what might help you, too.
- Clear Bins: The MVP
You don’t need fancy ones with gold handles. Just something stackable, clear, and strong enough for peanut butter jars and rogue chip bags.
Try these:
Sterilite Large Ultra Basket with Handles, 6-Pack
Utopia Home Pantry Organization Bins, 8-Piece
- Labels That Make You Feel Like a Grown-Up
Labeling isn’t just cute. It keeps things from drifting. A bin labeled snacks somehow stops becoming a junk drawer. Magic.
Budget tip: Use a $10 chalkboard label set and skip the Cricut.
Chalkboard Labels Set with Marker
- Uniform Jars (But Just for the Pretty Stuff)
You do not need to decant everything. Just pick the loudest packaging—cereal, oats, flour. Two or three uniform jars can calm a whole shelf.
Try this:
Chef’s Path Airtight Food Storage Set
- Lazy Susans = Secret Weapon
For oils, vinegars, sauces… lazy Susans make your shelf feel like a mini kitchen studio.
Try this:
Copco Non-Skid Turntable
- Canned Food Organizers (Not Just for Cans)
Great for beans, but also for mini snack bags, applesauce, granola bars. You’ll thank yourself later.
Try this:
SimpleHouseware Can Rack Organizer
- Snack Zones—For Sanity
Each kid gets a bin. Granola bars in one. Crackers in another. Nothing fancy. Just clear boundaries. No more shouting, “Mom, where’s the—”
Try this:
mDesign Storage Bins with Handles, 4 Pack
- Command Hooks for Hanging
Hooks inside doors or on shelves = space you didn’t know you had.
Try this:
Command Hooks, Damage-Free Hanging
- Invest in One ‘Show-Off’ Area
Just one Kardashian moment. Matching spice jars. Or a shelf with your prettiest pasta. Something you smile at when you open the door.
Try this:
Spice Jars with Bamboo Lids + Labels
- Keep a Donation Basket
One bin for pantry cast-offs—canned stuff you won’t use, boxed meals nobody liked. Every few weeks, it goes to a neighbor or donation box.
- One Shelf at a Time
I did mine over three weeks. During homework. While pasta boiled. Not perfect, not fast… but it stuck.
Real Life Note
The night I finished, I stood in the pantry with the door open for a long time. My youngest came in, grabbed a pouch from her new snack bin, and said, “Oh… this is like a store.” And then she walked out. That was it. No fanfare. But I’ll remember that moment every time I hear a cereal box slide back into place.
Truth is, I still spill the rice sometimes. But now, I know where it belongs.
