Well, I am officially on some sort of "organizing" kick. I just have to get things in order....for me! I thought I would share something that you may not have thought of. Square footage....on your shelf!
I have a shelf that is 42 inches by 11inches. I can fit seven #10 cans on it so that I can actually read the cans. Above, you see a #10 can (which holds ~ 1 gallon of product). To the right of the can, you see a plastic container with a screw-on lid that also holds a gallon of product (this one just happens to hold Chocolate Chips!). Look at the diameter and height of both of these containers. They are very different. The round container leaves exposed shelf space that is unusable. But look at the shape of the plastic container....square!
Remember the dimensions of that shelf I spoke of before? Well, here is a snapshot of part of that same shelf. Guess how many of these containers I can fit on that same shelf? What would you guess? Maybe 10.....perhaps 12?
Look at the comparison between to two lids. See the difference in size?
Are you still guessing? Well, I can fit 16 of these containers on the same shelf with a little room to spare. See the tall container on the 3rd shelf? This, again is a snapshot of my pantry. I actually have a 42 of these containers. Each contains a different food storage staple ranging from noodles, dry beans, dried fruit, dried/dehydrated vegetables, powders (i.e. cheese) etc. These containers are very convenient and allow you to more efficiently use your valuable space. Because I do not have to dive into buckets, I actually use my staples. I can easily pull these containers out to when I am cooking.....particularly from scratch.
I actually purchased these from Allison's Pantry . I love them!
So, look at your Pantry and see if this suggestion would open up much more space in your pantry!
10 comments:
Brilliant, Absolutely BRILLIANT. I have these in my pantry, each one holds one of my home storage center staples, complete with a label on the front. But I never thought of putting them on their sides and labeling the top with the contents. I checked and they fit perfectly. Seriously this is a Lightning Bolt inspiration in my life. I'll be sharing your genious idea on my blog. I just can't get over how "DUH! of course" this idea is
Thanks so much for sharing it!
Oh, one more thought. It looks like your lids are the plastic kind. I started out with that kind too, then I noticed that mine didn't have a gasket, so in looking around, I found that industrial container supply does sell the same size container (PETE- food safe) with a metal lid that does have a gasket. That way it's air tight and food lasts longer. In addition, you can get the lids without the container if you just want to swap the lids. My jar fit with their lids, YMMV
The link to Allison's Pantry is broken
Try it now, it should be functional. Thank you for letting me know.
Any idea which container will keep the contents edible the longest? Will there be much of a difference between the 2?
oh my word. . .I have these containers. . .never thought of turning them on their side. . .I'm trying it right now. . .thanks!
If you have birds---or friends who have birds--see if the bird seed they use comes in these. They are the SAME as the ones sold many places inc WalMart. Since our birds turn up their beaks at the food that is "better" and LOVE the WM seed we generate a LOT of these containers. I too never really thought of using them on their sides tho--silly me! We do use them for a lot of things and upright--even in my home kitchen--they take a higher shelf than I have available. I will have to check out the metal lids for some things tho!
Thanks everyone for your comments! I hope you find this space-saving option really helpful. Thank you for stopping by! I will try to include other ideas in teh future that you may find helpful! LRH
ya know sometimes ya just gotta smack yourself on the forehead and say "Why the heck didn't I think of that!!" Your idea totally sparked an add on idea for me.
My kids love those bland animal crackers that come from the wholesale store. They come in a super sized container with a lid. Ive kept several of them thinking there just HAS to be a good use for them besides little toys.
Your post made me realize i can totally use them on their sides to store foods for our camping trailer!! in the past we've had to unload everything perishable and reload it the next weekend we go out. Now I won't have to.
THANK YOU for the idea!!
CCNew
I am so glad this information was helpful for you! Enjoy your next trip with a few more minutes to spare!
Thank you for stopping by!
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