The Pantry Door DIY That'll Instantly Open Up A Kitchen Cabinet

When space is at a premium in your kitchen cabinets, and you're finding yourself unable to a) fit one more single bag of chips or b) find that box of rice you're absolutely sure you bought, you might need to rethink your organization. There are lots of hacks and tips to organize your kitchen cabinets properly, but if you've tried just about everything and are still struggling, perhaps it's time to find extra real estate in unexpected places like the inside of your pantry door. 

My current kitchen is very small — I only have two wall cabinets and a medium-sized pantry. So, when I found a metal spice rack at a local thrift shop, I screwed it to the inside of the pantry door and relocated all my spice bottles there. This instantly reduced clutter, created more space in the cabinet, and made it much easier to access the spices and find exactly the one I need, when I need it.

Turns out, Alton Brown also recommends this space-saving hack as well. Storing them inside the pantry door will also keep them away from light and heat, which are the worst enemies of your herbs and spices. And since they're neatly arranged and visible, you'll avoid the issue of losing them to the back of the cabinet, where they will die a slow death, or buying duplicates of spices you don't use very often, but need for that one recipe.

Alton Brown's solution was simple, clever, and inexpensive — per Food Network, he lined the inside of the door with strips of Velcro and used it to attach his spice canisters. But if you can make the small investment, a magnetic board with metal canisters is a great solution, especially if you buy smaller amounts of herbs and spices in bulk.

The little metal tins have transparent tops so you can clearly see the contents, and since they are flat, they will require less space than a bulkier rack that holds spice bottles. This is also a better way to preserve spices fresh for longer, as you will go through smaller quantities quicker, rather than keeping herbs and spices for so long that they lose the essential oils that give them flavor and aroma. This DIY solution will help you create more storage space in your pantry and cabinets, and make your kitchen more efficient and sustainable with a minimum investment in time and money.