I swear by these simple organizing crates that transformed my pantry from a cluttered mess to a clean setup

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Having a well-stocked pantry is key to easier home cooking and ultimately better-tasting meals with all the necessary ingredients included. But if that pantry looks like the Room of Hidden Things in "Harry Potter," having every ingredient you could ever need ends up being more frustrating than helpful.

My small pantry was hard to get into and a total wreck — I'd reach for one item and everything would fall out on me. What's more, I could never tell if we already had a can of, say, garbanzo beans, way in the back, hidden behind the other cans, or if it needed to be added to the grocery list.

After having boxes of pasta fall out onto my feet one too many times, I was fed up. I did some research and decided the best option for useful, aesthetically pleasing, and affordable pantry organization was collapsible crates.

When all was said and done, I purchased 20 crates of varying sizes, and it truly eliminated the stress I feel using my kitchen.

The setup

I searched high and low for every size collapsible crate at a reasonable price. I measured each shelf and priced out what different configurations with different sizes from different sites would cost me.

My final setup ended up being a mix of 20 crates from various sites, for around $130.

While that's not cheap for a nice-to-have like pantry organization bins, for me, the upfront cost was worth the payoff. Plus, I love that I can collapse the crates when I don't need them and they're super versatile to use in other places like the bathroom and garage.

The payoff

For starters, simply going through my entire pantry and organizing everything into categorized storage bins was immensely helpful. Most of us don't know what's hiding in the back of our cupboards collecting dust, so I was finally able to take a full inventory.

This approach has helped me optimize grocery costs and eliminate food waste. I'm now aware that we have a dusty jar of tapenade, two cans of shredded chicken, and so many cans of green chilis (just to name a few) that can all be used before we spend money on the fresh stuff. 

I can also free up counter space and elongate the life of produce that does best in a cold, dark place by creating a kind of root vegetable storage bin with the stackable crates on the floor of the pantry.

The biggest win with the storage bins, though, is that everything is so much easier to access.

I organized by both food category as well as frequent meals. Now, when I make oatmeal in the morning, I just pull out one bin. I also grouped all the pasta, mac and cheese, and instant ramen together, so emergency nothing-in-the-fridge nights are solved by just looking in one bin.

Lastly, I used to chronically shut the pantry door to help curb the anxiety of seeing messy shelves. But now, the pantry storage bins help keep the area looking good.

And at the end of the day, aren't we all just looking for tweaks in our home that make us happier?

Buy the bins

The cheapest bins I found were on Miss A, a beauty site that sells smaller collapsible crates for less than $2 each — these formed the foundation of my pantry. They only come in a small and medium sizes, so for larger crates, I opted for a few of the pricier Hay crates.

Urban Outfitters also makes similarly priced larger crates, but I prefer the side dip of the Hay crates to better see what's inside.

I recommend measuring and pricing out what mix-and-match configuration will fit best in your pantry among these brands and sizes.