Best Pantry Storage Containers + Organizers

One of my organizing goals for 2023 was to invest in pantry storage containers. I was tired of rummaging through bins only to realize we were out of something, again! If you love the look of an aesthetic pantry with matching labels and food storage containers, this post is for you. I’ll be sharing the best types of containers (including volume and how much they hold) for pantry staples such as cereal, crackers, pretzels, oats, nuts, flour, and sugar. I also found the perfect organizers for granola bars, canned goods, and kids’ snacks. Ready to ditch the cardboard boxes and create a Pinterest-worthy pantry? Let’s do this.

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What I Ordered: Pantry Storage Sets

After doing lots of research, I chose these containers and bins for our pantry. I purchased sets since they offer the best value.

• OXO Good Grips 3-Piece POP Cereal Dispenser Set (3.4 Qt), $56 x 2 = $112
• OXO Good Grips Airtight POP Large Cereal Dispenser (4.5 Qt), $26 x 3 = $78
• Rubbermaid 31-Piece Brilliance Food Storage Containers, $79 x 2 = $158
• mDesign 2-Pack Plastic Divided Bin, $24
• The Home Edit 2-Pack Stacking Bins, $20
• The Home Edit 5-Piece Pantry Edit, $15
• The Home Edit Narrow Bin, $6
• mDesign 3-Pack Woven Baskets, $65
• mDesign Clip-On Basket and Bin Tags, $12
• Savvy and Sorted Pantry Labels, $25 x 2 = $50

The total cost of our pantry storage containers was $540 before tax. I always have both budget and functionality in mind, and I think these strike a good balance. I chose items that are sturdy and highly rated because I plan to use them for years to come.

Cereal Storage Containers

Let’s get started with one of the most popular snacks in our pantry: cereal! Do anyone else’s kids want to eat cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? We usually have quite a variety on hand, and the cardboard boxes and plastic bags were driving me a little crazy.

After researching pantry storage containers for cereal I decided to go with OXO dispensers. They are easy to hold, open, and pour one-handed. (My kids need to use two hands, but they can easily pour the cereal themselves which is a major plus!)

In the first photo above you can see that I purchased two different sizes. The large dispenser (4.5 qt) is better for bulk or “giant size” cereal boxes (over 20 oz net weight). At our house we use them for Cheerios and the ever popular Reeses Puffs.

The medium dispenser (3.4 qt) comes in a 3-pack which is a great deal. These will hold any regular sized cereal box and some “family sized” boxes (around 18 oz net weight) depending on how dense the cereal is. We use them for Raisin Bran, Oatmeal Squares, Chex, and granola.

OXO also makes a small dispenser (2.5 qt) that is specifically for granola but I didn’t purchase one. I figured the medium size would be more versatile, and they are also a better deal as a 3-pack.

Granola Bar Organizers

I love decanting granola bars because it is easy to grab and go, and you can see how many you have left on shopping days. These divided organizers from Amazon are the perfect solution!

Here is a side view–you can see that there are four sections. Each section of this divided organizer holds four to six granola bars easily depending on the size.

Pretzels and Crackers

Next up, the best pantry storage containers for pretzels and crackers! You’ll be seeing a lot of the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers from here on out.

I used the 6.6 cup size for medium bags of crackers and pretzels (around 6 oz net weight). The 8.1 cup size container, which is technically for spaghetti, held four sleeves of Ritz crackers and a larger bag of pretzels (8 oz net weight).

Nuts, Trail Mix, Dried Fruit

We eat a lot of peanuts and trail mix for snacks, so I used two of the 7.8 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance containers for them. They easily hold two medium bags (28 oz total net weight) of trail mix or peanuts. I also included two of the scoops that came with the container set to make portioning easy.

Here are some of the smaller Rubbermaid Brilliance containers. The 3.2 cup size is great for medium bags (around 12 oz net weight) of walnuts, pecans, and raisins. The smallest 1.3 cup container works for small bags of seeds and dried fruit. You can see in this photo that I cut the labels to fit the small containers.

Pantry Storage Containers for Flour

Next up, baking essentials. I used two 12 cup and two 7.8 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance containers for almond flour, oat flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour. We don’t have all-purpose flour on hand, but if we did I would use the 16 cup container (the largest size).

Side note: my label set did not include “oat flour” so I combined two other labels to create one!

Sugar, Brown Sugar, Powdered Sugar

Now that we covered flour, here are the pantry storage containers I decided to use for sugar.

I already had this 1.5 quart (6 cup) brown sugar container, but you could also use a 7.8 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance container like I did for powdered sugar. The larger 12 cup container is great for regular granulated sugar.

Oatmeal and Old Fashioned Oats

Here is the largest Rubbermaid Brilliance container–the 16 cup size! It works great for the big tubs (42 oz net weight) of quick oats / oatmeal which my kiddos love for breakfast. The 12 cup size is perfect for the old fashioned oats that we use for baking.

Pantry Storage Containers for Baking Essentials

Finishing up pantry storage containers for baking essentials, the 7.8 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance containers are perfect for chocolate chips and cocoa powder. You can easily fit two bags of chocolate chips (24 oz total net weight) or two tins of cocoa powder (16 oz total net weight).

Finally, I used my remaining two 6.6 cup containers for a few miscellaneous baking items that we had on hand–coconut sugar and gluten free pecans. Tip: I wouldn’t use this tall container shape for anything powdery, as it would be hard to reach down inside without making a mess.

Canned Goods Tiered Organizer

Stepping away from food storage containers for a minute, I wanted to share this great tiered organizer for canned goods! It is from The Home Edit line at Walmart which is both affordable and high quality.

Here is a view from the side. The organizer fits standard 15 oz cans perfectly.

Pantry Storage Containers for Pasta

I mentioned earlier that my husband has Celiac disease, so we don’t eat much pasta. But if we did, I would use the tall 8.1 cup and 6.6 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance containers as shown above for crackers and pretzels.

My kids do eat pasta and Annie’s mac-and-cheese is their favorite. I used a clear bin from The Home Edit’s pantry set which is perfect for boxed pasta. The bin is a 10 in x 10 in square, so you can fit another row of boxes or other types of pasta behind this row.

Protein Powder

Since I didn’t need the largest 16 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance container for all-purpose flour, I used it for our protein powder. A large tub fits inside (22 oz net weight).

Candy and Chocolate

My last two Rubbermaid Brilliance containers! I used the 7.8 cup size for mini chocolates and the 3.2 cup size for our favorite dark chocolate bars. Finally, a narrow bin corrals any miscellaneous treats and candies.

Easy Access Kids’ Snacks

I think that looking ahead to summer break made me choose The Home Edit stackable open front bins for kids’ snacks! I wanted a storage solution that kept everything organized and easy to see. The bins stack well and are great for fruit cups, fruit snacks, and individual bags of crackers or chips. They also make packing school lunches easy.

Pantry Storage for Refills and Miscellaneous Items

Finally, I ordered this set of three woven baskets to use for miscellaneous items and refills. I already shared the teabag organizer we keep in a kitchen drawer in this post. For the pantry, I used a woven basket for the tea bag refills.

Woven baskets are also great for miscellaneous items that you do not want to decant. I’m using this one for marshmallows and store-bought cookies.

And that is every pantry storage container I purchased for our pantry makeover! I cannot wait to share the full reveal soon. Until then, check out how to replace wire shelves, or my pantry inspiration board. And let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below!

Update: DIY Pantry Reveal (Before and After)

Happy organizing,