IKEA's Popular Baskets Are Perfect For Creating The Organized Pantry Of Your Dreams

We've all been there. We open our pantries, look around for that one specific ingredient, and then get overwhelmed by the mess instead. No matter how many times you tell your family to keep the pantry in order, everything ends up in illogical places. Alas, it's time to up your system and IKEA has just the items you can use to organize your pantry — in style to boot. Enter the retailer's RISATORP series.

This collection includes five matching organizers with wooden handles that can be used anywhere and for everything (though, this time, we'll focus on using them in the kitchen). First, there's the best-selling $12.99 RISATORP Wire Basket. This one measures 9 ¾ inches long by 10 ¼ inches wide and comes in four colors, including the standard white, but also black, yellow, and green for a more vibrant display. Then we have the larger 16 ½-inch long RISATORP Wire Basket ($19.99) for holding bulkier items, like potatoes. Other than that, you'll find a stylish 3-Tiered Rolling Cart for $46.99, a 9-inch tall Basket With Compartments for $29.99, and a shorter 4 ¼-inch tall Basket With Compartments for $19.99. Rounding out the collection is a $19.99 Desk Organizer (which works great as a pantry organizer for small items like packets and spices). So what makes these baskets so special, you ask? Read on to find out.

IKEA's RISATORP baskets can do more than just help you organize your pantry like a pro. For starters, they're made of steel mesh, which definitely has its perks compared to woven or plastic containers. The holes not only allow you to rinse your produce right in the basket, but they also provide great ventilation to keep your fruits and veggies fresh. Moreover, they're easy to clean if things get messy, like when your baking staples decide to spill over. And, if that wasn't enough, these wired baskets make it a breeze to keep track of what's expiring soon and what needs refilling. And, the chic, minimalist design is the cherry on top.

Stocked up on all the baskets you need? It's time to set some ground rules about where each food item goes. Ideally, you'll want to keep snacks within easy reach to prevent unnecessary rummaging. Fortunately, you can use the baskets to group similar products together, and then use the compartments to separate them by flavor. For instance, decaf coffee goes in one slot and regular coffee goes in the other. You might even want to try the easy IKEA KARAFF hack to complete your Pinterest-worthy pantry. One last thing: you can't go wrong with labeling each container so everyone knows where to find something when they need it, plus where to put things away easily.