Why Everyone Needs To Organize Their Pantry Like Bobby Flay

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you have doubts about anything in life, it's usually best to look to the experts for advice. When it comes to keeping track of a chaotic kitchen pantry, not many people do it better than Bobby Flay. With years of cooking under his belt, the celebrity chef is well aware that half of the battle of preparing a dish is looking in a pantry for inspiration. That's why everyone needs to organize their pantry like Flay.

Bobby Flay knows the worst mistake people make with kitchen pantry space, and that is leaving your food in the packaging it came in. To cut down on the chaos, Flay puts his starches, such as flour and dried pasta, into clear containers. This lets him easily recognize what's inside his pantry instead of being overwhelmed by a messy assemblage of packages and brands. When the supply in those containers runs low, Flay swaps the large canisters out with small deli containers so he can keep track of his stock and best utilize the space. He labels every container, too, to further cut back on any guessing.

Additionally, every container in Flay's pantry is grouped into zones. For example, Flay has an Italian cooking section where he keeps dried pasta and tomato sauces. He has another zone for Asian ingredients, such as fish sauce and canned coconut milk. Other sections include condiments and dry baking goods. Bottom line: Every ingredient has its home. Can the same be said for your pantry staples?

While most of Bobby Flay's pantry ingredients sit on the shelf for easy access, he utilizes baskets when needed. In these, Flay stores snacks, such as chips and cookies. These are items you'd most likely go into the pantry for specifically, so it doesn't matter if they're not as readily visible. Those other ingredients are best on the shelf, where you can see what you have available when perusing so inspiration for a recipe can strike.

To keep movements between the kitchen and the pantry fluid, Flay also keeps a speed rack in his pantry so he can easily transport and prep ingredients. Because those racks are so large, he uses the excess space to store ingredients and supplies, such as plastic wrap. He can also thaw ingredients on this rack, if needed. It's the perfect place to keep things organized yet out of sight. While you might not need a commercial speed rack in your home kitchen, smaller iterations, such as the Titan Kraft 10-tier half-sheet pan rack, can come in handy. If it works for Bobby Flay, chances are it'll work for you. If you're wondering what he keeps on his shelves, here are 15 of Bobby Flay's favorite ingredients to use.