Why You Might Not Want Clear Containers In Your Kitchen Pantry

If you've spent any amount of time on social media, you've undoubtedly seen videos of people organizing their homes and office spaces: Revamping closets. Pouring soap into cutesy little jars. Filling pantries with clear containers of spices, snacks, and baking supplies.

These videos are super satisfying to watch, even if you aren't looking for organization hacks. There's just something entertaining about watching things get put in see-through containers, labeled, and alphabetized. It's nice to know someone has their life in order (or appears to, anyway), even if we might not.

As Taste of Home notes, clear containers are helpful if you want to be able to see your pantry's contents without having to open a bunch of boxes (no more shaking a box of cereal to see how much is left). Many of us appreciate a minimalistic aesthetic, and it's nice to store everything in identical containers. However, this organization method isn't for everyone, and that's perfectly okay — to be expected, even.

According to Good Housekeeping, there is no single perfect way to organize your kitchen. Each kitchen and each pantry space is totally different, so each one requires a slightly different approach. Food52 is quick to point out that the best organization method for you will take advantage of your space's dimensions. While clear containers come in about a million different shapes and sizes, there's still no guarantee you won't end up with a few inches of unusable space. 

Purchasing containers of all different shapes and sizes can quickly become pricey, which can be problematic unless you're willing to invest in a good set. A 10-piece Rubbermaid set, for example, will cost you about $60 (via All Recipes). There's also the debate of whether these pretty containers prolong or shorten the shelf-life of your food products. If you're lucky enough to find vacuum-sealed containers, your dry goods might last longer than they would in their original packaging (per RealSimple). However, cheaper containers might not keep foods as fresh as the less-pretty cardboard box or bag they came in. The best way to find what works for you is trial and error.