To Decant or Not To Decant
When it comes to organizing, I've really upped my game since having a family. I've openly shared that despite my current enthusiasm for using labels around the home, I was actually quite late to adopt this trick. Decanting, on the other hand, is something I've been doing for years. It started out of necessity, when I lived on my own and purchased foods in bulk bags, like grains and lentils. A shelf-full of bags just wasn't practical, so I purchased my first set of varying-sized glass jars for my staples and I haven’t looked back. As my cooking repertoire expanded, so did my collection of glass containers.
Here I'll share the benefits of decanting, and what I've learned along the way, for you to apply to set-up a suitable approach for yourself:
Top Decanting Benefits:
Stock: Decanting your staples allows you to take stock at a glance.
Style: Uniform containers give your shelves a neat and clean look.
Space: Upright and stackable containers help you maximize space.
Save: Buying in bulk can save on packaging and price, but swap those oversized bags for easy-access containers.
Top Decanting Tips:
Best foods to decant: dry foods (grains, lentils), spices, baking supplies, nuts & seeds
Start with your staples: things you always keep on hand and use regularly
High-maintenance foods: proceed with caution before decanting fine powders and flours, foods with a short shelf life, and specialty items which may not be worth your time
Fit to size: look for matching container sets that fit your space and your typical quantity of an ingredient
Have an area for overstock: things may not fit perfectly into your containers, so designate an out-of-reach bin for restocking
Supplement decanting with baskets for odds & ends: if your snack stash is always changing, or you like to experiment with different seasonings or shapes of pasta, have dedicated bins to hold clipped bags of snacks, pasta and other specialty ingredients—this will keep your set-up flexible while still neat and organized, saving you time and hassle
Although I’m clearly a big fan of decanting, when people ask me whether I’d recommend it, I always say it depends on your cooking and shopping habits. I would take into account what’s in your cupboard and how often you use each item, and then take it a category at a time. This approach will give you a chance to see what works best for you.
This is my personal collection: the square-shaped ones are the first set I ever purchased, and I’ve since built-up my collection with round ones in 3 sizes.