5 Items in Your Pantry to Throw Away Right Now, and What to Buy Instead

When grocery shopping, we bring home many goodies that we want to store in the pantry, from cereal and snacks to baking ingredients like flour and sugar. Other dry ingredients, including grains and coffee, require a spot, too. But those cardboard boxes and unsealable plastic bags they come in aren’t a good way to keep them at their best — in fact, storing these ingredients in their original containers can cause them to go bad faster( or even invite in bugs). 

When storing dry goods in the pantry, use airtight food storage containers to keep them fresher and safe from pests. Another perk of using these containers? They can be stacked neatly to help keep your pantry better organized. We’ve gathered up top picks (and brands) to preserve and protect your pantry staples, including a Rubbermaid cereal container, an OXO Good Grips 3-piece canister set with scoops, a barista-loved coffee canister, and more. Prices start at just $7. 

Best Amazon Pantry Storage Overall

• Rubbermaid Brilliance Cereal Food Storage Container, $15, originally $25
• PrepWorks 2.5-Quart Grain Storage Container, $12 with coupon, originally $24
• OXO Good Grips 0.4-Quart Pop Container, $11
• Rubbermaid Brilliance 8-Piece Pantry Food Storage Container Set, $28, originally $50
• PrepWorks by Progressive Flour Keeper, $12 with coupon, originally $23
• Veken Coffee Canister, $25, originally $38
• Kamenstein 20-Jar Revolving Spice Rack, $34, originally $80
• Copco 3-Tier Spice Pantry Kitchen Cabinet Organizer, $7, originally $10

Start storing your pantry goods the right way by tossing the original packaging for cereal, pasta, flour, sugar, rice, coffee, tea, and more and snagging the airtight reusable containers below. Grocery prices are rising as they are; why not extend the lives of the shelf-stable ingredients you already have?

Cereal, Snacks, and Pasta Boxes

Bulky boxes of cereal, pasta in all shapes and sizes, and that assortment of chips, cookies, and other snacks all take up space. Plus, once opened, most of the boxes and bags don’t have a way to properly and securely seal back up. It’s easy to solve this issue with containers like this pasta container set that can store spaghetti and elbow noodles, or this Stasher reusable storage set that’s one of our favorite food storage containers.

Rubbermaid Brilliance Cereal Food Storage Container

Whether it’s cereal for your kid or one for yourself, it needs to be kept fresh. This Rubbermaid Brilliance food storage container has an airtight seal so cereal doesn’t get stale. Its contoured base is easy to grab with one hand when dispensing cereal or getting it down from the shelf, while a flip-top lid makes it a breeze to pour right into your cereal bowl. This bestseller has nearly 20,000 five-star ratings, and shoppers say it’s “truly airtight” and that “no bugs” get in. It’s no wonder that over 4,000 were bought last month. Grab one while it’s 41% off at just $15.

Rubbermaid Brilliance 8-Piece Pantry Food Storage Container Set

If you need more food storage bins, consider snagging this 8-piece food storage container set by Rubbermaid. Just like the cereal storage container above, these containers have an airtight rubber seal and two hinged clasps that snap shut with a satisfying click. Made from durable Tritan clear plastic, these storage containers are perfect for stashing cereal, pasta, and snacks. They’re stain- and odor-resistant and stack neatly on top of one another; plus, they’re dishwasher-safe. Even better? They’re on sale for $3.50 apiece.

Rice and Other Grains Bags

Rice and other grains require an airtight container so they don’t absorb moisture or odors, so it’s imperative to take them out of the disposable bags they originally come in. Keep them fresher using containers like the PrepWorks 2.5-quart grain storage container that’s half off. Or, if you need a solution for storing multiple grains at once, check out the Xiyao grain container that rotates and dispenses.

Lifewit Rice Dispenser

The Lifewit rice dispenser has caught shoppers’ eyes, with one reviewer noting that it’s “a practical and functional solution for keeping rice stored safely and organized.” If you eat a lot of rice, this is the ideal solution, as it holds up to 25 pounds and dispenses rice with a simple button push. The tank and the included measuring cup have markings so you know exactly how much rice you’re dispensing, and the tank has a window to let you see when the rice is getting low. Get ready to start making rice dishes like stir-fry, paella, and pudding, though you could also use the clever container to store beans, corn, and more.

OXO Good Grips 2.8-Quart Pop Food Storage Container

If your pantry is on the smaller side, try this bestselling OXO Good Grips food storage container, whose 2.8-quart capacity stores around 10 cups of grains when you leave a little breathing room at the top. The lid seals tightly and opens easily with the button in the center of the lid. With over 29,000 perfect ratings, it’s no surprise that over 6,000 were sold in the past month.

Flour and Sugar Bags

Bakers know how important it is to protect dry ingredients from moisture. Keeping flour, sugar, and baking powder in their original bags is not a good way to store them; once opened, the bags aren’t resealable, and moisture and unwanted pests can enter. But with airtight containers like the OXO Good Grips 3-piece set with included scoops, a roomy 16-cup Rubbermaid food storage container, or the OXO 0.4-quart canister that’s the perfect size to keep your baking powder fresh, your ingredients will be stored the right way and, perhaps best of all, your pantry will be better organized.

• PrepWorks by Progressive Flour Keeper, $12 with coupon, originally $23 
• OXO Good Grips 0.4-Quart Pop Container, $11
• Rubbermaid Brilliance 16-Cup Food Storage Container, $18, originally $25
• OXO Good Grips Pop 3-Piece 4.4-Quart Canister Set with Scoops, $56  
• Chef’s Path 2-Piece Food Storage Container Set, $27 with coupon, originally $62
• M Mcirco 4-Piece Tall Food Storage Container Set, $30
• Vtopmart 10-Piece Flour and Sugar Storage Container Set, $35, originally $50 

Chef’s Path 2-Piece Food Storage Container Set

This 2-piece Chef’s Path food storage set includes a container for flour and one for sugar. Each 7.3- x 6- x 11.2-inch container holds up to 25 pounds and has a matching lid with a silicone rubber seal and four hinge clasps. The set includes reusable labels and a chalkboard marker so you can switch up the stored ingredients as desired. “They stack and make very efficient use of my pantry space,” wrote one shopper. Snag a set while they’re 57% off.

Vtopmart 10-Piece Flour and Sugar Storage Container Set

If you have a larger quantity of different flours, sugars, and other dry baking ingredients, this 10-piece set by Vtopmart is a good solution. It has three different sizes: two 5.9-quart, two 4.7-quart, and six 2.3-quart containers, plus four measuring cups and 24 labels so you can keep track of what’s stored inside. The four hinged clasps and silicone seal on the lid ensure that the contents inside stay dry and away from air. “It has truly revolutionized the way I organize my kitchen pantry,” said one reviewer. “My flour and sugar stay fresh for extended periods, preserving their texture and flavor,” they added. Grab the set while it’s on sale.

Coffee and Tea Containers

Nothing can compare to the fresh aroma of coffee beans or tea. Storing coffee beans or grounds in a container like this coffee canister or loose tea leaves in a stainless steel canister keeps them fresh while making sure they’re easily found in the pantry.

Fellow Atmos Vacuum Coffee Canister

All it takes to keep coffee fresh in this Fellow Atmos vacuum coffee canister is a quick twist of the lid. That’s one of the many reasons why it’s our best overall pick. Another perk? The sleekly designed stainless steel canister extends the life of coffee with its tight seal, ensuring that no air enters the container. It can hold up to 1.3 quarts of coffee beans, so get your coffee mug ready.

iDesign Tea Bag Organizer

It’s a pleasure to have an assortment of teas to enjoy in the morning and afternoon, but those boxes of tea bags quickly become a jumbled mess. This simple tea bag organizer has four sections with dividers to keep those tea blends neatly separated. As one shopper noted, “No more mismatched boxes on the counter or in the pantry.” This organizer has a hinged lid for easy access, and if you stack something on top of it, the drawer can conveniently slide out.   

Miscellaneous Spice Jars

Spices add a flavorful touch to recipes, but they tend to create a jumbled mess (or worse, get lost in the back of the pantry until they’ve gone bad). Get your spices in order with some of our favorite hacks, like an $11 Copco 2-tier turntable and the Kamenstein 20-jar revolving spice rack, which is 58% off.

• Kamenstein 20-Jar Revolving Spice Rack, $34, originally $80
• Dimbrah 24-Piece Spice Jar Set, $25
• YouCopia 24-Bottle Spice Organizer, $40
• Copco 2-Tier Turntable, $11, originally $14 
• SpaceAid Spice Rack Organizer, $30 with Prime, originally $44
• Copco 3-Tier Spice Pantry Kitchen Cabinet Organizer, $7, originally $10

YouCopia 24-Bottle Spice Organizer

This YouCopia spice organizer makes it a breeze to keep 24 bottles of your favorite spices neatly organized. We love the clever design of this spice organizer; unlike other models, it features drop-down drawers so you can easily view and access the spices you need to jazz up a dish. It has three drawers and adjustable dividers that let you accommodate different-sized jars. Measuring 11 x 10.5 x 8.3 inches, it doesn’t take up much room on a pantry shelf.

SpaceAid Spice Rack Organizer

This tool presents a clever way to organize your spices: The jars sit slightly slanted on their sides on one of the four shelves. Each lid on the included jars is labeled so you can quickly find the one you want — no need to pull out several jars when searching for the cayenne. The black alloy steel rack holds up to 28 standard-size jars. You can store it in the pantry or cupboard, or mount it on a wall.