To Decant or Not Decant- that is the question
If you are a fan of Home Edit, you may have heard the term “decant” and asked yourself “what does that even mean?”. The term “decanting” in organizing means taking things out of their original packaging and putting into a new container (which is often clear) so that you are able to see the contents. If you scroll through Instagram or Pinterest, you will find tons of pictures of pantries with everything from chips to pasta in clear containers. The decanting “look” can extend to other spaces in your house from decanting laundry pods to art supplies. However just because it is a trend & looks pretty doesn’t mean it will fit your lifestyle & needs for a space.
From my perspective- I think there are more drawbacks than benefits to decanting, especially if you are a busy mom or dad. Personally I think it is adding undue pressure & time on a mom or dads already full plate. However- just my opinion :) so let’s review some pros and cons of decanting food in your pantry.
Pros:
It is visually appealing. Packaging in an array of colors & sizes in a space can make the space look visually cluttered even if items are in their right place. Consistent clear containers can instantly streamline the look of a busy pantry.
It helps keep certain foods fresher longer. If you purchase a container that seals well (such as containers from OXO brand), it can help products like baking ingredients stay fresh and prevent chips from tasting stale.
Decanting food into clear containers allows you to quickly see when you are running low.
Cons:
It takes a more time. Instead quickly putting away items after a grocery trip, now an additional step is added to pour your chips, pasta etc. into a seperate container.
Potentially mixing “old” product with new product. This isn’t a big issue if the product has a long shelf life & the food is eaten frequently. However it is hard to know when food expires if there is always “older” product lingering in the container.
You lose the instructions from the packaging. You “could” cut out the instructions and tape them on the bottom of your container but this does add additional time to the grocery unloading process.
Takes up space. Most of the time you will have more than one cereal or chip item to decant. To get a matching look, it may take a few containers which isn’t ideal if you have a small pantry. Decanting container come in a variety of sizes which is awesome but it does take a bit of work to estimate the size you need for specific items to maximize space in your pantry.
Expensive. OXO containers are not cheap friends. Ideally you would decant across a category like chips, so if you like a variety of chips it may take several containers to achieve that consistent look.
So what do I recommend “decanting”?
In general my opinion is that the cons of decanting outweigh the pros. Despite pleasing aesthetics I think it adds unnecessary steps in our already time strapped lives as busy moms/dads. However there are a few items I do recommend decanting so perhaps if you are considering decanting, you can give one of these a try:
Baking ingredients such as flour & sugars. There is a benefit to these ingredients being in an air tight container and is typically not something that has to be refilled often. It is also nice to fill your measuring cup & level off the baking ingredients right into the container. For flour, I use a OXO Pop 4.4qt container and for sugars I used a OXO Pop 2.8qt container.
Individually wrapped snack items you want your kids to grab. Items like Granola bars, goldfish bags, apple sauce pouches etc.- I do recommend taking these items that are individually packaged out of their boxes but then “dumping” them into a larger bin/or a few smaller bins labeled snacks. This makes it easy for both your kids to grab or for you to pack in a lunch and having these items out of their boxes does take up a lot less space.
Items that you consistently buy in bulk and want a small amount available. If you buy the same two cereals for example- there is benefit in storing some of the food in a pantry or cabinet and then all the extra on a shelf somewhere outside of the kitchen like in a garage or closet near the kitchen.
Spices. Personally I like storing my spices in 4oz jars so that I can get a Tablespoon inside the jar. Spices generally aren’t something that need to be refilled constantly and I am a sucker for a beautiful consistent look here & letting the colors of spices speak for themselves.
So to decant or not decant is a personal preference and ultimately it is a question of where you can maintain the system for the long haul. If you choose to decant I would recommend starting with just one category and seeing how it works for you. Happy organizing!