Pros and Cons of Decanting

Decanting is a great way to organize your food and make it last longer. Decanting involves transferring food from its original container into another container that can be left in your pantry or cupboard. This allows you to keep track of how much is left in each item and provides a more uniform look for the pantry. In addition, decanting can extend the life of certain foods (like dry goods) by preventing them from being exposed to humidity and oxygen—two things that speed up spoilage. If this sounds like something you want to do, here are some pros and cons:

Decanting can make your pantry look more uniform.

Wine decanters are often used in restaurants to give an elegant presentation to wine. If you want your pantry to look more uniform and appealing, then you can decant items like olive oil, vinegar, spices and snacks in see-through containers that you may not have otherwise considered using.

Decanting can extend the life of your food and kitchen supplies.

Decanting can extend the life of your food and kitchen supplies by keeping them fresh, dry and free from moisture. If you have an airtight container, then it will keep the food inside fresh for a longer period of time. This is especially helpful if you want to store something in your refrigerator or freezer for a long time. Decanting helps keep dust and air away from flour or sugar so that they don’t get stale too quickly and lose their flavor

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Decanting allows you to keep track of how much of each item you have left.

Decanting allows you to keep track of how much of each item you have left. If a decanted ingredient is running low, or is about to expire, it will be easier for you to see and act accordingly.

It may take a long time to decant.

• You have to clean your containers, fill them and then label them.

• Decanting can be an involved process that takes up a lot of time. You’ll want to make sure you have enough space in your pantry or cabinet for storing all the containers after they’ve been filled and labeled.

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Decanting is excellent for organization, but it does take a lot of time and money.

The amount of time you spend depends on the size of your pantry. If you have a small one, then it might only take an hour or so to do all the decanting. If you have a large pantry with lots of shelves, then it could take days!

You'll also need some new containers and labels for storing them in your new system. So that adds up as well!

Copyright © 2022 by Janine Morales, Professional Organizer, Educator, and Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.