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[IamMrsG]

This question was originally posted in Kitchen Talk, but I thought I'd try it here as well.

I have begun planning a pantry remodel, and would appreciate input from you. I am a ‘scratch’ cook, so I store a lot of ingredients as staples. Most of them are bottles, boxes, jars, etc. Canned goods are usually confined to tomatoes or beans and the occasional can of soup.

My tentative design breaks the space into two columns. One side features three 18" wide pull-out shelves and a pull-out basket (possibly two). The other side, where bi-fold doors are installed, would be all 16 3/4" wide stationary shelves, generally 12" high.

If you have a pantry feature you particularly like or dislike, I’d be very interested in hearing about it. Is there anything you wish you had chosen or did choose and find now it is a waste of space or money?

[Marsha2003]

Here are some random thoughts for you:

If you keep your heavy electrical items like your food processor and stand mixer in your pantry, make sure that you have enough height between shelves for them.

The pantry in my current house has pull out baskets for potatoes and onions, but I find that there's not enough air flow to keep the potatoes and onions from spoiling. In fact, they seem to spoil more quickly than when they are in bags on the floor. What has worked better for me is having some hooks on the door (mine is a walk-in) that will support five pounds. I put fine mesh bags on the hooks and that's where I store potatoes, onions and garlic.

Don't use wire shelves. Too many things fall through or don't sit flat.

Add an electrical outlet and place to hang your battery-operated handheld or stick vacuum.

I love to be able to see everything I have so tiered risers are great for smaller items.

[lolakimono]

Here is an idea from a blog-

[lolakimono]

[151949]

My DH built in some pull out shelves for my spices - appropriately sized for the very small ones to the extra large ones - 2 for the real small ones - one medium size ones and one extra large. They are a very favorite feature. they worked so well that he also designed a set for our meds - it is a large one with a small one attached on the side - one for each of us. They are based on the Lori Grenier shelves that pull out and turn but the base is attached to the shelf and the device that makes them roll out is much smoother than her plastic ones. He mounted them to one side of the pantry- out of the way of the foods.

[AnikaBrodie]

I have two pantry units and both have solid shelves. In one I store food items exclusively. In the other I store small appliances -- food processors (small and large), mixer, crock pot, etc., cookie sheets, pans, large mixing bowls, storage bowls, paper and plastic products, jars, pizza pan, etc. No food items are stored in the second unit.

[GCR18]

I have a small walk in pantry. It has wire shelving similar to post 3. For the most part it works fine for my needs. One drawback is not being able to put heavy things on the shelves. I put them on the floor or in the kitchen cabinets.

[IamMrsG]

We had the pantry work that I asked for your help with done today. I want to sincerely thank you all for the ideas and photos you shared. I knew you would.

FWIW, here is a photo to show how the finished project turned out, but the view of the right half of the closet is blocked by the pulled-out shelves. The shelves on the right are stationary. There is also a pull-out basket on the bottom and a stationary shelf across the whole top that you cannot see. Another, larger, closet is a few feet away, and we will be altering it soon to house small kitchen appliances. (BTW, the paint really isn't as mustard-yellow as it appears here. )

[mousiegirl]

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[aubnwa01]

At my last house, when I had the kitchen remodeled, I had a walk-in pantry added. It had shelves on the one side & the back, but there wasn't enough room for shelves on the 3rd side & to still have it a walk-in, due to the space we had to work with & where the door had to be. I had the contractor add an electrical outlet on that wall for my Dust Buster vac & also, had him put up a large sheet of peg board that was about 3/4' or so from the wall due to being on little blocks of wood. I used the peg board hooks like they do in businesses & hung a lot of my larger kitchen gadgets up on the hooks, like whisks & such, so they were visible when I walked into the pantry & I could grab them. I could customize what I put up there by moving the hooks around & it really worked well.