Pantry Shelving Guide: Depths, Spacing and Roll-Outs

Pantry shelving is where good intentions go to expire. Builders install deep wire shelves floor to ceiling, and within a year the back half of every shelf is a mystery. Shelving a pantry well is mostly about depth — different depths for different things — and about bringing the deep shelves to you with roll-outs.

Depth by zone

These are common design guidelines. The point is that a can should never sit behind another can.

Spacing

Adjustable shelves on tight pin spacing let you set cereal-box height where cereal goes and can height where cans go. Fixed shelves at one spacing waste vertical space everywhere.

Roll-outs

Full-extension roll-out trays on the lower shelves are the single biggest pantry upgrade. They cost more per shelf than fixed shelving; they are worth it on every shelf deeper than about 16 inches.

A landing counter

If the pantry is wide enough, a counter section at 36 inches with shelves above and roll-outs below gives groceries a place to land and small appliances a home. Add an outlet.

Walk-in or reach-in?

A walk-in pantry shelves two or three walls and needs a walkway; a reach-in shelves one wall behind a door and needs shallow depths so you can see everything from the opening. Converting a hall closet near the kitchen into a reach-in pantry is one of the lowest-cost storage projects in an older Charlotte home.

Matching the kitchen

Closet-system pantries use laminate shelving; cabinet-shop pantries can match the kitchen's doors and finish. Carolina Building Services says on its website that it builds kitchen cabinets and can match them; see our local contractors page. For cost drivers, see pantry cost on our sister site; for the whole kitchen, the kitchen & pantry section.

Shelving materials

Wire shelving is cheap and airy but small items tip through and cans wobble. Laminate shelving is the closet-industry standard: wipeable, rigid, adjustable. Painted wood or MDF shelving matches a kitchen but needs sealing against spills. Whatever the material, ask about shelf thickness and span; a 36-inch shelf loaded with canned goods will sag if it is too thin.

Planning checklist

1. Measure width, depth and height of the pantry, and the door swing.
2. Sort what you store into cans and jars, boxes, bulk, appliances and paper goods.
3. Assign a depth to each group, shallow to deep, top to bottom.
4. Mark where roll-outs go (anything deeper than 16 inches).
5. Decide whether the pantry must match the kitchen, or simply work.