Pantry – What should you know about a pantry?
Food is kept in a pantry, which is located in or close to the kitchen. You’ll need to clear space in the pantry when you purchase a hundred boxes of macaroni and cheese that are on sale.
A pantry is a separate room in the kitchen where food and other supplies are kept. A pantry might occasionally be just a closet or cabinet with shelves, or it can be a whole different space next to the kitchen. The Medieval Latin word planetaria, which meant “chamber of a servant in charge of food or bread,” is the source of the Anglo-French word panetrie, which means “bread room.” Panis, a Latin word root, means “bread.”
What should you know about a pantry?
One of those spaces in a house that almost everyone finds handy is the pantry. Some may claim that a pantry consumes too much space in a tiny apartment, but on the other hand, you miss having one every time you clean up the kitchen since you have nowhere to put the items away.
Like older apartment buildings, most homes contain a pantry and/or storage space. Years of the building followed, leaving out this unnoticed yet quite a valuable gap. Thankfully, pantries are once again popular.
What should I do if I don’t have a pantry?
Those without one can locate or make one for themselves.
If not, the “food storage area” could be created in the basement; however, there may be space for an additional closet in the kitchen or hallway. Naturally, this is inconvenient because you have to utilize the stairs or an elevator each time you need something. At least according to Feng Shui specialists, a pantry should be placed facing north or east. To ensure that the pantry is properly aired, the area should have a window, ideally on the opposite side of the door. If not, a dependable ventilation system needs to be installed, either through an air shaft or a vent that goes straight through a wall and into the open air outside.
Additionally, proper lighting needs to be installed, particularly if the pantry has no windows.
Whatever its location, the pantry needs to be kept as organized as possible. Therefore, each time you open the door, you won’t be in a foul attitude. If something spills or is spilled on something, clean it up right away.
Rarely used foods, unusual kitchenware, and food supplies are better kept in a pantry. In addition to storing fresh goods like potatoes and onions, as pasta, rice, cereals, sugar, and flour, as well as preserves you’ve made throughout the growing season, you can also store bigger quantities of foods with a longer(er) an expiration date in the pantry.
Make a quick plan design of the pantry before you arrange it to make the most of the available space. Choosing sliding doors over regular doors might give some extra space to a pantry, which is typically on the tiny side. To maximize space, install floor-to-ceiling shelves in the pantry. Choose shelves that are height-adjustable and have enough load-bearing capability for the specified purpose, if at all possible. No matter how deep the shelves are, don’t forget to leave enough space between them so you can turn, stoop, and reach for items.
Put the things in a sequence that makes sense to you.
It is recommended to store packaged items like flour, cereal, rice, flakes, and the like in clear containers with a reliable cover. Glassware or plastic storage containers are both acceptable. They must be securely closed if you want the food to stay fresh and be protected from the moths that like to live in the pantry. It will be simpler to restore order if the containers are transparent because the contents are visible.
Stacking shelves should make sense. Long-lasting foods go at the back, while perishables are placed in the front. Mark the contents and shelf life of food containers. While the majority of meals are easily recognized—for instance, it is challenging to confuse rice with anything else—some may be done very rapidly.
in particular, several kinds of grain, pulp, and flour. Make sure to clearly mark them to prevent unpleasant surprises. Consider using boxes or baskets for things that come in smaller packaging, like spices.
Advantages of having a kitchen pantry
The pantry, whether in a classic or Butler form, is a style that is taking over social media and homes in the UK.
We’ll examine the advantages of the pantry in this journal entry to help you determine whether it’s the missing piece in your home’s heart.
First off, what exactly is a pantry and what kinds of possibilities are there?
The simple pantry is a cabinet with a difference since it makes a fashion statement while also being extremely useful. From pasta jars and sauce bottles to an integrated coffee maker, a pantry is used to store food items and kitchen gadgets. The design can be customized to a person’s available kitchen space and shape, and typically combines shelving, drawers, and/or door racks to offer a choice of storage solutions.
As the huge cabinet was once utilized as a cool, dark location to keep perishable meals, it is thought that the word “pantry” derived from the French word “pan,” which means bread. The pantry is now a sought-after kitchen element once more, thanks to the “Downton Abbey” impact, as people want to have an authentic, traditional kitchen as the focal point of their houses that is both functional and visually beautiful. There are two types of pantries to choose from if you’re thinking about getting one for your kitchen: the traditional pantry and the butler’s pantry.
A classic pantry is made of kitchen cabinetry and can either be free-standing or integrated into the kitchen units. They can incorporate a variety of shelving designs to customize organization to the kitchen owner and use traditional kitchen doors or bi-folding doors to store kitchen goods away.
Formerly a little chamber between the kitchen and dining area, a butler’s pantry is now a separate walk-in space or utility room that departs from your kitchen and serves as a storage place. A butler’s pantry offers a variety of storage options, many of which use floor-to-ceiling shelving, some of which include additional workspace, and some of which even house the refrigerator and freezer.
What advantages does having a pantry offer?
1. They formulate a claim.
A pantry, whether free-standing, integrated, or butler style, makes a striking design statement in your kitchen, especially when combined with lovely accents like handles or lighting.
By thoughtfully decorating any open shelving or by achieving symmetry with your appliances, you can improve the appearance of your pantry.
2. Remove unnecessary clutter.
Your pantry can be a terrific spot to store any unneeded kitchen junk, from food to electrical appliances, with bi-folding or conventional cabinet doors. Even if your pantry contains a work area, you can use it to conceal signs of food preparation when having visitors over, especially if it is a butler’s pantry.
3. Additional workspace and storage
A pantry is the most useful kitchen fixture since it has a work area, multiple shelving options, and cabinet or drawer space underneath.
A pantry can be the ideal location for baking, with storage for all of your supplies and a space to display your recipe books, or it can be the ideal place to brew your morning coffee if you use it to store your coffee maker and mugs. With so much storage and a variety of shelving configurations to choose from, a pantry may be customized to fit a person’s preferences and way of life.
4. Host appliances to free up counter space in the rest of your kitchen, kitchen appliances can be stored in a pantry.
When your pantry is planned, appliances like toasters, microwaves, and coffee makers may all be given a specific location, whether on shelving or a hidden work surface, helping to keep your primary surfaces for food preparation or entertaining clutter-free. Make sure to provide an electrical outlet if you intend to give an appliance a permanent home in your pantry.
5. Make advantage of the space provided by doors A classic pantry with folding doors enables the use of door shelves and storage racks to make the most of all available space. These are ideal for gathering objects together and are wonderful for holding sauce bottles, herbs, spices, and tea/coffee. Additionally, they enable you to prepare with everything at your fingertips.
Have we given you a reason to think about putting a pantry in your new kitchen? Visit our website to view the entire 1909 Kitchens collection.
Do you have a kitchen pantry from 1909?
If you post it online, please include the hashtag #1909Kitchens to let us know.
Are you remodeling your kitchen and considering how to decorate the room? For ideas, browse our real kitchens from all over the UK.
How to choose or construct a kitchen pantry
According to the National Association of Home Builders, a kitchen pantry was regarded as “necessary” or “desirable” by 85% of home buyers. There is a strong desire to increase and improve pantries in existing homes, from walk-in pantries to temporary fixes like open pantry shelves along basement stairs.
Nobody says you can’t fit in a few plates, a few small gadgets, and baskets to carry linens, paper goods, and cleaning supplies in a pantry, which generally houses groceries. Add the dog bowl if you wish.
Organize Your Space with Pantry Shelving in the Kitchen
A beautiful sense of order is essential, which is another way of stating that even the tallest pantries require a space for everything and that everything has a certain place. Whether you are redesigning what you already have or starting from scratch, keep reading for more information.
Check What You Keep in Your Pantry.
Groceries
Decide what you want to store or plug in there, to begin with, whether it’s a lifetime supply of vanilla, a blender, cookbooks, your grandmother’s soup tureen, a folding ladder, or fondue forks that you only ever use once a year. Consider your inventory needs and any outlets before waiting for the shelves and niches to be installed.
More cookware
Make a colorful display of rarely used pots and pans on the top shelf.
Kitchen Appliances
Bring those forward that you were unaware you had. The same as you, Mr. Pasta Machine.
Large Items
Do you have an ice cream maker, a step stool, and enough chow to feed a kennel?
Choose the Best Location for Your Pantry Shelves
The ideal location is convenient, dry, and cool. Most possibilities are available with a gut renovation, but it’s not the only option.
A pantry could be added on the kitchen side of an inner wall rather than being knocked down to, for instance, open up the kitchen to the dining room.
Tap a Break
You can attach pantry shelves to a wall next to a work area or even put them in between studs.
Repurpose
Imagine it as a pantry if you don’t use your coat or broom closet too often. There is no legal prohibition from designating a space in it for the dustpan as well.
Push Out
Historically, colonial pantries were frequently unheated lean-tos. The modern counterpart would be a one-story rear extension with a mudroom or half bathroom.
Look down
Install a standalone unit in a cold, dry basement; strong, open wire shelves keep everything and are simple to reach. Or you might hang open, boxed bookcases along the stairs, turning them into a built-in ladder.
Take a Look at Your Shelving Options
Size, Depth, and Adjustable Shelves for a Walk-In Pantry
Walk-ins, which are typically 5 by 5 feet, can be finished with or without a countertop and lined with U-shaped open shelves or cabinets.
Flexible shelving is available. Create shelves at eye level that are 12 to 14 inches deep and set 14 to 16 inches apart to accommodate cereal boxes and canisters. The bottom shelves should be 16 to 18 inches deep and about 18 to 24 inches apart for bulky things. No more than 6 inches from front to back may be required for shelves for spices and cans. Add 2 inches of the vertical room when arranging any item to make sure you can easily tip or slide it in and out.
Tips for Choosing or Building Pantry Shelves
- Plywood is the standard material for shelves; the edges can be completed with wood trim or iron-on veneer banding (if you’re careful; see below).
- Install cabinets if you detest looking at things. Pick uppers with conventional glass fronts if dust is the problem rather than clutter.
- Pay close attention to where doors swing, whether it’s on a cabinet inside the pantry or heading to the pantry itself, to avoid door jams. Some cabinets don’t even have doors.
- Light it up with a ceiling fixture—a chandelier might be lovely—or motion-activated rechargeable puck lights.
- Store smaller items on organizers like lazy Susans and tiered shelf inserts to prevent hide-and-seek situations.
- Maintain a temperature below 70°F and a humidity level of 45 percent. No AC? Connect a little dehumidifier. No outlet Use a moisture absorber, such as one from Arm & Hammer.
Tip: Consider installing outlets behind small appliances that are displayed on shelves, such as a microwave.
Make sure the distance between the shelves is adequate.
Ensure There is Enough Space Between Shelves Before deciding on the shelf’s material (3/4-inch plywood, half-inch MDF, etc.), perform a “Sagulator” online search to see how far the shelf can extend before sagging under the weight of books and canned foods.
Reach-In
Reach-ins are a perfect match along a wall with a recess or soffit because they are typically around 5 feet wide and 2 feet deep, but they can also be as shallow as 16 inches. The reach-in cabinet on the left has paneled sliding doors and enough vertical storage space to hide a garbage can when entertaining.
Determine the size of your pantry.
- Make the most of your floor area by choosing sliding or pocket doors. Remember that getting full access may involve some maneuvering because they can be heavy. Swinging doors make it easier to enter; but, if left open, watch carefully that they don’t obstruct traffic. Of course, doors are optional, but they do conceal stuff.
- Place oversized objects on the floor instead of a bottom shelf to accommodate them.
- Measure and assign space to your needs, such as extra headroom for tall canisters. Make cubbies, perhaps one for platters and trays and another for a coffee or baking station. (Are you sure you recalled the outlets?)
- Use coordinated finishes to tie the pantry and neighboring area together, especially if doors are not present.
Make sure there is enough inside for the doors to close before adding extra shelves to cabinet doors.
“Batwing” pantry cabinets have limited door swings and bottom-mount drawers, similar to French-door refrigerators. Custom models, like the one above, give quick access to necessities while concealing other items in drawers.
Options for pantry cabinets: Slim Slide-Outs
Rev-A-Shelf creates a retrofit that is only 3 inches wide. Narrow slide-outs, like the one in the picture, are open on both sides and make advantage of confined space. Test before you buy: Strong hardware is a requirement.
Wooden rollout trays are cabinet modifications that may be fitted at various heights and in a variety of widths, depending on what you wish to store. Again, investing in heavy-duty glides is worthwhile.
Under a heavy load, they ought to function without a hitch.
Found Spaces: Tucked Under Stairs
Although older homes aren’t known for having extra rooms and closets, they do contain nooks and crannies that can be used as pantries or as places to place freestanding furniture.
This hideaway, which is tucked under the stairs, makes innovative use of previously unused space. It has narrow built-in shelving, lights, push-latch doors that blend in with the paneled wall, and a baking cart that rolls right into the kitchen.
Found Spaces: Gridley + Graves Freestanding Pantry Cabinet
In addition to serving a practical purpose, freestanding storage units like this old hutch can offer warmth. Look for sturdy shelves that keep commonplace goods visible and accessible.
Keep your items in containers that are appropriate for their contents. Woven baskets with handles, like these Sedona totes, are great for holding linens and are available with or without lids; prices start at $25 at Crate & Barrel.
