I don't have the pull out shelves, but I keep those odds and ends in baskets on the pantry shelf. That would probably work on a pull out also.

We have baskets in our current pantry and will be using them in the new pantry as well. One for salty, one for sweets, and the other just has junk now but will use for onions, potatoes etc in new pantry.

Right now we have cans in our lazy susan corner cabinet and down in the basement pantry. In our new pantry I think I will just have them on regular shelves.

I have two 18" four drawer units where the lowest drawer is twice the depth of the other three. I keep my snack-type bagged items in one of those larger drawers and bread items in the other. You could put those bagged items in baskets or 'cereal' containers to fit them in the pantry rollouts if you like. I have those made by both Tupperware and Rubbermaid.

I ordered a pantry with a regular drawer base and then a pantry cabinet on top with roll-out shelves. I plan to keep the larger bagged items (chips, bagged pastas, etc) in the drawers. The smaller bagged items will go in wire baskets on the roll-out shelves. I prefer the look of the drawers on the bottom, especially for a wide pantry as mine will be. I think the drawers break up the look and add interest rather than having large doors.

As far as the cans: some GWers lay their cans flat so they can see the labels and then squeeze in more roll-out shelves. Unless your cans will really be packed in, I don't see it as a real problem. I'm sure yours will be organized with like items together, right? But finding that certain flavor of soup you want will require lifting lots of cans! Will your roll-outs have solid sides (e.g. wood)? How high? I am using the Blum metal roll-outs with low sides and rods to provide some visibility, but still not great.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: blum tandembox with low sides

Does anyone have any pitures of pantries with drawers in them? I've seen them with pull-outs and baskets but I'm curious about the drawers and how the storage works. Thanks!

Zelmar's got a beautiful pantry w/ drawers. The first link shows it all closed up. The second link has it all opened up. Search for zelmar. The last link is a recent thread about storing canned goods in pantry cabinets, with more pics including zelmar's.

Zelmar's pantry closed
Zelmar's pantry open
canned goods in pantry thread

and here's how another gw'er did hers - and how I'll be doing some of mine

The top of my pantry has a half shelf. I keep awkward partially opened things there, if i don't keep them in a cabinet elsewhere. The drawers are just organized so I know where to look. There's a drawer for fruit, a drawer for beans and tomatoes, a drawer for all other veggies, a drawer for pasta, a drawer for international food, etc. I lucky to have lots of drawers. The bottom drawers a tall for those costco size oil olives, etc

I'm with desertsteph about laying the canned goods on their sides in roll out drawers mounted very close together. It will make a lot of difference for the increased capacity of the same cabinet.

Another thread about this subject is on the Smaller Homes forum, which I link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tall Cab or Tall Pantry Sources

Desertsteph,

Love those can drawers - how are the dividers put in?

Now all these ideas are rolling around in my head...have to decide how to layout my pantry - drawers, rollout shelves and fixed shelves jumping around. I figured I'd have the fixed shelves lower down. I store my extra flour in 25 pound containers - both AP and bread - and have 5 pound working containers as well as other baking supplies for one shelf. The other shelf (maybe fixed?) I figured the dog food containers (10 pound containers) which hold the dry food and the dog treats along with canned dog food. Then I'd have adjustable sliding shelves with low sides for my other canned goods, cereals and pastas.

Thanks for all those ideas - keep 'em coming :-)

Helene

Thanks for the all of the links! Desertstep I love that picture - it looks like it would be right up my alley as I am so organizationally impaired and I think that would be more useful than stacking things on shelves!