Use wood. Not only does it look nicer (in my opinion), but it confines spills and messes to one shelf. It also keeps smaller items (like spices or bottles of vanilla) from tipping. Just make sure yiou have enough shelves and that they are adjustable.

Definitely wood or some type of solid shelving. It makes it easier for the cans to sit even and any smaller items as well.

I much prefer my WIRE shelving! Maybe the difference is that the stuff I have is very strong and can handle lots of weight(Elfa wire closet system, got them at Container Store.) I love that the arrangement of shelves and wire baskets is so flexible, so can be rearranged to fit how I want to use the pantry, I love that the shelves don't collect dust and sugar and flour (yeah, so that means it's falling down to the floor but that's what the vacuum is for, LOL.) I love how the wire shelves let more light throughout the whole closet. There are flat plastic shelf liners to put on the few shelves where I lay small things that could slip through, they are very strong, and there are no ridges or anything to keep bottles and cans from standing straight so they don't tip over. I use a couple of lazy susans for the spices and small bottles that are in there, but the spacing of the wire and the way they are made lets even very small bottles and boxes sit or stand straight. Just my own personal preference, but having always had wood pantry shelves before this house....I would never go back!

I have wire shelving in my pantry, which I like very much. (It's good quality [Elfa] -- adjustable, and doesn't show any signs of bending after years of heavy use.) However, I like it primarily because my pantry shelves are very deep and some are very high. The wire shelves allow me to see what's on every shelf (even from underneath) without taking out items or installing pullouts. I have other cabinets (with wood shelves) for storing small items such as spices, though, so I use the pantry mostly for larger items (e.g., those jumbo packs of cereal, rice, and paper towels from Costco). I've also added a few wire mesh bins for the occasional small items I store in the pantry. So, wire shelving can work nicely. But generally speaking, I think most people perceive wood shelving as nicer (it looks more expensive or "higher end"), and if you're planning to store lots of small items, you might prefer adjustable wood shelves regardless.

i'm using wood. i've had wire before (my son's closet also has wire presently) and i can't stand it. i find it's more difficult to keep clean. dust has a way of shifting around to the underside when you wipe it down. jmo tho! good luck.

We have Elfa (wire) from the Container Store also, and we love it. It's very strong and there are lots of different shelving options. I find it very easy to keep clean (easier than a solid shelf, IMHO, because there's no dust or gunk buildup).

I had to make the same choice and went with wood. I find that too many small items fall over on wire shelves, and when stuff leaks, everything below gets messed up, too. Wood shelves are much easier to clean.

I was going to say exactly what Momj47 said...Made the same choice for the same reasons, plus I find that wood and non-adjustable shelves are much more stable...now scootching back and forth, and no tipping...as in the shelf tipping forward, besides the items tipping on the wire.

Just to mention in case the OP does like the idea of wire shelving....honestly the Elfa wire shelves are *very* strong and stable and the way they are locked into place, they don't slide sideways, wobble or tip...nor do small bottles or boxes tip over on them. Now if I'd ever had less sturdy or firmly attached wire shelves that could move around, or where the wire was spaced so that small things tipped over or the shelf surface wasn't absolutely flat, I'm sure I would have hated them! This might be a case where the quality makes all the difference in the experience (or it might just be a case of we like what we like and that okay, too!)

Here's another vote for Elfa wire. I would never go back to wood. In fact, I'm moving to a new place & my pantry will again be done in Elfa wire shelves.

I'm glad the Elfas are sturdier than others I've used and hated. I still have to say that I wouldn't want to clean the mess if something greasy or sticky spilled and went through layers of them in a pantry ;-) ...or even just wipe them down. A solid surface is so much easier for me. Maybe this is just a case of what we like... or how messy we might be!

I do know that there seem to be those of us who don't feel the need to adjust our shelves and just plan for what we'll have and leave it, and others who like the flexibility.

I have ClosetMaid. They make a wire shelf specifically for pantries where the wire is closer together.

I had the closetMaid ones in my old house and HATED them. I have wood shelves now and they are wonderful. The biggest complaint I had with wire is if something spills (and it WILL happen), it runs down through all of the shelves, making a mess of everything. Also small bottles (like spices and extracts) will not stand up on the wire...they keep tipping over. I am really happy with wood.

For what it's worth, I mentioned this thread to my DH and he noted that he LOVES our Elfa wire shelving and said that he would NEVER want to go back to wood shelving as we had in the pantry closet of our last house. He also mentioned that--at least when we bought our components--he thinks one could mix and match solid shelves and wire shelves, so one could have some solid shelves for small items or things that tip over more easily if one really wanted them. Just a thought.

BTW, Elfa systems are more expensive than other wire shelving systems, I think. But the Container Store usually has a big sale on them at least once per year that makes them much more reasonable.

I have one wire shelf unit now and do not like it. Small items fall thru. Maybe if you get the higher end Elfa, but otherwise I would go with a solid shelf...

I have wire shelving in the closet in my master bath and am not really a fan, but it is cheap and easy to install. I have most items in clear shoe boxes with no covers so they don't all fall over.

I have the wire shelves in my pantry. I like being able to see everything (even looking underneath as another poster said), but did not like small packets of sauces etc falling through or little containers tipping over and leaking if not sealed yuck! We put a thin piece of plexiglass over the wire and voila, nothing tips and can still see through it to find things at the back of the shelves.

I have wood shelves and I like them a lot. I do have elfa shelves on the backs of the doors and they work really well for the spices.

i have the elfa system, but did the melamine/solid shelving. so i have the adjustability and the solid surface.

I have both...
The shelf support is metal the plank is of wood. Not sure
where these shelves were made.

I vote wood if you have to choose.

Stuff falls over to easily on wire.