Pantry Storage: closet vs. pull out cabinets
drybean
11 years ago
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rhome410
11 years agoBuehl
11 years agoRelated Discussions
pull-out vs. roll-out pantry
Comments (8)The thing about a pullout pantry is that there's restricted access to the middle. I think 12"-15" is ideal, though 18" isn't out of the question. It might mean moving this or that to get the other thing, but can be done. That's assuming that you can access the pantry from both sides. 18" is definitely the limit if you can only get in from one side. Looked at the other way, 18" is about the narrowest cabinet that's comfortable to get into with your arm extended to the back. If you go with the pullout, it might make sense to do a full height one, or a pullout on top as well as bottom. Roll out trays are much easier to use, especially for lowers, than pullouts because you can get into them from above rather than only from the side. What they have better than drawers for a pantry is the ability to see in over short sides, and the ability to see all the trays in the cupboard at once rather than having to remember which one has what in it. If I were in your situation, I'd check to see if there were any difference in the size of the tray between the pullout and roll out. I have a feeling (which I'm assuming was created by something I learned along the way) that there might be more tray space in the pullout. If not, then it's not a matter of how much you can store but how easily you can get at it. So, if you have roll out trays, where does the door go? Do you have a 90" hinge? Most Euro style hinges are 90 degrees. Which means that the door is blocking on side of the trays. Perhaps you even have a wall there? I have 170 degree hinges, but those are big and can also can interfere with what's inside, which could be a problem in a narrow pantry. But even with a 90 degree door, you can get in from the top. Plus, it's easier to get into the pantry to retrieve something that slipped over the side. With the pullout pantry, you might want to get a trigger gripper, which can be helpful. Just remembered what might tilt it decisively to the rollouts: You can put more roll out shelves in a pantry than you can trays on a pullout. Because all the trays on a pullout come out at once, you need air space between them to get stuff in and out. With roll outs, you can have trays that are one can high, or one box of X high, and have only an inch margin to the next tray up. In that way, you can fit a lot more in the same cupboard....See MorePantry- Pull Out Vs. Door with Attached Storage
Comments (27)I weighed the same options over and over. I have rollout drawers like in the 3rd photo. However, I do not have a full height pantry to the floor. My freezer drawer is at the bottom and the the rollouts and shelves above. I get the issues about things getting lost in the middle of pullouts, like the 1st 2 pics. However the same thing can happen with rollout shelves, especially those that are at the higher up. A pro of the pullouts are that it is one motion like discussed. Pullout and everything comes out. If they are not that wide, I can't see most things getting lost. Biggest issue is cans and that is the same issue even with rollouts. Although I did a shallow rollout where the shelf above is a little higher then a 28oz can on its side. I have the cans on there sides so you can read the labels when you pull it out If you are the one putting groceries away, you tend to know where everything is located. That is the plus. When my wife asks where the x is located, I instinctively know and tell her exactly where it is located. Now my cabinet is 31" wide and I have double doors like the 3rd pic. In retrospect, its kind of a pain. Have to open both doors to get something out. Same issue people complain about with french door fridges. Also, the wide rollouts aren't efficient either. Maybe its more my senario since I only have 3 of them but I have a shelf where there are tall things like bags of chips and much shorter items. In retrospect, it would have been better to have a divider and narrower rollouts. This would have allowed me to use all of the space more efficiently. But then again I would loose all the space with the divider and the extra drawer/rollout material. Hmmm....See MoreBig pantry/smaller pull-out pantry distances
Comments (1)It really depends on how you work and whether you have room in the main working part of the kitchen for some of your food items. I had a kitchen with a pantry across a wide aisle from the kitchen itself. There was little cabinetry in the kitchen itself -- more dish storage and such across from the breakfast nook so everything, including a little of this spice or that had to come from the pantry. And it was about 7 or 8 feet deep with narrow shelves on one side. I loved the kitchen when we bought the house and couldn't stand to work in it by the time we left. My corner pantry in this house was an improvement in location, but not organization. I changed it to pantry cabinets with rollouts and a pullout that are actually a bit further form my main work areas (a few steps), but I also use some of the space in my main work area for flour, sugar and other baking supplies in deep drawers, my spices in a top shallow drawer and oils, vinegars and such right at hand above. I don't have to make as many trips to the pantry as I did before and it's not as far. For me, this is working out best of all. I can see either of your design choices working out well, but you need to thing about the type of cooking you do, how you work and how you would use the space -- what you would store in each cabinet and drawer. It's a pain to break everything down that much, but it's necessary to see how it all works for you....See MorePull out pantry vs shelves?
Comments (12)I like individual roll out shelves--you can see items from front, both sides, and most importantly, the top. If you want to grab one can of tomatoes, you don't have to pull out the contents of your entire pantry to retrieve it. I keep our most used items at the front of our roll out shelves which means nothing weighty has to get pulled out, I just open the door and grab. The roll out feature makes the lesser used items easy to access when needed. Usually the spacing of roll out shelves are easy to adjust. I've adjusted mine so that they just clear the items beneath. No reach in clearance is required to get at items behind others. The full pull outs are similar to fixed shelves, except you have access from 2 sides instead of 1. I had planned to get a 15" wide Ikea pull out for our laundry room. I thought they looked really intriguing when I saw them at the store. Then I realized that I didn't like the big front panel blocking my view and access. I ended up getting the individual pull outs instead since I feel this gives me the most flexibility....See Morebreezygirl
11 years agofriedajune
11 years ago
Annie Deighnaugh
11 years agodrybean
11 years agoMany thanks! I was thinking a closet was better in terms of storage, but I couldn't find any posts that specifically discussed it. Thought I might not be thinking it through fully. Obviously a walk-in pantry would be the ideal (for me, anyway), but there is just no room in this space.
Excellent idea to have shallower shelves and electrical outlets. We aren't frequent MW users either..mostly oatmeal in mornings and reheating leftovers on occassion. I think in pantry still beats sticking it in base cabinet and having to crouch.
It isn't an exisiting closet, but it is an existing pantry cabinet, so the framing required should be pretty minimal.
It will be in the space that is currently occupied by the top two cabs in this photo. Door to hallway has been removed. Fridge will be next to pantry.
jakuvall
11 years agoherbflavor
11 years agotmy_jax
11 years ago
a2gemini
11 years agodrybean
11 years agoJakuvall-Your experience is interesting to me. WHy not just have a closet at the end of the cabinet run? I guess there would have to be a way to incorporate it so it doesn't look like just a drywall box? I think that having shallow shelves is key, so that the stored items are visible and accessible.
Herbflavor-Like you said, extra storage space is usually a bonus. Makes it hard to complain, even if it isn't quite perfect.
tmy-here my original pantry ispiration:
[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Boston Closets And Organization Marie Newton, Closets Redefined
I would love storage like that!
a2gemini-I would love a pocket door. But I guess you have to have at least a 60" space, right? Room for the door + the pocket?
a2gemini
11 years agojakuvall
11 years agowestsider40
11 years agoolivertwistkitchen
11 years ago
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