Home Kitchen Pantries - Overview and FAQs

Kitchen Pantry. Merillat

Updated April 17, 2014.

For many homeowners remodeling their kitchens, incorporating a home kitchen pantry is half the reason for the undertaking the project in the first place. It s all about space.

Industry group National Kitchen Bath Association states that space issues are one of the motivators for homeowners remodeling kitchens.

But unless you re bumping out your kitchen--adding a legitimate addition--you re not really adding space; instead, you re making better use of existing space.

A home kitchen pantry is one of the best ways to maximize space. The good news is that you don t need to undertake a major remodeling project to add a home kitchen pantry.

Kitchen panties are separate storage areas primarily for non-perishable food (cans, pasta, oils, etc.) but often for ancillary food preparation items such as foil, parchment, and so on.

Because home kitchen pantries are often enclosed, they work well for storage of some perishable food such as potatoes and other root vegetables.

While not intended for this use, kitchen panties sometimes double as storage spaces for plates, stemware, glassware, and china.

The world of kitchen pantries is sharply divided between bought or built types. You can buy free-standing pantries from practically anywhere (online, Target, Amazon, etc.). These are in the $100-$150 range and can either remain free-standing or can be repurposed into semi-attached units. These units are self-assembled and self-installed.

Or, you can buy stock or semi-custom kitchen pantry cabinets that are not sold individually but as part of a larger purchase of other cabinets.

In this case, cabinet companies will assemble and install the pantry.

Prices leap when you hire carpenters or fine woodworkers to build kitchen pantries from scratch. While costs rise, so too does the level of craftsmanship and the practicality of the units. Expect to pay at least $850 for even the most basic 15 x 80 custom-built units. It is necessary to hire carpenters if your vision of a kitchen pantry includes a butler s pantry or corridor pantry.