Understanding Corner Pantry: How Big Should A Corner Pantry Be?

How big a corner pantry is should depend on the size of your home or kitchen area. For example, if you have a big house and ample room space, you can create a big corner pantry. On the other hand, if you lack space in the kitchen and need extra storage, you need a large corner pantry.  

Also, remember there are various corner pantries like base corner pantries, base blind corner pantries, corner drawers pantries, base angle corner pantries, and void corner pantries. These pantries all have different sizes and dimensions. But in this article, we will treat each according to the locations, design, and uses. 

• A corner pantry should be located 48 inches from the kitchen.
• A fixed storage shelf’s maximum depth is 16 inches or 14 inches.
• Bulk storage should be between 16″ and 18 inches wide.
• A 10-inch – 15 inches for general storage.
• The shelving is adjusted by no less than 2 inches.
• There should be a 2-3 inches gap between the top of each shelf and the floor.
• A 44-inch walk aisle enables two persons to pass.
• Should be located next to the landing place for shopping offloading of at least 15 inches wide.

How much space do you need for a pantry?

When setting up a pantry, there are specific rules you can follow, not a must, but it helps to produce a near-perfect pantry. Below are the set rules for building a pantry:

Proximity to the Kitchen

The corner pantry should be located 48 inches from the kitchen where food is prepared. Therefore, at least one of your pantry locations should be within a distance of 48 inches from the food preparation area.

The 48-inch dimension is versatile. Ensure the pantry is located close to the food preparation area as possible, but if you need to go beyond the 48-inch guideline to use the remainder of the kitchen better, do so.

Refrigerator and Pantry Positioning

Refrigerators for cold storage and pantries for dry storage should be grouped.

Large pantries and refrigerators are generally placed at opposing ends of a kitchen to provide a sense of balance. However, trekking to opposite sides of the kitchen to get ingredients for dinner is not the best idea and can be avoided.

The Snack center

The refrigerator and pantry should be positioned in one of the kitchen’s corners to keep snack and beverage seekers out of harm’s way. You don’t want kids walking between your cooking and trying to take some snacks.

There should be a separate snack and beverage center in addition to the kitchen’s refrigerators and pantries.

Depth of Pantry Shelves

A fixed storage shelf’s maximum depth is 16 inches or 14 inches. Therefore, pullout trays, drawers, or turntables are required in any pantry with a depth of more than 16 inches to view and access the things placed at the rear.

It’s best to utilize lazy susans to bring objects to the front to be seen if you have to store them behind other items. Because if you don’t check the back of the shelf, you’ll never know what’s lurking there for months or even years until you do.

Shelf Spacing in the Pantry

Between each shelf, there should be:

• Bulk storage should be between 16″ and 18 inches wide.
• 10″-15 inches for general storage.
• Bottles and cans should be between 6 and 10 inches in diameter.

Shelf spacing is never complete as long as there is more demand for storage space. Some bottles are almost 10 inches tall, while others are so little even a 4″ gap is enough. If you have a lot of spices or wine in your pantry, you’ll need pantry organizers to maximize the space.

Here is a list of pantry items’ typical heights. Next, measure the distance between your shelves using the below point.

• It is common for cans to be no taller than 6 inches.
• Even the largest juice cans and bulk quantities are less than 8 inches high.
• A 6-inch gap between shelves is sufficient for most cans, and an eight-inch gap for juice cans.

Shelf Adjustment in the Pantry

It is recommended that the shelving be adjusted by no less than 2 inches. The standard spacing between shelves is 32 millimeters or 1.25 inches for commercial drilling guides. This is a general rule.

Shelf Space Above Eye Level in a Pantry

There should be a 2-3 inches gap between the top of each shelf and the floor so that you may examine the contents without needing a step stool or ladder.

Coated wire or open grid wood shelves above eye level are preferable because they provide a better view of goods on the shelf from below.

The walk aisles of the pantry

• Walk-In Pantry: 36 inches is the minimum, but 44 inches is preferred.
• Walk-Through Pantry: Minimum aisle width is 44 inches, preferably 48 inches.
• Universal Design: Minimum wheelchair aisle width is 60 inches, but 64 inches is ideal.
• A 44-inch walk aisle enables two persons to pass.
• A 48-inch broad corridor allows two people to pass without turning sideways and is suitable for walk-through pantries.
• A 60-inch wide walk passageway is required for wheelchair access, but a 64-inch is preferred.

Avoid storing big objects on the path. Shelf items should not protrude into the minimum pathway space.

Landing Areas in the Pantry

To allow for easy offloading of your shopping, the pantry should be located next to the landing place, having a countertop height of at least 15 inches wide. At least 48 inches away from the pantry, a countertop just across the work aisle may serve as an ideal landing spot.

The type of cabinets with landing zones to the side of the cabinet may be obstructed by open doors while installing the pantry. A landing space across the aisle from the pantry is preferable in this situation.

There may not be enough place for landing zones on the surrounding cabinets; therefore, the pantry pullout shelf might serve as an alternative. 

There should be enough room for one or two shopping bags in a 15-inch broad landing zone. However, wider zones can accommodate more items and are thus more practical.

Lighting for the Pantry

Objects might be challenging to distinguish in the shadows. Soft, shadowless light with no brightness is ideal for a pantry’s shelves. Equip a pantry with appropriate lighting to ensure that each shelf is bathed in glare-free, shadow-free illumination.

The general lighting in the room may illuminate a pullout pantry unit, so it doesn’t require extra illumination. However, lighting is necessary for any open pantry. The room’s overhead lighting cannot adequately illuminate a hollow pantry.

With this in mind, you should install an LED light strip on both front corners of the pantry. You can hide the strips from view in this position, yet each shelf is well-illuminated at 2.9 lumens per linear foot. In addition, unlike solid shelves, open-grid shelving makes it easier to get enough illumination.

 While many people use electric appliances in their corner pantry, it is vital to consider their location early on to ensure that an electrician understands where outlets should be located. In addition, mobile phones and laptops, both of which are indispensable in today’s world, would benefit from a charging station. 

What is a blind corner pantry?

When it comes to the conventional corner pantry, the Blind Corner Pantry is a basic and extremely contemporary twist on the design. This pantry is a vast 2-door pantry, but one of the doors has been fixed or “blind” to enable neighboring cabinets to be built right up against it in the corner.