Our builders used the same wire shelving as in most closets for the pantry. This was a pretty terrible idea because nothing would sit level on the wires and food was always falling through from one place to another. There were also only 4 shelves in a 9-foot tall pantry, so everything was nice and cramped.
We decided to do one of the most simple shelves that you can do. They are simply a 1x10 shelf supported on three sides by 1x2s cut to fit. I purchased a 1x10x8 foot piece of pine at Lowes and two 1x2s for about $20. We stained the shelves a dark brown to match the other wood in the kitchen. After some measuring and cutting, it was just a matter of a few screws and we were in business.
The key to making successful shelves is making sure that everything is level! Don't just eyeball, trust your tools. Since these shelves will also be holding heavy cans and other food, I made sure to find a stud for each of the support pieces.
In the pictures below you can see the old wire shelving with food, then cleaned out, with the old shelves removed and finally the new shelving. I was able to add one more shelf up high for things like grocery bags that we don't use everyday. We are now able to see everything we have and nothing falls through.
This whole project took about an hour, after staining/drying time. It was something that needed doing, but was spurred on by pictures of organized pantries on Pinterest. Dammit Pinterest!!
