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What is a Metal Pantry?

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

A metal pantry is a kind of shelving made out of metal that is used to hold items that are traditionally stored in a pantry. Such items may include dry goods, canned goods, and other types of packaged foods that are purchased in large quantities. It is most common to find a metal pantry in a commercial kitchen or an industrial kitchen. People who are interested in creating modern-looking kitchens, however, sometimes choose to use metal pantries in their domestic kitchens. In some cases, a metal pantry will have wheels instead of feet so that it can easily be moved from place to place within a kitchen.

There are two features that vary quite a bit when it comes to metal pantry models. The number of shelves is the first feature. It is common for a metal pantry to have between four and eight shelves, even though most metal pantries are approximately the height of a refrigerator. This means that the space between each shelf can vary quite a bit. The other feature that can vary quite a bit is the depth of the shelves.

Woman baking cookies
Woman baking cookies

In most cases, metal pantries with deep shelves will have fewer shelves than those with more shallow shelves. This is because metal pantries with very deep shelves are usually used to store large items such as mixing bowls and electric kitchen appliances such as bread makers. These items are often tall in addition to being wide. Metal pantries with shallower shelves are used to store smaller items such as canned goods and jars of jams and sauces. In some cases, the space between the shelves on a metal pantry can be adjusted to suit the specific needs of a kitchen.

One advantage of a metal pantry is that it is very easy to see all of the items that are stored on its shelves and to locate items quickly. Another advantage is that metal pantries are very easy to clean. While cupboard shelves ® especially those that are a bit hard to reach ® can be difficult to clean on a regular basis, the slatted shelves of a metal pantry are easy to dust and clean off quickly. One of the disadvantages of a metal pantry is that it can become disorganized rather quickly. While a disorganized cupboard can simply be closed and dealt with later, a messy metal pantry is not so easy to disguise.

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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      Woman baking cookies