Key Points:
- There are a wide variety of shelf options available. Determine the amount you feel comfortable spending and consider what will suit your needs best.
- Build Your Own - Probably the cheapest option, offers the most flexibility
- Inexpensive metal or plastic shelving (i.e. from Walmart) - A cheap and easy way to get started, although shelves may not last as long as other options
- Deluxe Can Rotation System - These are the priciest way to go but are VERY convenient when you are really rotating and using your food storage items. Different versions are available to fit whatever size of cans you want to store.
- Start with one set of shelves and add more as your food storage grows.
- Plastic may be better than metal for storing heavier items (metal tends to bow in the middle).
- Adjustable shelf heights will be useful as you store different types and sizes of foods and cans.
Diagrams/Charts:
A great sample of how to build your own Can Rotation System shelf. Pick up a copy of Food Storage 101 to view the diagram and instructions in detail!
Our Approaches:
I had some metal storage shelves in my basement already that I just cleared off to make room for my food storage. It is overflowing now so my food can cases and long term storage buckets are currently sitting on the floor BESIDE the shelf. It is my goal in 2009 to get my husband to build me the rotating shelf system he has been promising to build for 6 months
If he does I will make sure to document the process to help all of you!
For the shelving step, I really wanted a shelf reliance cansolidator, but couldn’t justify the money yet. So I got these really sturdy plastic shelves. One day I will get a shelf reliance shelf, and replace the shelves I am using right now. I figure the shelves I am using for food storage now will be useful in my garage, or other storage areas so it’s not a waste of money. Anyways, my next goal is to make really cute labels for my shelves and get one more shelf. I currently have 4.
Resources:
Metal shelves from Walmart
Shelf Reliance - Excellent can rotating system shelves
Popular Mechanics - Great instructions for how to build your own simple shelf system
Mormon Food Storage - Make your own can rotating storage bins out of cardboard
CanRacks.com offers a variety of plans for building sturdy, tidy-looking front-loading food storage shelves. Our family made several units last year. They make the job of rotating cans simple. We had to purchase all the wood and screws, but for those who have extra scraps in the garage, it would cut the cost. Bulding these could be a fun family project.
I bet Jodi will love this. Her husband is handy and he’s goning to be building her some shelves.
Do you mind telling us how much the shelf supplies costed ? I am weighing my options and comparing prices.
Tara,
I don’t have any data on the cost of shelf materials. My best suggestion would be to estimate the amounts you’d need and then check the prices at Home Depot. When we build our own shelves I will update this post with more details.
I am a professionla organizer located in the Provo/Orem area of Utah. I specialize in emergency food storage options and love that you are motivating others to prepare themselves for the unexpected while enjoying their food staples. So often we forget to use the vertical space on our walls. In my opinion, shelves are a must! They just make food storage SO much easier. Thanks, again!
Ask at grocery stores for old displays. I have a huge pop rack which holds hundreds of cans similar to the deluxe rotation system, and it was free! I also have rolling racks snacks used to be displayed on as well as hanging clip racks you often see chips displayed on.
My DH took 2 of 5 shelf metal units, put them together and made a 10 shelf rolling can unit. I think they are a little more sturdy than the Walmart shelves. I made magnet labels for them, it’s kind of fun even! I have photos if you’re interested.
Great site! I’m reading and learning.
I like the metal shelves from Home Depot, like these ones. (I don’t know what the current in-store price is; three years ago when we bought them they were around $50 to $60.) They are very sturdy, portable, and at that time they were cheaper than buying lumber to build your own wood shelves.
Portable is key, if you ever have to move. We’ve left wood shelves behind, and it’s a shame to have to build new shelves at your new location.
If you want plans to make your own small rotating can bins, check out the post at The Pantry Panel here.
Brenda, if you have pictures we would love to see them. You can email them to info @ foodstoragemadeeasy.net That sounds like a great idea.
Sara, Thanks for sharing the link to making your own rotating bins. That post is invaluable.
As we accumulate more and more food storage we will be exploring some of the more advanced options for storing this stuff. Early next year we will be revamping this section of our babysteps and include some more of these great ideas. Thanks for your input. That’s why we LOVE making this site! We learn so much from all of you too
My parents used their wheat buckets and heavy duty wood as shelves. We sued the wheat buckets as the legs of a computer desk (really heavy wood as the desk top of course).
Most all of these posted comments focus on cans and can rotation shelving. Cans are not the best idea for food storage. They are lined with plastic. BPA is still in many cans. the newer cans may be BPA free, but they are still lined with plastic and it will only be a few years before the new plastic is found to be toxic as well. Glass canning and home canning does take more time and you do mention this in other postings. So I would recommend that anyone filling a food storage space, give less space to “canned” food.
Thanks ladies! This is just what I needed. I have been preparing to stock up by getting my shelving ready. I actually stumbled across a great source for good shelves. Linens ‘n’ Things is going out of business, and at least in our area, are down to the nuts and bolts of it all. So they’re selling their big 4×12′ back room shelving units for $25 apiece. They say they can be cut, so I plan to go get one and make myself 2 4×6’s and be good. I found this on craigslist by searching for “shelving”, and there were various other retail closeout listings there.
thanks tracy! great tip
I just found the Shelf Reliance Harvest rotating systems at both Costco.com and Samsclub.com for around $290 each (including shipping)–half of what they are at shelfreliance.com! I made my husband buy me one as an early birthday present!