Key Points:

  • Don’t let small spaces intimidate you. For a comprehensive list of helpful ideas view our Small Spaces Storage Solutions post
  • There are a wide variety of shelf options available. Determine the amount you feel comfortable spending and consider what will suit your needs best.
  • Options for canned goods and other Three Month Supply foods:
    • Build Your Own – Cheap & offers the most flexibility, but time-intensive
    • Inexpensive metal or plastic shelving (i.e. from Walmart) – A cheap and easy way to get started, shelves may not be as durable
    • Higher quality metal shelves – Heavy duty hardware store shelves should have no problem with bowing or collapsing under heavy weights.
    • Deluxe Can Rotation System – Most expensive option, but very convenient for easily rotating through foods
  • Start with one set of shelves and add more as your food storage grows.
  • Plastic may be better than metal for storing heavier items (cheap metal shelves tend to bow in the middle).
  • Adjustable shelf heights will be useful as you store different types and sizes of foods and cans.
  • Clear a space near your shelves for 5 gallon buckets/water containers/etc. Cover with old carpet or pallets to avoid storing directly on concrete.
  • Make sure to check out some of these Creative Uses for Old #10 Cans submitted by our readers.

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Diagrams/Charts:

Diagram to build your own can rotating rack food storage shelves out of cardboard:

This diagram can be a little bit complex so we did a step-by-step tutorial you can view at our blog post “How to Build Your Own Can Rotating Rack”.

Online Resources:

EveryDayFoodStorage.NET: Kitchen Organization Video
EveryDayFoodStorage.NET: Food Storage Room Video
Mormon Food Storage – The original source of the cardboard rotating racks
CanRacks.com – Purchase plans for rotating racks or complete shelf systems
Food Storage 101 Book – Contains blueprints for building your own rotating shelves
Shelf Reliance – Deluxe can rotation systems


  • bmantel
    I have some cheap metal shelves which bow in the center. We had some old scrap plywood that we cut the same size as the shelf and layed on the shelf. This wood is not strong enough to be an independent shelf, but combined with the metal forms a sturdy shelf that does not bow.
  • This is a fantastic tip! Thanks for sharing. It can give us some extra options instead of having to opt for more expensive shelving as our food storage grows.
  • I'm just starting. We bought new shelves last week; essentially doubled our pantry space. Already starting to fill them up; goal is 3-month supply on all dry goods and enough fresh local food canned for the winter. Thanks for this blog!
  • Geniel
    I went to Home Depot and bought real sturdy shelving. My shelves each hold 64 #10 cans. I put the newest next to the wall and the oldest ones closest to the door where they can be easily reached. I can use the top shelf so that makes 5 sturdy shelves with food on them. I made sure to put the heavy stuff to the bottom but they have had the weight on them for 8 months and have not started to bow. I paid $80.00 for the shelf and love it. These shelves are in my garage where we have build a room and air conditioned it to keep the food at a constant temperature as we live in Texas.
  • lori pirkola
    finished baby step #2
  • Brigitte
    My husband and I are just getting started with our food storage. We are still living in an apartment so building shelving is not an option for us yet. My Husband had the ingenious Idea to recylcle our cardbaord 12 pack pop containers (soda). You know the refrigerator pack kind that are built to rotate. He just cuts another opening for the loading side and we turn it on its end. The new cans get loaded into the top and we take them out the bottom. For smaller cans you just pack two side by side. Its not the smoothest rotation, but it works for now and its fun.
  • Susan Rasmussen
    I appreciate learning where I can get the Shelf Reliance at a much better price than what the manufacturer charges. I'm concerned about Thea's comment about the BPA in cans. Is anyone else concerned about this? Any more thoughts/information out there?
  • Jemima
    I love my Shelf Reliance can system. It's great for canned food. It was worth the price, (it is cheaper at Costco). But I do use metal shelving from Target for my # 10 cans, as when I worked out the number of #10 cans that will fit on the shelf reliance system, I get the same number of cans on the metel shelfing for about 15% of the price.
  • Angel
    My husband has bulit regular flat shelves out of wood in the shop. This is where I store most things.
    The short term storage is put into totes of different sizes so the food doesnt get dusty or have the occasional unwelcome pest climbing on it.

    I also use PLASTIC shelves from Walmart that are very sturdy, easy to put together, relatively inexspensive AND Made in the USA.

    I purchased some cansolidators from Costco to line my shelves on my kitchen pantry for veggies, soups, canned beans etc.
    That makes rotating easy. I simply bring home from the store or bring a flat in from the shop and load it there. These were apx $50. for 2 (if I remember right)
    and again cheaper at Costco than Shelf Reliance.

    While in Utah the Maceys had some of these pantry units from a different company too.
  • My husband built me the most wonderful can rotator in my garage (unfortunately, we californians don't have basements). It stores/rotates HUNDREDS of #10 cans! We load from one side and use from the other, and the cans roll on their side for easy rotation. It only takes up less than one foot of space along one wall. We covered that wall with pegboard, too, so it's a double-duty space saver.

    It took my husband and a friend one day to build it and it cost us about $200. They spent one Saturday building it at our house and the next Saturday building one at the friend's house. We've been using it for 5 years - It is the best thing that ever happened to food storage for me... I was so glad to see that you addressed this as one of the first steps ot food storage.

    Here is a link to a step-by-step guide to building one.
    http://www.kirkhams.org/rotator.htm

    We took pictures of the process and my husband made up a little brochure. You're welcome to post it on the site if you think it will help other people. There's also a photo of our first attempt that fits in one side of a standard closet. It was great for a starter in a small space.

    Now that my cans are easily accessed, I use the contents all the time. I can't remember the last time I bought flour, sugar, oats, etc. at the grocery store. Not only is my garage closer, it's always open - even on Sundays - and it costs a LOT less. The final step to my rotating system is a great set of Tupperware containers that hold the contents of more than one #10 can (so I can refill before I'm all the way out) and stack on top of each other in my pantry cabinet.

    It has been well worth the work in the beginning for the years of ease since!
  • Michelle B
    I would love to see a picture Ilda! That sounds great! I would love to be able to build some like that.
  • Penny
    I remember when I was growing up, we used a NEW medium outside metal garbage can and filled it with wheat. Then we cut a circle out of plywood bigger than the opening of the can and then used some smaller scraps of wood and screwed them on the inside of the circle to fit the inside of the garbage can, then we just putt decorative fabric over the top that reached to the floor and we had an instant side table that held storage, you could really hold anything in it, I think we had one that we put extra blankets, or throws in.
    The scrap blocks of wood kept the top from moving around and falling off, and it also looked nice.
  • I made my own set of rotating shelves out of two sets of the Wal-Mart 19.88 galvanized steel shelves. By combining two sets, I was able to make a shelving system with 10 shelves.

    What I do is install the shelves upside down and at an angle. I install them with enough space above them that I can reach in and put cans in the back laying down. With the shelves at an angle, the cans roll right down to the front.

    The corners of the Wal-mart shelves are not connected at the sides, so it makes them easily bendable. It makes connecting them at the legs no problem. The sides provide an instant barrier to make sure cans fall. And with the shelves upside down, they actually seem a little more sturdy.

    This shelving system hold about 240 soup cans.
  • Monica
    Thanks for the info, this site is great! Jennifer, thanks for the info on Costco carrying the Shelf Reliance systems. I've considered getting one or two, but I'm personally struggling with the fact that I don't know if it will work well for our situation. We live out of town and purchase several different cases of the same items. (Refried beans, ravioli, chili, tuna etc.) We need to build/find a rotating shelf that can rotate an average of 50 qty of the same canned item. I'm guessing some sort of a multiple inner zig zag type shelf that wont be prone to shifting the cans somewhere along the way. With that quantity, I'm guessing we will be pulling from the floor! LOL
  • Jennifer
    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!
  • Admin
    thanks tracy! great tip
  • Tracy
    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 4x12' back room shelving units for $25 apiece. They say they can be cut, so I plan to go get one and make myself 2 4x6's and be good. I found this on craigslist by searching for "shelving", and there were various other retail closeout listings there.
  • thea
    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.
  • 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).
  • Jodi
    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 :)
  • 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
    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.
  • darasmith
    I would like pictures Brenda. arealestategal@aol.com
  • 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.
  • 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!
  • Jodi
    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.
  • Tara
    Do you mind telling us how much the shelf supplies costed ? I am weighing my options and comparing prices.
  • jweiss08
    I bet Jodi will love this. Her husband is handy and he's goning to be building her some shelves.
  • Helen
    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. Building these could be a fun family project.
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