Running out of room for cereal boxes, snacks and all those little spice jars? These food storage ideas without a pantry give you plenty to work with, from rolling carts to shelves along an unused wall.
You can keep things simple or make room for a larger cabinet.
Some setups give groceries their own spot. Others move kitchen supplies elsewhere so you can reclaim a cupboard for food.
There’s even a blank wall to help you imagine where your next storage cabinet could go.
Food storage inspiration for cabinets, carts and spare walls
a little three-tier cart
How cute is this little kitchen cart? The top holds utensils and flowers, with cookbooks and a floral teapot below.
It’s kitchen storage rather than a food station.
Try moving your utensils onto a cart like this to free up a cupboard for groceries. Or reserve one tray for your packaged snacks.
shallow racks behind a door
I love how much this door holds. Tea boxes fill the upper racks, little spice jars sit through the middle and taller packages have room near the bottom.
This example is on a stocked closet door, but you could borrow the idea for another suitable door. Check the clearance before adding racks so everything can still close.
rows of colorful jars
If you love seeing everything lined up, this one is for you. The open cabinet has rows of jars filled with greens, reds, oranges and yellows.
Those closely spaced shelves make such a pretty display.
For your own version, use shelf-stable foods and follow their storage directions. A lovely jar display doesn’t tell you how its contents were preserved.
a tall pull-out cabinet
This cabinet may just be one of my favorites here. I love the separate pull-out trays and the lighting inside.
The trays hold a mix of jars, boxes and bottles, with taller bottles on the bottom.
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If you’re planning new cabinetry, ask about pull-outs sized around the groceries you actually buy.
open shelves with labeled baskets
Don’t want to hide everything behind doors? No problem!
This freestanding rack combines clear containers, a spice organizer and baskets labeled for bread and extras.
Read also: 16+ Genius Storage Box Organizer Ideas That Transform Clutter
Give loose packages their own basket, then keep bottles together on a tray like the one shown here. You don’t need matching containers on every shelf.
a cupboard for canned goods
An armoire for groceries? I love this idea.
The upper shelves hold bottles, jars and rows of cans while the bottom section still contains binders.
A spare cupboard could become your food storage spot without taking over the kitchen. Check its shelf weight limits before filling it with cans.
a narrow snack stand
How fun is this snack display? Boxed sweets stand along the top, with candy bars and smaller packets arranged below.
Try one section for sweet snacks and another for crackers if you’d like a little more variety. Keep the fronts facing out like these so you can see your choices.
bins on a corner turntable
That corner cupboard doesn’t have to be a jumble of packets. This one has curved rotating shelves with clear bins for herbs and baking supplies.
I especially like the grouped spice jars. Measure the shelf and its turning clearance before choosing bins for your own cabinet.
under-sink cleaning pull-outs
How handy are these under-sink pull-outs? There’s a bag on the left and cleaning bottles on the right, with separate trays fitted around the plumbing.
Keep this setup for cleaning supplies rather than groceries. Moving your household supplies here could free up a different, dry cupboard for food.
packets on a pegboard
The little packets finally get their own spot! This pegboard holds rows of bagged foods and seasoning mixes on projecting hooks instead of piling them into a drawer.
Borrow a smaller section of this setup for an available wall. Use packages with suitable hanging tabs or clips rather than puncturing sealed food bags.
an alcove with open cubbies
If you have a spare alcove, this setup gives you plenty of inspiration. There are groceries above, cans below and pull-out baskets through the center.
I love the dark counter between the white shelves.
This is a built-in pantry-style arrangement, so it’s a bigger project than adding a cart. You could borrow just the lower cubbies for a smaller nook.
cube shelves and baskets
I am obsessed with the basket rows here. The lower cubes look so tidy while the open sections above hold cereal boxes, jars and tall containers.
Try assigning each basket a food category, such as snacks or unopened baking supplies. Leave your most-used containers in the open cubes.
a slim rack beside the counter
Got a narrow space beside your cabinets? This tall rack is worth a look.
Its dark basket shelves hold jars while a larger basket sits at the bottom.
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The white wall shelves beside it are pretty too. You could start with the freestanding rack rather than recreating the whole corner.
a tall divided pull-out
I love the narrow compartments in this tall pull-out. Cleaning bottles line one side while a long-handled dustpan fits in the taller space beside them.
For groceries, borrow the divided layout in a separate food-only cabinet, with shelves for bottles and packages. Keep food apart from the cleaners shown here.
an island with open shelves
I love this island with its two drawers and open shelves. The shelves currently hold dishes, books and baskets rather than rows of groceries.
For a food-storage version, you could give the lower baskets to packaged snacks. Or keep your dishes here and reclaim a kitchen cabinet for dry goods.
a blank wall to build on
Got a blank wall like this one? There aren’t any storage shelves or cabinets here yet, but it’s a starting point for planning your own setup.
Try a freestanding cabinet for packaged groceries or properly supported shelves for a smaller collection. Measure first so your new storage leaves plenty of room to walk past.
three door-mounted baskets
Want a simpler version of the full-door rack above? These three white baskets are so cute.
Spices sit at the top, snack bars and packets fill the middle and clear food containers sit in the bottom basket.
This is another pantry-door example you could adapt to a suitable cupboard door. Keep the basket depth and door’s weight capacity in mind.
side-by-side snack carts
Who wouldn’t enjoy choosing a snack from this little station? One cart holds colorful snack bags while the other is mostly filled with bottled water.
You could try the same split with a single cart by giving drinks the bottom tray. Check the cart’s weight rating before loading it with bottles.
a basket cabinet with shelves above
This is such a useful combination to borrow. Nine basket cubbies sit below a surface holding appliances, with two wall shelves for jars, cans and boxes.
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I’d keep everyday snacks in the baskets and lighter backup packages higher up. There’s no need to put your heaviest cans near the ceiling.
a full wall of food storage
Last but definitely not least, we have this wall of open shelves. I love the rows of clear containers and the bowls of yellow fruit below.
Crates along the floor hold more bottles and packages.
If you don’t have room for the whole setup, start with one properly supported shelf. Keep foods that need a cool, dark spot in closed storage instead.