Innovative Canned Food Storage Ideas to Maximize Your Space

By Ben Slaughter January 19, 2025

We can thank the French for many things—pasteurization, cabaret, the bicycle, and, interestingly, canned foods.

In 1795, amid the chaos of France's Napoleonic Wars, Nicolas Appert was awarded 12,000 francs for his groundbreaking food preservation method, designed to sustain French troops both on land and at sea.¹ Since then, canned foods have revolutionized food preservation, becoming a staple in households and supermarkets.

That said, the French have yet to invent a way to condense the storage of cans, leaving us to face the modern dilemma of cramming canned foods into ever-shrinking spaces—a real problem for those who like to stockpile.

Fortunately, this guide explores creative, space-saving canned food storage ideas to help you stow them away efficiently and stylishly.

1. Use Tiered Racks for Easy Access

One of the most effective ways to store canned goods is by using tiered racks. These racks create vertical storage in your pantry or cabinets, allowing you to store more cans in less space and keep your cans organized by expiration date, type, or use.

The beauty of tiered racks is that they allow you to see all your cans at once, making it easy to:

Spot what you need
Avoid overbuying
Reduce food waste

Adjustable or expandable tiered racks are a versatile option that can accommodate different can sizes. Whether you're stacking emergency food cans or your everyday canned goods, you can customize these racks to fit your needs.

2. Install Magnetic Strips for Floating Storage

If you’re looking for something sleek and innovative, consider installing magnetic strips or bars in your kitchen. Magnetic storage is a clever way to store canned goods in kitchens with limited pantry space, as it allows you to store cans off the countertop and cabinets, giving you more room to work with. You can attach these strips to the undersides of cabinets or walls, creating a floating storage solution that’s both functional and modern.

When using magnetic strips, ensure that the magnets are strong enough to hold the weight of the cans. Safety is a key consideration—the strips should be securely mounted so that the cans won’t easily fall off. This approach works especially well for smaller cans or those that are frequently used, making it easy to grab them whenever needed.

3. Repurpose Bookshelves or Shoe Racks

Sometimes, the best storage solutions are the ones you already have lying around. Bookshelves or over-the-door shoe racks are fantastic alternatives for organizing your canned goods. These items can easily be repurposed to store cans, utilizing often-overlooked vertical space in your kitchen, pantry, or other areas of the house.

Bookshelves – Bookshelves with narrow shelves are perfect for stacking cans, and you can even label each shelf according to the type of food stored on it—soups, vegetables, fruits, and more.

Shoe racks – Over-the-door shoe racks, often designed to hold shoes or small items, can also be transformed into clever canned food organizers. They’ll make use of space on the back of doors in your pantry or kitchen, and you can store cans by category, ensuring everything is organized and easy to find.

4. Utilize Under-Shelf Baskets

Under-shelf baskets are a great way to double the usable space inside your cabinets or on your pantry shelves. These baskets hang under existing shelves, giving you extra room for storage without sacrificing valuable space. They’re also perfect for storing lighter canned goods, like canned fruit or beans, which are easy to access and organize in baskets.

Adjustable under-shelf baskets are also widely available, and they can be a real game-changer for maximizing vertical space. Whether you’re organizing your pantry or refrigerator, these baskets can help you keep your cans in neat rows, allowing you to easily retrieve what you need.

5. Build a Rotating Canned Food Dispenser

DIY enthusiasts will love this next idea: a rotating canned food dispenser. These systems are designed to store your cans in a way that promotes the "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) method, ensuring that older cans are always used first.²

Whether you purchase a pre-made rotating system or build one yourself, this setup can save space while helping to maintain freshness and reduce waste.

You can build a simple dispenser using materials like:

Wood
Plastic
Metal

The design typically involves a slanted shelf or rotating drum that keeps the cans in place and allows them to roll forward as you remove them.³ This solution works particularly well in pantries or small spaces, helping you stay organized while ensuring that older cans are used before they expire.

6. Store Cans in Stackable Bins

Clear, stackable bins allow you to keep your cans organized and easily accessible. By grouping your cans into categories—such as soups, vegetables, or proteins—you can make it easier to grab exactly what you need without having to sift through a jumble of cans.

These bins work especially well for deep pantry shelves or even in your fridge. The clear design allows you to see the contents without opening the bin, and the stacking feature maximizes your space.

When organizing, be mindful of grouping cans by size to ensure the bins are fully utilized and easy to manage.

7. Use the Space Under Your Bed or Furniture

Don’t overlook non-kitchen areas when it comes to canned food storage. Under-bed storage bins are a great way to keep your canned goods tucked away when you’re low on kitchen space.

This option works particularly well for stockpiling extra cans or bulk items that you don’t need immediate access to.

Adding wheels to your under-bed storage bins will make them even more convenient, as you can easily slide them in and out from under the bed or furniture.

8. Hang a Pegboard for Custom Storage

For those who love the versatility of customizable storage solutions, pegboards can be a fantastic addition to garages, basements, or even kitchen walls. With a pegboard, you can attach hooks, shelves, or baskets to create a unique, space-saving solution for storing your canned goods.

The beauty of pegboards lies in their adaptability—if your needs change or you acquire more cans, you can adjust the placement of the hooks and shelves as necessary.

When installing pegboards, be sure to use heavy-duty materials and secure them to the wall to support the weight of the cans.⁴ This is an excellent way to turn unused wall space into an efficient canned food storage area.

9. Create Hidden Storage in Furniture

If you want to keep your canned goods hidden but still easily accessible, consider using furniture with hidden compartments. Stylish built-in storage options that can double as functional storage spaces for canned food include:

Ottomans
Benches
Coffee Tables
Kitchen carts

These pieces of furniture blend seamlessly into your living room or kitchen, giving you extra space without the clutter.

A quick tip: Using labeled containers inside these hidden compartments will help you stay organized and ensure that you can easily find what you need.

10. Build a Slim Slide-Out Pantry

For those with narrow spaces, a slim slide-out pantry can be a game-changer.

These units can fit between appliances or in tight areas that would otherwise be wasted space, providing convenient, easy access to your cans without cluttering up your kitchen counters or cabinets.

You can either build a custom slide-out pantry with basic materials or purchase a pre-made option that fits your specific dimensions.

11. Use Lazy Susans for Corner Storage

Corner cabinets can be some of the most difficult spaces to organize. But with a lazy Susan, you can make corner storage much more functional.

A lazy Susan is a rotating turntable that makes it easy to access cans, jars, or other kitchen items in tight spaces. For storing canned goods, choose a heavy-duty turntable that can handle the weight of the cans. You can even opt for tiered lazy Susans to maximize the height of the corner cabinet and make the most of your space.

12. Label and Categorize for Efficiency

Finally, organizing your canned goods goes beyond just storing them efficiently—it’s also about making them easy to find when you need them. Labeling your cans and storage areas can make a world of difference in how quickly you can access what you need.

Consider creating categories such as:

Soups
Vegetables
Proteins
fruits

Or, label your cans by what meals you’ll use them in.

Waterproof or erasable labels will allow you to change the categories or reassign cans as needed.

This simple yet effective organization method will keep your pantry neat and your canned goods easy to access.

ReadyWise: For Your Canned Food Inventory Needs

Maximizing space and organizing your canned goods doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By using a combination of creative storage solutions like tiered racks, magnetic strips, repurposed furniture, and even custom-built pantries, you can keep your kitchen and pantry spaces neat, organized, and efficient.

Whether you’re short on space or just want a more stylish way to store your stockpile, these innovative ideas will help you make the most of your canned food collection. So, get creative, stay organized, and enjoy a more streamlined kitchen.

Ready to fill your pantry with emergency food supply cans? At ReadyWise, we have a wide selection of emergency food options to fill your stomach just as efficiently as you fill your cabinets.

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