A pantry is a historic feature of the home; it actually changes how a household cooks. The kitchen isn’t cluttered with cereal boxes, olive oil bottles and those half a dozen tins of tomatoes; it already feels like a different room. This is the quiet power of a well-designed pantry, and it is why most of our handmade kitchen projects now include one.
One of the most common questions we get asked is walk-in pantry vs pantry cupboard, which one is right for the room you have? Both can be beautiful, and both have their different purposes, but they ask different things of a kitchen, and the right answer depends on the room you already have rather than the one you imagine.
In short: a walk-in pantry is a small, walk-in larder room with floor-to-ceiling shelving, while a pantry cupboard is a tall, freestanding-style cabinet built into a single run of wall. A walk-in stores more and feels more theatrical; a pantry cupboard takes far less floor space and can be added to a kitchen that’s already installed.
What a Walk-In Pantry Actually Asks of a Kitchen
A walk-in pantry is a small room with an opening door, filled with floor-to-ceiling cabinetry to make the shelving feel generous rather than claustrophobic, and ventilation if you plan to use it as a cold store. When the pantry works, there is nothing quite like it. You take a step inside, the light automatically comes on, and every tin, jar, bottle and bag of flour sits at eye level on the shelf.
To make it work efficiently, your walk-in pantry is built into the kitchen space, with a doorway naturally situated by the cooking area, and the walls deep enough for shelving on either side.
For example, in our recent Victorian project, the walk-in larder is located by the cooking area, providing the chef with a place to retrieve ingredients from bespoke artisan shelves neatly positioned in front of tongue-and-groove panelling.
What a Pantry Cupboard Actually Asks of a Kitchen
A pantry cupboard is a different solution altogether. It doesn’t steal floor space; it uses a single run of wall. When the doors are open, it can reveal a wide range of designs, from a coffee station to a breakfast pantry. You will often see narrower shelves or racking on the inside of each door, and often a worktop at the right height for prep.
Internal engineering is an important part of the pantry cupboard as it can either sing or disappoint. You don’t want the shelf depth deeper than 250 to 300 millimetres at the back, as it hides what sits behind the first row. Above all, the hinges and door geometry need to be good enough for the whole unit to open cleanly without fighting adjacent cabinetry.
What’s more, a pantry cupboard can be built into a kitchen that has already been installed.
When a Walk-In Pantry is the Right Answer for Your Kitchen
A walk-in pantry earns its place when these three things are true.
- There’s enough square footage in the kitchen or the adjoining rooms to lose a cubic metre or two without the kitchen itself feeling smaller.
- The household cooks in volume with weekly batch cooking, regular entertaining, a good, proper baking session or children go through the cereal boxes at a rate that pantry cupboards cannot keep up with.
- An aesthetic that supports it. They sit naturally in farmhouses, old rectories, converted barns and larger Victorian and Georgian homes. They are a perfect addition to a modern new-build, but the doorway has to be handled carefully so it doesn’t feel like a cupboard just sat there that someone forgot to finish.
If the kitchen is part of a multi-room project that already includes a utility and boot room, the walk-in pantry can sit between them, benefiting from the shared plumbing, ventilation, and a cool north-facing wall.
When a Pantry Cupboard is the Right Answer for Your Kitchen
For most kitchens, a pantry cupboard is the correct answer. Having a well-designed pantry cupboard holds roughly 70% of what a walk-in holds, occupies a fraction of the floor area, and presents its contents more efficiently.
For existing kitchen layouts with no room for an additional walk-in, a tall pantry cupboard can be integrated into the surrounding walls for extra storage.
Our Details that Separate a Good Pantry From an Ordinary One
Regardless of which pantry is best suited, they still work in your kitchen for years to come. We add the following details to separate good design from an ordinary one:
- Bespoke shelves at varying depths and heights
- A cold shelf of quartz or marble for butter, cheese and chocolate
- Power sockets inside for smaller appliances
- A second sink area
- Quooker tap for instant boiling water
- Ventilation to stop dry goods from going stale
- Automatic LED lighting on a sensor that comes on automatically when the door is opened
Which One Are You Choosing?
The question will usually be answered within a few minutes of us talking through your kitchen. If there is space for a walk-in and you know you’ll use it, we will say choose that option. If there is only space for a pantry cupboard, or if a pantry cupboard would genuinely serve the kitchen better, we will guide you towards that option. We will never squeeze in something for the sake of it; the pantry is too useful to get wrong.
Walk-In Pantry vs Pantry Cupboard FAQs
What is the difference between a walk-in pantry and a pantry cupboard?
A walk-in pantry is a small larder room with a doorway and floor-to-ceiling shelving on either side. A pantry cupboard is a tall, built-in cabinet that uses a single run of wall, with shelves, racking on the doors and often an internal worktop. The walk-in stores more; the cupboard takes far less floor space.
Do I need a walk-in pantry or will a pantry cupboard be enough?
For most kitchens, a well-designed pantry cupboard is enough. It holds roughly 70% of what a walk-in holds, presents its contents at eye level, and works particularly well in handleless and shaker kitchens. A walk-in earns its place when the household cooks in volume, entertains regularly or has the floor space to give it.
Can a pantry cupboard be added to an existing kitchen?
Yes. Unlike a walk-in larder, which has to be designed into the room from the start, a bespoke pantry cupboard can be integrated into an existing kitchen, scribed to the surrounding walls and finished to match your current cabinetry.
How deep should pantry cupboard shelves be?
We recommend keeping the back shelf no deeper than 250 to 300 millimetres. Anything deeper hides what sits behind the front row, which is where pantry cupboards start to disappoint.
Where does The Handmade Kitchen Company design pantries?
We design and hand-build bespoke walk-in pantries and pantry cupboards from our Hertfordshire workshop, for clients across Hertfordshire, Essex, London and the surrounding counties. Recent pantry projects include Sawbridgeworth, Nazeing, Woodford Green, Wimbledon, Ingatestone and Stebbing.
Related blogs:
The Design Rules of a Walk-in Pantry We Need to Know
How the Walk-in Pantry is so on Trend
Bespoke Pantry Options @ Bridger’s Barn Showroom
Additional Storage – Walk-in Pantry
If you are thinking about adding a pantry to your kitchen design, we would love to hear from you. Let your organisation meet craftsmanship, exclusively at The Handmade Kitchen Company.
