A pantry’s personal. It should have the ingredients and spices you frequently cook with. For some folks that’ll be pasta, other folks that’ll be rice. You know your pantry’s set when you could make a satisfying meal with one or two fresh ingredients.

A well stocked pantry is one where none of your usually ingredients is empty or running low.

194 boxes of penne, because you can’t remember if there’s any left and you might as well pick some up while you’re here.

Better than Bullion

Not an exhaustive list, but here’s some of what I usually have on hand (including fridge/freezer items that keep a long time):

• Pasta (various kinds but usually at least spaghetti and shells)
• Canned beans (I usually have black beans and chickpeas + sometimes others)
• Canned tomatoes
• Chicken stock (either in tetrapaks, cubes, paste or some other shelf-stable version) – sometimes other kinds of stock (e.g. vegetable stock too) but usually at least chicken stock
• Salt, Pepper, MSG + a good selection of various dried herbs/spices/seasonings (e.g. basil, oregano, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, etc.)
• Soy sauce
• Vinegar
• Olive oil
• Neutral vegetable oil
• Butter
• Canned fish (at least tuna and/or sardines)
• Cheeses (I usually have Parmesan, pepper jack, and American cheese slices that melt easily [e.g. velveeta or kraft singles or something like that] plus sometimes cheddar or Swiss)
• Peanut butter
• Flour
• Baking soda
• Yeast
• Chocolate
• Cocoa powder
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Milk (UHT lasts a long time)
• Salsa
• Canned or frozen green vegetables (e.g. peas, spinach, etc.)
• Rice
• Bread (frozen for storage)
• Dried lentils
• Dried fruit
• Cornstarch
• Ground meat (frozen)
• Tea
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise

(may add more to this as I think of things)

Roasted barley and a yellow bell pepper are all I need

If you ask my husband, it is always having backup of staples.

We always have rice, pasta, beans (dried and canned), canned tomatoes (along with other canned vegetables), variety of canned soups and sauces, dried spices of all sorts.

Naturally, fresh or frozen is healthier for you (sodium levels vs canned).

Can pretty much take a combination of the above, throw in some protein, add in some fresh elements, and you have a full meal.

It’s a hard question for me. I’ve known people with much less than I and well stocked for them is much different than me. We’re lucky my twin works at a grocery store so I can stock the house with more stuff for cheaper. I also like canning so like. My house has apple butter. Do most houses have apple butter? Probably not. I have three kinds of flour when some people have one and that’s like fine.

I try to always have flour, sugar, salt, kosher salt, pepper, butter, spices (what kind? A lot!), noodles, pasta sauce, brown sugar, vanilla, cream of soups, canned beans, dried beans, onions, garlic, potatoes, dried potatoes, dried milk, soy sauce, oatmeal, different oatmeal, and then my brain trails off. Oh! Fuck ton of rice!

In the freezer: minced beef, chicken breast, prawn cutlets, sliced bread, frozen mixed vegetables and packs of diced onion/celery/carrot for soup. Also mozzarella because I buy it by the kilo and like to make Italians cry.

In the cupboard: canned kidney beans, black beans, butter beans, chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, corn kernels, coconut milk. Tuna. Rice, dried fettucine, macaroni and spirals. Red lentils because you can always find them at the supermarket. Jarred pasta sauce.

In the vegetable drawer: onions, carrots, potatoes and (when available) beets, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, radishes. Spinach or lettuce.

In the fridge: milk, margarine, at least three kinds of cheese, sliced ham. Jarred crushed garlic, because I’m some kind of human animal.

In the spice rack: cumin, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, basil, smoked and sweet paprika.

What do you always have on hand? Why?

Garlic. Olive Oil. Pasta. Canned tomato paste. I default to Italian if I want to impress someone / feed an army.

Corn Starch. Flour. Beer. My weapon of choice, otherwise, is the deep fryer. I use sourdough discard as the starting point for batter. These three ingredients help get it to the correct consistency.

Really depends on you and what you cook.

I like to keep one extra of stuff (within reason) so I don’t have to run to the store if I get low on something.

Some things in my pantry that are probably uncommon: Lyle’s Golden Syrup, canned adobo, Teriyaki Baste and Glaze (not sauce, this stuff is much better), Agave nectar, Baker’s Joy (oil spray with flour), gravy mixes in large containers (instead of packets), Chili, Clam juice, and of course a bunch of spices (with a backup).

Couscous is a quick change from pasta or rice.

Some items I have right now that maybe aren’t in every pantry.

Dried fruit (pineapples, mango, nectarines + the more typical raisins) chopped up for salads or as toppings on oatmeal or whatever.

Bulgar wheat and pearl barley that I mostly use as a base for grain salads but also as a replacement for rice just to mix things up.

Corn meal, use this for polenta but also as a non stick coating for bread or pizza dough.

Like to always have a can of coconut milk on hand for soups or whatever comes up.

Powdered milk, fresh always goes bad before I use it so I keep this for baking or making cream sauces.

Outside of the typical spices (in US) I keep mesquite powder and pure msg.

Edit: Tahini & canned chickpeas. Hummus is easy with these on hand and I can also use Tahini to make other dressings. I use chickpeas to bulk out pasta dishes or to make chickpea salad (sandwich filling). I also make homemade mayo with the bean water.