I think there are some essentials in a pantry, but some other items are dependent on your style of cooking. My recommendation for starting a well stocked pantry would be to start small. It's better to buy the smaller package of an item someone said is "essential" and see if you use it as often as you thought you would than purchasing the largest one just to see it go bad, especially if you have limited storage space. Like I said, we buy very few items in large quantity.
I've made this list of items that we always have on hand and the quantities that we usually buy them in if we buy in unusual quantities:
In the Dry Goods Pantry
- Bread Flour
- We buy bread flour in 25 lb. bags because we make our own bread. Certainly this wouldn't even be in your pantry if that was not the case. If you make bread infrequently, purchase a smaller quantity.
- Whole What Flour
- All Purpose Flour
- Surprisingly, we only purchase this in the typical 5 lb. bags sold at the grocer. The cost is actually not that different when buying in bulk here and we only use it for baking pastries which is fairly infrequent.
- Rye Flour
- Corn Meal
- Semolina
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Flaxseed Meal
- Milled Flaxseed
- Whole Oats
- Ghram Cracker Crumbs
- Dried Coconut
- Porcini Mushrooms
- Chocolate Chips
- Dried Cranberries
- Hazelnuts
- Pine nuts
- Pecans
- Slivered Almonds
- Popcorn
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Whole Cloves
- Bay Leaf
- Cannelini Beans
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Kosher Salt
- Sushi Rice
- Short Grain Brown Rice
- Jasmine Rice
- Aborio Rice
- Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
A note about spices: These are the one's we use most frequently, so we do use a larger quantity. If you use spices infrequently (like Indian or Asian spices not in your regular cooking), purchase these in the bulk section where you can purchase only the amount you need. Don't buy a whole jar of a spice you don't plan on using for more than one recipe if you can avoid it. It will save you time and space by not storing a spice you won't use frequently.
- Fresh Garlic
- White Peppercorns
- Green Peppercorns
- Pink Peppercorns
- Cinnamon, Ground
- Chili Powder, Regular
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Penzey Spices' Italian Dressing Base
- Ground Cayenne
- Sesame Seed
- Ground and Whole Coriander Seed
- Sage
- Penzey Spices' Creamy Peppercorn Dressing Base
- Paprika
- Shallots - Freeze Dried
- Oregano
- Basil
- Ground Cumin
- Thyme
- Poppy Seed
- Minced Garlic
- Rosemary
- Cardamon
- Fennel Seed
- Penzey Spices' Italian Sausage Seasoning
- Penzey Spices' Northwoods and Northwood's Fire Seasoning
- Chicken Stock
- Fish of some variety
- Steak
- Pork
- Chicken or Turkey
- Ground Beef
- Ground Chicken or Turkey
- Ground Pork
- Ground Veal
- Frozen Fruit, portioned into 2 cup containers for morning smoothies
- Pre-made Breakfast Items (Bagels, Scones, Cinnamon Rolls, etc.)
- Eggs
- Milk - Almond
- Whole Cream
- Red Onion
- White Onion
- Yellow Onion
- Lemons
- Oranges or another Citrus
- Cream Cheese (Tofutti)
- Sour Cream (Tofutti)
- Butter
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Jelly
- Capers
- Hot Sauce
- Mustard
- Pecorino Romano
- Sheep's Milk Feta
- Ricotta Salata
- Baking Soda
- Corn Starch
- Molasses
- Vanilla Extract
- Honey
- Baking Powder
- Yeast
- We buy this at our local bulk discount store in large packages. It is actually cheaper to buy more there than to buy the small jars at the grocery. It does have a relatively short shelf life once opened, but the savings is enough for the amount we use that the small amount of waste is acceptable and cost effective.
- Cream of Tartar
- Chocolate Baking Squares
In the Bulk Storage Cabinet
- Canola Oil
- Not purchased in bulk, but we do buy this with the vegetable oil during 2-for-1 sales at the grocer.
- Vegetable Oil
- Kalamata Olives
- Corn Tortillas
- India Tellicherry (Black) Peppercorns
- We buy this and the sea salt for grinding in large bags at a spice retailer
- Sea Salt for Grinding
- Juice
- Bought during 2-for-1 sales and stocked up so that we never pay full price for this luxury item
- Pasta (elbows, shells, etc. )
- Bought during 2-for1 sales as well in varieties like elbows, shells and orzo for easy weeknight meals
- Olive Oil - 3 liters
- We buy this in the largest container because it is cost effective (even better than 2-for-1 sale prices) and we use it regularly.
- White Vinegar
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sherry Vinegar
- Specialty Vinegars like Pomegranite Infused Red Wine, Fig Infused White Balsamic, etc.
- We have a wide variety of vinegars since we make our own dressings, which is also why we stock some of these fancier types.
- Tomato Sauce
- Crushed and Diced Canned Tomatoes
- Bought during 2-for-1 sales in whichever size they have on sale.
- Canned Pumpkin
- Pickles
- Coconut Milk
- Mayonnaise
- Purchased exclusively during 2-for-1 sales
- Raisins
- Candied Ginger
- Nuts & Seeds (variety)
- Soy Sauce
- Tomato Paste
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- Chili Oil
- Canned Tuna
- Crackers
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