# Pantry staples list

URL: https://mykitchenradar.com/guides/pantry-staples-list/
Updated 2026-11-08 · By SyntyAxis

> A basic pantry staples list covers grains and pasta, flour and baking, dried beans and lentils, canned goods, oils and condiments, spices, and coffee and tea. Most keep for months unopened. USDA FoodKeeper gives white rice and dry pasta 2 years, dried beans 1–2 years and cooking oil 6–12 months. How much of each to keep depends on how fast your family uses it, so set your own "always keep" level for each item.

MyKitchenRadar is a family kitchen app that tells you how many days each food at home will last, like "rice: about 6–11 days", and reminds everyone before it runs out. This checklist is the paper version for your pantry, with a USDA storage time on every line.

## How to use this list

Tick what you already keep. Cross out what your family never uses. Then write an "always keep" level next to each staple you tick, the amount below which you buy more. The section after the list shows how to set it.

The storage times are from USDA FoodKeeper, the US government's public food storage data (data version 128). Pantry times are for storage in a kitchen cupboard and, for most items, count from the date of purchase. They describe quality and safety for storage, not how fast a family uses an item.

## The pantry staples checklist

### Pantry staples checklist

Write your "always keep" level in the last column. Storage times from USDA FoodKeeper.

#### Grains, pasta and cereal

| Have it | Staple | Pantry, unopened | After opening | Always keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | White rice | 2 years | 1 year (6 months in the fridge) | |
| ☐ | Brown rice | 1 year | 1 year (6 months in the fridge) | |
| ☐ | Dry pasta (without eggs) | 2 years | 1 year | |
| ☐ | Dry egg noodles | 2 years | 1–2 months | |
| ☐ | Quinoa, uncooked | 2–3 years | | |
| ☐ | Oatmeal and other cook-before-eating cereal | 12 months | 6–12 months | |
| ☐ | Ready-to-eat cereal | 6–12 months | 2–3 months | |
| ☐ | Crackers | 8 months | 1 month (3–4 months in the fridge) | |
| ☐ | Popcorn kernels | 2 years | 1 year | |

#### Flour and baking

| Have it | Staple | Pantry, unopened | After opening | Always keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | White flour | 6–12 months | 6–8 months (1 year in the fridge) | |
| ☐ | Whole-wheat flour | 3–6 months | 6–8 months in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Cornmeal, regular | 6–12 months | 1 year in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Granulated or brown sugar | Indefinitely | 18–24 months | |
| ☐ | Baking soda | 2–3 years | 6 months | |
| ☐ | Baking powder | 6–18 months | 3–6 months | |
| ☐ | Cornstarch | 18–24 months | 18 months | |
| ☐ | Yeast, packaged | 2 years | 4 months in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Vanilla extract | 2 years | 12 months | |
| ☐ | Cocoa | Indefinitely | 1 year | |

#### Dried beans and lentils

| Have it | Staple | Pantry, unopened | After opening | Always keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Dried beans | 1–2 years | 1 year | |
| ☐ | Lentils | 1 year | 1 year | |
| ☐ | Dried split peas | 1 year | 1 year | |

#### Canned and jarred goods

| Have it | Staple | Pantry, unopened | After opening | Always keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Canned beans, vegetables, soup (low acid) | 2–5 years | 3–4 days in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Canned tomatoes, fruit, juice (high acid) | 12–18 months | 5–7 days in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Tomato paste | 27 months | 5 days in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Canned tuna | 3 years | | |
| ☐ | Canned coconut milk | 2–5 years | 4 days in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Broth or stock, boxed | Package use-by date | 3–4 days in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Pasta sauce in jars | 18 months | 4 days in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Peanut butter, commercial | 6–24 months | 2–3 months | |
| ☐ | Jam, jelly, preserves | 6–18 months | 6–12 months in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Honey | 2 years | | |

#### Oils, vinegar and condiments

| Have it | Staple | Pantry, unopened | After opening | Always keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Olive or vegetable oil | 6–12 months | 3–5 months | |
| ☐ | Coconut oil | 3 years | | |
| ☐ | Vinegar | 2 years | | |
| ☐ | Soy sauce | 3 years | 1 month in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Ketchup | 1 year | 6 months in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Mustard | 1–2 years | 1 year in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Mayonnaise, commercial | 3–6 months | 2 months in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Hot sauce | 6 months | | |

#### Spices and seasonings

| Have it | Staple | Pantry, unopened | After opening | Always keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Salt | Indefinitely | | |
| ☐ | Ground spices (cumin, paprika, cinnamon) | 2–3 years | 2–3 years | |
| ☐ | Whole spices (peppercorns, cloves) | 3–4 years | 3–4 years | |
| ☐ | Chili powder | 2 years | 2 years | |
| ☐ | Dried herbs (oregano, basil) | 1–2 years | 1–2 years | |
| ☐ | Seasoning blends | 1–2 years | 1–2 years | |

#### Coffee, tea and drinks

| Have it | Staple | Pantry, unopened | After opening | Always keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Ground coffee | 2 years | 2 weeks (1 month in the fridge) | |
| ☐ | Whole coffee beans | 3–5 months | 3–5 months | |
| ☐ | Instant coffee | 1 year | 2–3 months | |
| ☐ | Tea bags | 18–36 months | 6–12 months | |
| ☐ | Loose tea | 2 years | 6–12 months | |
| ☐ | Shelf-stable (UHT) milk | 6–12 months | 5–7 days in the fridge | |
| ☐ | Powdered milk | 3–5 years | 3 months | |

#### Snacks, nuts and dried fruit

| Have it | Staple | Pantry, unopened | After opening | Always keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Nuts in jars or cans | 1 year | 2–9 months (4–6 months in the fridge) | |
| ☐ | Dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries) | 6 months | 1 month (6 months in the fridge) | |
| ☐ | Granola | 6–9 months | | |
| ☐ | Cereal or granola bars | 6–12 months | | |

#### Fresh staples most families also keep (fridge and counter)

| Have it | Staple | Where | How long | Always keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Milk | Fridge | Package use-by date | |
| ☐ | Eggs, in shell | Fridge | 3–5 weeks | |
| ☐ | Butter | Fridge | 1–2 months | |
| ☐ | Yogurt | Fridge | 1–2 weeks | |
| ☐ | Hard cheese (cheddar, Swiss) | Fridge | 6 months unopened, 3–4 weeks opened | |
| ☐ | Onions | Pantry | 1 month (2 months in the fridge) | |
| ☐ | Potatoes | Pantry | 1–2 months | |
| ☐ | Garlic, whole bulbs | Pantry | 1 month | |

Source for every time above: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper data, version 128 (public domain, CC0).

## What the storage data tells you

- **Canned goods outlast the date on the can.** FoodKeeper says canned items stay safe well past the use-by or best-by date if the can has no dents, rust or swelling. Once opened, move the food to the fridge and use it within 3–7 days.
- **Some condiments are fine out of the fridge.** For shelf-stable commercial ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and soy sauce, FoodKeeper says the fridge label is about quality, not safety. The fridge keeps them tasting fresh for longer.
- **Whole-grain items go stale fastest.** Brown rice keeps half as long as white rice, 1 year against 2. Whole-wheat flour keeps 3–6 months against 6–12 months for white flour. Millet flour keeps 1 month in the pantry. Buy these in smaller packs.
- **Opening changes the clock more than buying does.** Ground coffee keeps 2 years sealed and 2 weeks open in the pantry. Crackers go from 8 months to 1 month. Dried fruit goes from 6 months to 1 month, unless you move it to the fridge.
- **Potatoes stay out of the fridge.** FoodKeeper quotes the US Potato Board that cold storage makes potatoes darken when cooked and taste sweet. The pantry is the recommended place for whole potatoes.
- **Sugar and salt do not spoil.** FoodKeeper lists both as keeping indefinitely, with sugar best used within 2 years of opening.

## How to set your own "always keep" level

This page gives no quantities. The USDA publishes how much food is available per person in the US (the ERS Food Availability data). That is national supply, not what a household buys, and we have not turned it into household amounts. Your own kitchen gives a better number in a few weeks anyway.

1. **Find how long one pack lasts.** Write the date on a pack when you open it. When it runs out, count the days. That count is your family's real rate, which no table can give you.
2. **Count the days between shops.** If you shop every Saturday, that is 7 days. If you shop every two weeks, 14.
3. **Add a buffer of a few days.** This covers a late shop, a week with guests, or a recipe that uses twice the usual amount.
4. **Set the level.** Always keep enough to cover the days between shops plus the buffer. If a bag of rice lasts your family 10 days and you shop weekly, keep one unopened bag in reserve. Buy the next one when you open it.
5. **Restock when you cross it.** When a staple drops below its level, it goes on the list, even if some is left.

Long-keeping items like salt, sugar and spices do not need a level. They last years and get used slowly. Check them once a month instead.

## Where a checklist stops working

A printed checklist tells you what you meant to keep. It does not tell you what is in the cupboard on Thursday night, or that someone used the last of the pasta at lunch. Every check means opening every cupboard.

MyKitchenRadar keeps the "always keep" level for each item and counts down from what you have, using your family's size and ages. Each staple shows as a range of days, colored red for today or 1 day, amber for 2–6 days and green for 7 days or more. Now and then it asks "How much rice is left?" and you tap Full, Half, Low or Out. The shared buy list is ready the evening before your shopping day. In the US, order links open Instacart or Amazon with the item already searched.

Coming soon for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Android after that. Free core app. One optional Family plan. No ads.

See [how the countdown works](/how-it-works/), read more on the [home page](/), or try the [free estimator](/tools/how-long-will-it-last/) on one bag of rice.

## Related guides

- [Monthly grocery list for an Indian family of 4](/guides/monthly-grocery-list-india/)
- [How to keep track of groceries at home](/guides/how-to-keep-track-of-groceries-at-home/)
- [How long will rice last?](/guides/how-long-will-rice-last/)

## Questions

### What are the most basic pantry staples?

Rice, dry pasta, flour, sugar, salt, dried beans or lentils, cooking oil, canned tomatoes and beans, a few spices, and coffee or tea. Most of these keep from several months to several years unopened, according to USDA FoodKeeper.

### How long does rice last in the pantry?

White rice keeps 2 years unopened and 1 year after opening in the pantry. Brown rice keeps 1 year. Both keep 6 months in the fridge after opening (USDA FoodKeeper).

### How long does flour last?

White flour keeps 6–12 months unopened and 6–8 months after opening in the pantry. Whole-wheat flour keeps 3–6 months in the pantry, or 6–8 months in the fridge after opening (USDA FoodKeeper).

### Are canned goods safe after the date on the can?

USDA FoodKeeper says canned items stay safe well past the use-by or best-by date as long as the can has no dents, rust or swelling. Low-acid cans keep 2–5 years and high-acid cans 12–18 months.

### How much of each pantry staple should I keep?

Keep enough to last until your next shopping trip plus a few days of buffer. Find your rate by noting the day you open a pack and the day it runs out. We do not publish US household quantities because we have not yet sourced them.

### Do ketchup, mustard and soy sauce need the fridge after opening?

USDA FoodKeeper says shelf-stable commercial ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and soy sauce are safe at room temperature after opening. The label asks for the fridge for quality, not safety. Opened ketchup keeps 6 months in the fridge.

### Which pantry items go stale fastest?

Per USDA FoodKeeper, opened ground coffee goes first (2 weeks in the pantry). Millet flour, opened crackers and opened dried fruit follow at 1 month, then whole-wheat flour at 3–6 months.

## Sources

- [USDA FSIS FoodKeeper data (CC0), data version 128](https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/fsis-foodkeeper-data)
- [USDA FSIS FoodKeeper data documentation (archived copy)](https://web.archive.org/web/20260309153612/https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2020-06/Data-Documentation-FoodKeeper-Application.pdf)
- [USDA ERS Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System (not used for numbers yet)](https://ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-availability-per-capita-data-system)