What is the difference between a pantry cabinet and a pantry closet?

The main difference between a pantry cabinet and a pantry closet is how they make use of space. A pantry closet is effectively a small room with 2-3 shelves and then the floor space below for storage. In larger homes, it can be a luxury to have a large, walk-in pantry closet.

But we tend to favor full-height (i.e. floor to ceiling) pantry cabinets for their flexibility and versatility — their entire cubic volume is dedicated to storage and storage alone (they don’t have to accommodate walk-ins), and we can combine stationary and pull-out shelving for a fully customized storage solution. Plus, they’re a lot nicer to look at.