Keep track of your pantry

Your pantry is the list of what you already have at home. Turn on Hide pantry staples and those items drop off your grocery list. It is also the starting point when you ask what you can cook.

Open your pantry#

1. 1

   Open Pantry from the menu

   On a computer, click Tools in the top bar, then Pantry. On a phone, tap More in the bottom bar, then Pantry.

   You'll see: The Pantry page opens, with the heading Pantry and a count of your items.

The page works on every plan. A new pantry is empty. Tap Add these 10 basics to start with flour, oil, eggs, rice, onion, garlic, butter, sugar, milk and pasta, or add your own as shown below.

Add items#

There are three ways to add things. Use whichever is quickest. Salt, pepper and water are always assumed, so you never need to list them.

Type an item#

1. 1

   Start typing in the field

   The field is already open on an empty pantry. Once you have items, a phone shows it folded away, so tap Add to pantry first. Your own words are at the top of the list as Add “spin”, with matching ingredients under it.

   

   You'll see: A short list of suggestions drops down, such as spinach.

2. 2

   Add it

   Press Enter to add what you typed. To add a suggestion instead, click it, or press the down arrow and then Enter or Tab. Nothing else to confirm.

   You'll see: The item lands on the right shelf and the count goes up by one.

If you type something you already have, the list says so, for example Already in your pantry, and nothing is added twice.

Paste a list#

1. 1

   Paste your list into the field

   Copy a list from a note, a message or a shopping receipt, click the field and paste. Put one item on each line, or separate them with commas. Write just the names. RecipeClip saves each item in lowercase and shows it with a capital first letter, so Chicken Thighs is saved as chicken thighs and shows as Chicken thighs.

   

   You'll see: The items are added at once and the field says Added 5 items.

Browse by category#

1. 1

   Open Browse by category and tap what you have

   Pick a group such as Pantry & sauces and tap the chips for the things in your cupboard. The number beside the group, such as 7/20 on a computer or 4/12 on a phone, shows how many of the chips on screen you have. Tap a green chip again to take that item off your shelf. Use the +N more link at the end of a group to see the rest.

   

   You'll see: Each tap adds the item and turns its chip green with a check mark.

Find an item#

Items sit on shelves such as Dairy & eggs and Meat & fish. RecipeClip picks the shelf from the name, so you do not choose it, and an item cannot be moved to another shelf.

1. 1

   Search with Search pantry

   Type part of a name. garl finds Garlic.

   

   You'll see: The list shrinks to the matching items, and the heading counts them, for example 1 of 22 items.

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   Show one shelf

   On a phoneOn a computer

   Tap Filters next to the search box, choose a shelf, then tap Show N items. Tap Clear filters to see everything again.

   Click Shelf: All beside the search box and choose a shelf. The button now reads, for example, Shelf: Dairy & eggs. Choose All to go back.

   

   You'll see: Only that shelf stays on screen.

If nothing matches, the page says Nothing matches that. When your search is close to something on your shelf, it adds Did you mean with that item. Tap it to search for it instead.

Remove or merge items#

Remove one item#

Tap the × beside it. On a computer the × appears when you point at the row. A message says Removed Butter with an Undo button, so a slip is easy to fix.

Remove several items#

1. 1

   Press Select items

   It sits under the search box.

   You'll see: A check box appears beside every item, and a bar shows how many are selected.

2. 2

   Tick the items, then press Remove

   Tap a row to tick it. A button on the phone’s bottom bar and a button at the top right on a computer both say Remove.

   

   You'll see: The bar reads, for example, 2 selected. Select all ticks everything on screen, and Done leaves selection.

3. 3

   Confirm

   A box asks Remove 2 items? and lists them. Press Remove 2 items, or Cancel to keep them.

   

   You'll see: The items disappear and a message says Removed 2 items with Undo.

Merge a duplicate#

Now and then the same thing is listed twice, such as Yellow Onion and Yellow Onions. When that happens, a banner appears above the list with a Merge button.

1. 1

   Press Merge on the banner

   The banner shows the extra spelling and the one that stays, and it is marked No undo.

   You'll see: A box asks, for example, Merge Yellow Onion into Yellow Onions?

2. 2

   Confirm the merge

   Press Merge in the box. Merging cannot be undone, but it only removes the second spelling.

   

   You'll see: The extra copy is gone and nothing else on your list changes.

How your pantry helps#

On your grocery list#

1. 1

   Turn on Hide pantry staples

   Open Grocery and flip the switch above the list. It starts off every time you open Grocery, so turn it on again when you want it. Names have to match, so a shelf item called olive oil hides olive oil but not extra virgin olive oil. Use Manage your pantry in the note to jump back here. More in Make a grocery list.

   

   You'll see: Items you already have drop off the list, and a note says Pantry staples are hidden.

In What can I cook#

What can I cook? starts from your pantry. Your items show up under From your pantry, and Use my N pantry items (N is your count) puts the recipes you are closest to cooking first.

Pro On a recipe page, Pantry check compares the ingredient list with your shelf. See Use a recipe page.

Common questions#

Why is salt not on my list?#

Salt, pepper and water are assumed to be in every kitchen. What can I cook? treats them as always there, and you cannot add them. On your grocery list, Hide pantry staples only hides items that are on your own shelf, so salt can still appear there.

Can I rename an item or add an amount?#

No. An item is just a name. To change one, remove it and add it again. Amounts such as 2 lbs are not tracked.

Is there a limit?#

No. The pantry has no item limit and is free on every plan. Scanning a photo does use AI imports, as described in Scan your fridge or shelves.