For a full season of home-canned jars, the stationary shelf is the better buy. The HOMEDANT 5-tier standing shelf is rated far higher than the HOMEDANT HOUSE rolling shelf, and glass jars add up fast. Choose the rolling shelf for a smaller, lighter canning-day stash you need to move, like empty jars, lids and rings.
Which shelf can carry a pantry full of filled jars?
The standing shelf can. The 28-inch HOMEDANT 5-Tier Standing Shelf (SS703015-5B) holds up to 264 lb per shelf in its standard standing setup. Across all five tiers, that standing shelf is rated for 1,320 lb total. It comes in black or white, and the specs are the same either way.
The HOMEDANT HOUSE rolling shelf (HS604015W-5B) is rated for 176 lb total for the whole unit with its medium casters installed. That number covers every tier combined, not each shelf. Spread it across five tiers and each one gets only a modest share, so a rolling unit stocked with quarts of tomatoes or applesauce can hit its limit while the shelves still look half empty.
A shelf of finished jars also rarely needs to move. Once they're labeled and dated, they sit until you eat through them, so wheels add little for that job.
| Standing shelf | Rolling shelf | |
|---|---|---|
| Size (W x D x H) | 28 x 12.3 x 59.5 in | 24.4 x 16.5 x 62.2 in |
| Load rating | 264 lb per shelf; 1,320 lb total | 176 lb total with casters |
| Best canning job | Long-term storage of filled jars | Supplies you wheel out on canning day |
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Where the rolling shelf earns its place
Canning is a workflow, and the rolling shelf suits the moving parts of it. Empty jars, boxes of lids and rings, a funnel, a jar lifter and clean towels are the things you haul to the counter on canning day and put away afterward. Rolling them over beats making a dozen trips.
Its 16.5-inch depth is deeper than the standing shelf's, which helps with bulky gear like a stockpot or a boxed flat of empty jars. Measure those items first, though. The 24.4-inch width also slips into tighter gaps, such as beside a fridge or inside a closet door.
The standing shelf's shallower 12.3-inch depth works in favor of filled jars. Fewer rows deep means older jars don't hide behind newer ones, so it's easier to use the oldest batch first.
How to check your jar load before you buy
- Weigh a full case. Stand on a bathroom scale holding one case of filled jars, then subtract your own weight.
- Add up each tier. For the standing shelf, multiply your case weight by the cases you plan per tier and compare it with the per-shelf rating. For the rolling shelf, add every tier together and compare the sum with the whole-unit total.
- Measure your space. Check floor width, depth and ceiling height against the dimensions above, leaving room to reach the top tier.
- Load heavy jars low. Put quarts and half-gallons on the bottom tiers and lighter pints or jelly jars higher up.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use both shelves together?
Yes, and it's a sensible split. Keep the finished stockpile on the standing shelf and park canning gear on the rolling shelf so it can follow you between the pantry and the kitchen.
Does the rolling shelf's rating include my canner and supplies?
It does. The 176 lb figure is for everything on the unit at once, so weigh your canner, jars and boxes together and keep the total under that rating.
