Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?
Ventilated dry pantry
Passive
One of 3 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.
A food cupboard or small room with vents to the outside, so air moves through it constantly. The moving air keeps it dry and cool, without any machine. Dry goods, onions and potatoes keep longer.
Build it
Nothing separate is built here: this is a choice about how the home is designed or used.
Cost
Low
Upkeep
None
Skill to build
None
Lifespan
Matches structure/cabinetry lifespan (shelving and ventilation, not a wearing product)
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Ventilated dry pantry (This page) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: None · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want dry goods, onions and potatoes to keep longer with no machine.
Sand-box root vegetable storage Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Regular · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want root vegetables to keep for months in a cool, dark corner.
Passive multi-zone pantry storage system Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you are fitting a kitchen and want each food kept where it lasts longest.
We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.