The main problem with flour, sugar and other "dry stuff" would presumably be moisture. Flour for example - suppose you keep it in an airtight container: you take the container out, use a little bit, and return it to the fridge with a fresh load of warm, moist air from the kitchen. That moisture is going to condense in the flour. If you use flour all the time, or you just store it there *until* you start using it, it's probably not a problem, but I don't think it's good for long-term store-and-usage.

I store all of my flour in the freezer, and I've read that it's smarter to refrigerate nuts as well. Perishable oils can be refrigerated too, though they might harden (and resoften at room temp)

Nuts, spices , pickles, condiments- they will remain fresh longer!

I have limited cabinet space too, so I keep flour, sugar, and rice in 1-gallon glass jars on top of the fridge. If I have a spare bag of sugar or flour, I keep it in the fridge, which keeps the bugs away (particularly a problem in the summer heat).

Same with me! Flour and sugar and nuts in the fridge. More room in the fridge than in my minuscule cabinets. I store sugar in the fridge in airtight jars, but I've also just put the bag in there before and never had issues with clumping....

I very strongly disagree with your recommendation - in all likelihood the flour and other dry goods will gather moisture in the fridge.

I keep flours and grains in the fridge and I haven't had a problem with moisture.

I keep nuts in the freezer.

I didn't know about the moisture problem. All my flour packages say to keep them in the fridge/freezer for best results. ...?

I just heard a story on NPR about keeping bread in the fridge. They said the fridge is extremely dry and storing bread in it can make the bread go stale faster.

My mom always kept brown sugar in the fridge. We never had a problem.

My parents used to have bug problems, so they took to storing several pantry items in the fridge. One thing I'd recommend against is brown sugar, as it ends up like a rock. Never had problems with other stuff though, but they generally kept stuff in its original packaging, rather than putting into airtight jars, so maybe that helps with the moisture?

I'd be a bit wary of canned goods too. I mean, I always take stuff out of opened cans to store, because they start to taste weird if refrigerated in the can. And the moisture might cause the cans to rust, right?

I wouldn't be putting flour or sugar in the fridge. I'd be too worried about moisture making the flour go off and making the sugar clump up.

We live in a very warm, humid environment. I store flour and sugar in the fridge in the paper bags that they came in. Never had a problem with flour. White sugar eventually gets the little clumpy "pebbles" but most of the sugar stays granulated. My brown sugar comes in a plastic bag and it turns into a solid brick eventually (6 months), although if you put it in the microwave for 10 seconds it will de-clump temporarily. Nuts in the freezer.

PS Sadly we also keep chocolate bars in the fridge, in a ziploc bag, because they get melty in the pantry. So whenever I want chocolate I have to take it out of the fridge, then sit there and stare at it for 5 minutes waiting for it to thaw.

I'm also single and a big fan of using the space in my fridge for extra storage. I keep my pasta in there owing to lack of cabinet space. I also keep my bread in there - and haven't noticed it going stale any sooner (and it's from Whole Foods, and not full of preservatives).
My mom keeps her spare flour in fridge until she's ready to open it and has never had a problem.

I always keep my grains and nuts in the fridge. No problem with moisture and, better yet, no more problems with getting pantry bugs. The cold kills them.

I wouldn't keep opened flour in the fridge, personally, because of the moisture, but I keep nuts and dried fruits (especially homemade unsulfured dried fruits with some moisture content remaining) there. I also keep delicate oils like walnut oil in the fridge.

I habitually put flours and grains into the freezer for a day or so before transferring to dry storage containers; it really cuts down on bugs. Some particularly delicate flours like almond meal I keep in the freezer.

I store unopened jars of jams and condiments in the fridge, as well as opened.

Putting your flour into the freezer for about 4 days when you first buy it kills the pantry moths and the other bugs that the FDA allows so many parts per billion of. I keep my extra flour (especially whole wheat), rice, and nuts in the freezer, as the oils go rancid slower when kept there.

Bread goes into the fridge, as it will go green before I eat it if it doesn't. It does go stale, but if the choice is green or stale (which is still good for grilled cheese), I pick stale.

Chocolate is in the fridge during the summer to keep from melting!

Keep your brown sugar in the freezer! I do this even though I have room in my cabinets. I saw that tip both online and on the back of a bag of brown sugar.

Keep it in an airtight container in the freezer (not the original bag... I use a Ziploc tupperware container), and pull it out as you're gathering ingredients for whatever you're making. By the time you get to the step that calls for brown sugar, it'll be thawed.

Really! It thaws surprisingly quickly and is back to its soft self again. Return to the freezer when you're done with it.

Why would you NOT keep chocolate in the fridge? It's so much nicer cold and won't come to any harm.

I'm weary of storing pantry items in my fridge, because they tend to absorb odors and sometimes my fridge gets smelly before I realize it. Storing leftover sauerkraut and onions (even in airtight containers) or when some produce in my crisper goes bad before I realize it is my main problem.

But also having had a mill worm problem before, I can see a definite advantage to it, I suppose the freezer is a better option for me, because it's less smelly.

I live in New Orleans which is very hot and humid for most of the year. For years I have stored all of my grains and legumes in the fridge, and all of my various flours in the freezer. I've never had a moisture issue as the air in the fridge/freezer is much drier than the air in the pantry. I store all of the items in the 1,2, and 4 cup whole foods containers that you can get in the bulk section. They stack easily, and make it easy to see what you have sitting on your shelf.

I keep everything in the fridge - flour, canned goods, pasta, rice, beans etc. I only have one small cabinet, so I don't have that much of a choice. Plus, I hate bugs.

I have never had a problem with flour. And until recently, I didn't use much flour so the bag I had in there was well over a year old.

Maybe it depends on your particular fridge? I just don't think I have a very high moisture fridge.