EverShelf: An Open-Source, Self-Hosted Smart Pantry Manager with AI to Stop Food Waste

Description and use

EverShelf is a self‑hosted pantry manager that runs locally via Docker or Unraid. It scans items, suggests zero‑waste recipes, and syncs expiry dates to calendars, cutting food waste and removing reliance on cloud services.

Problem

Homeowners often forget groceries until they expire, leading to food waste. Existing pantry apps are closed‑source, subscription‑based, or rely on proprietary cloud services, lacking privacy and offline capability.

Outcome

EverShelf enables users to manage pantry inventory locally, receive AI‑driven zero‑waste recipes, and sync expiry dates to calendars, thereby reducing food waste and eliminating reliance on proprietary cloud services.

Workflow

• 1. Install EverShelf using docker‑compose or Unraid template.
• 2. Scan items with barcode or OCR to add to inventory.
• 3. AI engine suggests recipes based on current stock and expiries.
• 4. Generate smart shopping lists that deduct existing stock.
• 5. Subscribe pantry expiry dates to Google/Apple Calendar via calendar feed.
• 6. Optionally use Home Assistant integration for automation.

Evidence

We recently crossed 147+ stars and 14 forks on GitHub

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Core: PHP 8+ backend, modular architecture with SQLite (WAL mode).

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Deployment: Simple docker-compose setup and an official versioned Unraid template.

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AI Engine: Pluggable AI integration supporting Google Gemini, OpenAI, or locally hosted Llama instances.

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Key Features: Barcode Scanning & Receipt OCR, Zero‑Waste AI Recipes, Smart Shopping Lists, Calendar Feed, Android Kiosk Mode.

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