pantryapp

A small, LAN-only web app for tracking what's in the kitchen — what we have, how much, where it lives, and what's running low. It runs on a home server and is displayed on a wall-mounted, repurposed iPad in the kitchen. The iPad is a dumb display: it runs nothing but Safari pointed at a URL on the local network. All logic and data live on the server.

A learning / portfolio project, built deliberately with no front-end framework and no build step — just Python, server-rendered HTML, and HTMX.

Stack

• Backend: FastAPI (Python 3.14)
• Data: SQLite via SQLModel — one class defines both the table and its validation; the whole pantry is a single file
• Frontend: Jinja2 server-rendered templates + HTMX for dynamic updates — no JS framework, no bundler. HTMX is vendored locally (the display device never reaches the internet)
• Runtime: rootless Podman container managed by systemd (Quadlet), data on a persistent volume, daily backups — see deploy/

Features (v1)

• Add an item with quantity, unit, location (pantry / fridge / freezer), and type (main / side / snack)
• Live search by name and filter by location or type
• Mark each item Have it / Low / Out (color-coded at a glance)
• Remove items
• Everything persists to a single SQLite file and survives restarts
• Touch-first UI: large tap targets, readable at arm's length

Run it (dev)

python -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
.venv/bin/uvicorn app.main:app --reload      # http://127.0.0.1:8000

The SQLite file (pantry.db) is created automatically on first start. FastAPI's interactive API browser is at /docs.

Design notes

• The display is disposable. No state on the device — wiping or replacing the iPad costs nothing.
• "Backup" is copying one file. All data lives in one SQLite file.
• Low blast radius. Intended to run as a sandboxed rootless container; never exposes the home network to inbound internet traffic.

Status & roadmap

• v1: the pantry list above — built, with item categories (main / side / snack), and deployable as a rootless Podman service with backups.
• Next: adjustable quantities with auto-low coloring, expiration dates, recipes + "can I make it?" matching, and PWA support (add-to-home-screen, fullscreen kiosk mode). See IDEAS.md for the running idea/friction log.

License

MIT