Food Storage Containers - What do you suggest?
Finally, this week our new kitchen is being installed, although we won't have the quartz counter for a few weeks. I had a kitchen "appliance garage" built in to hide the coffee maker, electric kettle, toaster, teapot, etc. because I have such a small kitchen and I had so many things taking up counter space - I don't want the traditional set of containers for flour, sugar, coffee and tea, but would like to have everything in glass (or plastic) containers that are easy to access from cupboards, lazy susan or pull out pantry. I want to throw out all my old spice and replace with small amounts from a bulk store, but store them safely in a bottle of some type. Can any of you fill me in with what you find useful and accessible? I have told myself I won't store things like cereal, grains, etc. in their original boxes. I also don't have any addresses of online websites from which I could get ideas, even though most of these sites will not ship to Canada. I would be grateful for any help. Thank you.
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21 Comments:
My sister, a QVC addict, started giving me Lock & Lock containers for Christmas and my birthday, and I LOVE them! I generally scoff at most claims on TV of being "the BEST" of anything, but these containers are truly the best things I've ever owned in terms of food storage.
The containers are sturdy and durable, and the lids have a little silicone gasket in them that keeps them air and water tight. The locking mechanism is secure and easy to use. They are freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe. There are numerous types, sizes and colors of lid, and I use the larger, handled ones to marinate meat in, with no fear of leakage, and can stack them in the fridge. They do not hold odors after washing. I keep my pasta, crackers and snacks in them as well. The various sizes are very convenient, at least for me, from the tiny flat ones for little bits of things, to the larger ones for big cuts of meat. I can pack a ton of stuff in them, and when I have to cart a bunch of food around, I don't have to worry about anything spilling or leaking.
I can't say enough good things about this stuff! Only con I can think of is that the like-sized containers do not "nest" very well, however I use them so often storage of them is not really an issue.
BTW, bareneed, did you get my last post re: your relative coming to Houston?
hungryinhouston at 3:02PM on 02/10/09
My OH and I keep our mass-variety of spices and such in one of those tupperware drawer stacks with wheels-things? Sort-of like one of these and I find it really useful. They're portable, inexpensive, easy to hide (when you have guests), easy to clean and you can stack certain ones too! I'm up in Manitoba myself...I think I bought it at Superstore® or Zellers®? But I'm sure you can find them anywhere...
hungrychristel at 3:02PM on 02/10/09
@hungry in houston - just checked my thread about Houston, and yes, I did receive your post - I have cut and pasted the info to my SIL - thank you, she is excited about trying some of your suggestions. Also, thanks for the Lock and Lock containers, I will look into it.
bareneed at 3:47PM on 02/10/09
I would just like to second the Lock & Lock nomination. They truly are great storage devices for all things food related. Even spices could fit in the small ones, which you could easily label and stack on top of each other.
cickert at 5:54PM on 02/10/09
I'll third the lock & lock (and you can get them in Canada). I use mine mostly for taking meals to class with me, as I can toss them in my bookbag and not worry about leaks. They're well worth the investment.
thinkingincrayons at 6:00PM on 02/10/09
I use canning jars for some storage, and a mish-mash of other containers for the rest. I don't like storing anything in the original cardboard boxes or plastic bags. If some bug comes in with one bag of stuff, I don't want it infesting everything in the cabinets.
Instead of storing everything in its individual container, though, a lot of things are grouped. Like all of my dried beans are in the same bigger plastic bin.
One problem I've had with some plastics is the static cling. I live in a dry environment, and it's a little annoying. Some plastics are worse than others. If you live in a more humid area, the static probably isn't going to be an issue. though.
If I had it all to do over again (and a vast amount of money to spend on it) I'd go looking for matching clear containers. Yes, I label everything, but it would be nice to look at a container and know that it's the lentils and not the beans or rice.
For spices, I'd probably want to store them on the inside of the cabinet doors. Unless you've got everything all the way to the edge of your cabinets, that space is pretty much wasted, but it's easy to get to. For other cabinets, I'd want similar storage/racks inside the cabinet doors for other small stuff that disappears in drawers. And hooks for measuring cups and spoons.
I've got some storage like that now, but it's all pretty haphazard.
dbcurrie at 6:24PM on 02/10/09
I'm a big Lock&Lock fan for bulk pantry items. They store well and are totally "city" friendly - they stack nicely, nothing gets in and if you drop and break one as I did recently (almond flour stored in freezer) the company stands behind the product - it was replaced without any problems at all!
I've dropped them other times and they survived the fall and didn't pop open!
GuaranteedGF at 7:27PM on 02/10/09
Another vote for the Lock and Lock containers. They are perfect for pantry storage, and even better for holding leftovers. They won't take on funky colors (like red stains from pasta sauce) and never spill or leak. I don't microwave the lids, because I worry it would effect the seal. You can tap the lids on the counter to remove the inner sealing ring for easy cleaning though... I like how they all nest and stack well. Between the large variety of sizes, and lifetime warranties, I am happy to reccomend them to you!
mhurst826 at 9:08PM on 02/10/09
I'll sixth (I think I'm the sixth) the Lock & Locks. They are AWESOME. So awesome that my girlfriend keeps making off with them when I pack her lunches. If all else fails, you can get them on Amazon: 20-piece Lock & Lock set.
Adam Kuban at 9:16PM on 02/10/09
Adam, if you need a good giveaway item, I think you have your answer!
hungryinhouston at 10:29PM on 02/10/09
About 25 years ago my husband and I moved from a dry area to a very humid one, and I bought a set of Tupperware containers. They are still wonderful, still available, in the rectangular shapes that are much more efficient on the shelf and in the fridge. They have a clear panel on two sides of each container, and an opaque panel on the other sides. This is high quality plastic with airtight seals. I also have some containers of the new high-impact clear plastic, like the kind food processor containers are made of, and the Rubbermaid ones are wonderful. Our newly remodeled kitchen cabinets have an inside spice rack system that holds all but my bulk spice jars, which are canning jars stored inside a corner cupboard with a rotating shelf. Dark, cool, and handy. For labels, I use freezer tape and a marking pen, so I can change out canisters if needed.
You can buy Tupperware by calling a local dealer; they will give you a catalog. You don't have to attend any "parties"!
Estrallita at 11:37PM on 02/10/09
I am here to second both Lock and Lock AND Tupperware - I have both and they work, they are durable. Tupperware can be bought online in Canada as far as I know.
Maureen at 8:11AM on 02/11/09
Does anyone else find the idea of a boyfriend packing his girlfriend's lunch f$*#$ing adorable? Just sayin' :P
I'm glad this topic came up - I depsparately need to buy containers for my ever growing pantry.
joyyy at 10:06AM on 02/11/09
I hate you all. All this talk of Lock and Lock combined with my complete lack of any willpower whatsoever, and I ordered a 20 piece set from Amazon. Honestly, I didn't know there was such a thing as storage containers that didn't stain! I should probably have them by the end of the week. Man, I really am putty in the hands of good reviews.
chisai at 10:20AM on 02/11/09
Oh, I posted before seeing Adam's post - that's the one I bought! Yay me!
chisai at 10:28AM on 02/11/09
So I will be odd man out here.....several years ago I started to feel like the plastic storage containers were hard to clean well. I threw them all out and went to the Corning outlet and purchased several clear glass corning containers in all shapes and sizes. I have never regreted my decision. They are see-through, stack well, lock tightly, and can go from freezer to microwave, or even into the oven. I really like the variety of colored lids. They just "feel" better and cleaner than the plastic storage containers. My daughter has a kitchen full of the Lock & Lock. I don't dislike them, but will definitely stick to glass.
AbuelaLinda at 10:31AM on 02/11/09
I second AbuelaLinda. I went glass and I'll never go back to plastic -- they are safe, easy (fridge, freezer, oven, microwave, dishwasher) and don't stain.
bleuberry at 11:38AM on 02/11/09
i use corning pyrex for leftovers to make reheating easier (one less dish to clean) but i'm gonna get some lock & locks for lunches and dry storage after reading all these raves.
sloppy at 12:51PM on 02/11/09
Lock and Lock are a must...my Granny is a HSN fan and keeps buying me sets! Also the OXO Pop Lock clear canisters for cereal, rice, etc. They are traditional, but my husband gets raves about them at Sur la Table.
dharmon at 5:06PM on 02/11/09
fyi - there is a difference in quality between the lock & locks sold from target versus those sold at qvc - i bot a set from target and all the tabs fell off the lids. the qvc ones, with the straight sides for bulk storage have held up much better. i think the company manufactures in both korea and china and the ones from korea have held up much better to use.
kw12345 at 7:45AM on 02/12/09
Qvc has Lock&Lock as their Today's Special Value.
bessfour at 3:00PM on 02/12/09