Food containers are an invaluable aid in keeping your kitchen tidy. There's a wide variety of types, designs, and colours to choose from. Read on to discover which ones are best for certain uses and which will work well in your home.
How to keep your kitchen tidy?
When we do a big shop, we often bring home several packets of flour and sugar. You're also sure to find rice, groats, coffee, and tea. While we could leave these products in their original packaging, it's far better to immediately transfer them into special food containers. This way, you'll:
- find it easier to keep your kitchen clean,
- protect your food from pantry moths,
- have greater control over your food products,
- find it easier to organise your items.
It's much easier to spill flour if it's in its standard paper packaging. An accidental tear is far from uncommon. It's also easier to pack all your products into cupboards if you use containers of a uniform size. In a glass jar, you can immediately see if an item is running low and needs to be topped up.
Pantry moths: a bane in every kitchen
We mustn't forget the possibility of protecting ourselves against pantry moths, ants, or other insects that would gladly help themselves to our food products. They can be a real headache for any homemaker, and the fight against them is difficult and time-consuming. It doesn't matter if we keep our kitchen generally tidy or if we live on a high floor in a block of flats. Unwanted guests can be brought home from the shop – in a packet of flour, rice, or groats. If they once take hold, it will be necessary to thoroughly clean out all cupboards and throw away everything inside them. You'll also need to implement a period of 'quarantine'.
Prevention is better than cure. A better solution is to transfer all products immediately into glass jars or metal tins. Even if it turns out that a freshly bought item was contaminated, the insects won't be able to escape from such a box and will die off due to lack of oxygen. You'll only have the contents of one container to throw away, not all the food stored in your cupboards.
Types of food containers
We most commonly use three types of food containers:
- glass jars,
- plastic boxes,
- metal tins,
- ceramic containers.
You might also come across various modifications and combinations of these materials – such as spice containers. Each of these items is available in different sizes, making it easier to choose the right container for a specific food item and the space in your cupboards.
These are some of the most versatile food containers. They work well for storing bags of rice, groats, or tea, as well as pasta. They're not entirely suitable for pouring in very loose items, such as flour or unsealed rice – it's easy to spill. However, you can put the entire original packet of the aforementioned products into them, provided the container is large enough. In this case, you don't have control over the contents of the packaging. You can even put a suitable product made from high-quality plastic into the freezer. A big plus is the ability to stack them – as with Brabantia containers – allowing you to make better use of space in your cupboards. Unfortunately, if you don't pay attention to the quality of craftsmanship, the clasps can quickly lose their seal, and pantry moths might then breed inside. It's best to replace all boxes every now and then.
These can be beautifully decorated and come in a wide range of capacities. They're suitable for storing practically all food products. A good jar thread guarantees that nothing will spill out or get inside. You have complete oversight of the quality and quantity of food within. If you want to store liquids or spices, these are the only type of containers to use. The only downsides are the fewer possibilities for organising space in your cupboards.
Glass containers, such as those from Kilner or Kitchen Craft, will be an interesting addition to a rustic-style kitchen. When choosing a glass container, however, you must pay attention to ensuring the glass is thick and durable. While a broken jar isn't a frequent accident, it can cause quite a mess. It's best to keep glass jars out of reach of small children or pets who might knock them over.
Metal tins are a modern and handy solution. They are very good for storing pasta, coffee, tea, or sugar. By choosing the right shape, they will also work for flour or groats. We absolutely must pay attention to the quality of the closure. Unfortunately, you cannot see the contents of this food container. If you have too many of them, you'll have to be prepared to open them all to find the desired product.
We can make this easier for ourselves by using labelled tins. Factory-labelled ones are available on the market, with beautiful designs and colours. If you don't have these, you can simply make a sticker yourself. However, we still don't have control over the quantity of the food product in the tin – unless we purchase a special model with a window, such as the iconic Brabantia container.
These often have a decorative purpose and are very beautifully adorned. They are suitable for storing spices or coffee, and also as a container for children's sweets. They are more durable than their metal counterparts, but consequently, they are also heavier. If you're not careful, they can break – so you need to be cautious that small children don't have access to them.
Kitchen containers: a way to an organised kitchen!
