taming the plastic container monster...

[umami_mommy]

we moved from big ole farm house to a small cottage in the city. my kitchen is small and plastic containers have been an issue since we moved in. i have one deep drawer to store them in.

have considered replacing them with this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pyrex-12-P...ndingMethod=rr

they would be easier to wash, they nest and all the lids would be the same.

any thoughts? suggestions? ideas?

[ollyoxenfree]

That's pretty much what I did. I realized that I didn't need all the plastic containers - we rarely have that many leftovers. I don't like storing or re-heating in plastic either. I have 2 sets of Pyrex with lids, similar to the ones in your link, plus a couple of extra, about 10 Pyrex containers in total. A set of 4 round bowls, in different sizes, and a set of 3 rectangular containers.

They're great. They nest very nicely in a drawer. They stack well in the refrigerator. I like being able to see the contents too. I find I have fewer "mystery" containers and science experiments lurking for weeks in the back of the fridge.

[Ola_]

Do you really need all those containers? I went through all of mine and got rid of ones that didn't have matching lids, didn't close properly, etc. That eliminated a bunch right there. Then I gathered a bunch that nest easily and put the rest in a big box in the basement (in case we should need them). We haven't needed to get anything from that box yet and I think I'm going to put it in the donation pile.

I guess what I'm saying is that depending on what you actually use, you may not need to buy anything if you just clean up/pare down your current collection.

[jadekat]

I have mostly Pyrex and I love them. I use the random plastic containers that we aquire to store non food things in like homemade playdoh, crayons, batteries, and such.

[umami_mommy]

mostly what i need are very small containers, large containers and dry goods storage.

what i have now is a crazy mish-mash of containers, many without matching lids or lids without containers... how does that happen anyway??

[rhiOrion]

When we moved I pulled out all of my containers except for my stainshield and a couple of others that we use frequently. I put the rest in a drawer in the dining room, but haven't really needed them yet (except pulled one out as a water dish on the porch for the cat/dog).

I love my stainshield stuff (though i know a lot here don't like plastic). i have two sets of it, which comes with four sizes, plus I have one really big one. Then I have a couple of smaller little containers, and a three piece nesting set that has a big one.

It's made my small kitchen much more manageable.

[mamadelbosque]

I don't think I have that exact set, but thats what I use now - pyrex I started switching a couple yrs ago, and I'm probably 90% pyrex now Love it! I can reheat it in the microwave or oven and not feel guilty about plastic leaching into my food too SOO nice!!

[filiadeluna]

I have several Pyrex dishes, but they are all large baking-style dishes. I really want to invest in some smaller Pyrex or similar glass containers for storing small leftover portions of meals, unused parts of veggies or cheese, etc. I may have to find them online, though, b/c most of the Pyrex sets seem to have lots of larger pieces.

The only explanation I have for missing lids or missing bottoms to plastic containers is that my husband takes them to work and forgets to bring them home, or only brings part home. I hate plastic for food storage, but love it for storing and organizing other items i.e. camping gear, seasonal decorations, out-of-season clothing, etc.

[LaughingHyena]

I'm not a big fan of the nesting sets of containers.. I find re-stacking them to be a pain when I come to put them away and I either end up with a lot of lids floating around or if I put them on it takes ages to get to a small container.

I also find there are more small containers then I use and not enough big ones.

I've found I do better buying the individual ones in sizes that I actually use, though I do like them all matching

[lucyem]

Originally Posted by Ola_

Do you really need all those containers? I went through all of mine and got rid of ones that didn't have matching lids, didn't close properly, etc. That eliminated a bunch right there. Then I gathered a bunch that nest easily and put the rest in a big box in the basement (in case we should need them). We haven't needed to get anything from that box yet and I think I'm going to put it in the donation pile.
.

This is what I am doing this month. We re-use plastic containers for school lunch every day. Old tupperware I had as a child, small plastic containers etc. I swear the kids (and DH) loose at least a top or bottom a day. I am going to put them all into a box and only matched sets will go back into my plastic container drawer. Then in the fall when school starts I will do it again, but this time as things are used (and cleaned) they will go into the drawer. The ones not used will be recycled.

We have some glass and steel bowls with lids we use at home for leftovers. But for the kids it is kind of hard to hand them a lunchbox with a pyrex bowl in it. Instead my kids go to school with snacks in vegan natural balance spread tubs

[Comtessa]

We volunteer at a local soup kitchen/drop in center that always needs containers with lids - a lot of folks ask for food to take with them so they have something to eat in the morning before the meal sites open. Every couple of months, I purge the collection of plastic yogurt containers and whatever other random containers that have piled up in the cupboard and donate them all. This means that they end up in the trash rather than recycling, I'm afraid to say, but at least it helps hungry people get a meal.

I have found it more space-efficient to store containers and lids separately. Tupperware sells a thing that attaches to the inside of a cabinet that holds lids. There's also some good advice for storing plastic containers here: http://www.familycorner.com/family/f...ntainers.shtml

[laurabfig]

Originally Posted by Comtessa

I have found it more space-efficient to store containers and lids separately. Tupperware sells a thing that attaches to the inside of a cabinet that holds lids. There's also some good advice for storing plastic containers here: http://www.familycorner.com/family/f...ntainers.shtml

I agree. A friend who does interior design helped me organize our new kitchen when we moved into the current house we rent, and she recommended putting lids separated from their container for efficient use of storage space. I love it. we have a plastic shoebox that holds all the lids, and all the containers are stacked next to it. I also found it helpful to do the same for waterbottles and thermoses....those lids go in a different plastic shoebox on a different shelf next to the water bottles and thermoses. SO easy to find lids now... I love it.

But I DO have too many plastic containers and need to purge...on my list "to do".

[Comtessa]

Thanks for the reminder to purge! I've just pulled about three dozen plastic containers out of my cupboard to donate. O happy day, I have so much space in there now!!!

[vancouverlori]

I think plastic containers are a bit like rabbits... except they're rabbits with a bad sense of direction and tend to get lost.

We have a large-ish collection of Ziploc containers. I like that they're cheap, light and recyclable when done. They are also quite durable, even with microwave re-heating, and don't get brittle (i.e. the plasticizers stay in the plastic so they stay soft, rather than leaching into our food and getting brittle). Mind you, I only heat my leftovers until they're nice and warm, and not boiling hot. I purchased an Ikea Trofast tall storage unit to sit in a spot between DD's desk and the wall in the kitchen, and it holds her school stuff in the bottom half, and our most commonly used containers in the top half. I basically have one medium bin for our main matching Ziploc containers, another medium one for our other random containers (like the 1lb moisturizing cream tubs I use for freezing broth in) and two shallow bins for lids and other bits and bobs. (I also have one for DS's "school" stuff - math manipulatives, art supplies, etc. Trofast is cheap, effective, and mostly wood.)

It works pretty well. We do have a few other stashes - like all the takeout containers, and the larger containers that seem so useful... It takes a lot of gumption for me to get rid of any of these things!

We're also slowly accumulating Pyrex and Glass-Lock containers, but I still prefer the lighter-weight and less fragile plastic ware. So far those are living on a shelf with our Pyrex and Corningware baking dishes.

[umami_mommy]

i never microwave in plastic. i have a huge stack of corelle dishes i just dump our leftovers in. i am ready to get rid of all these containers. whatever i get, glass or plastic, i want all one kind. i hate the mess i have right now.

covet covet covet those organizers from ikea BTW. i want them SO bad.

[lucky_mia]

I have a set of the Pyrex round containers from Costco and they are one of the best and most used kitchen items I own. I store them with the lids on. They take up one shelf in cabinet. When I make dinner, I use them to put the food in and then when dinner is over, I can just pop the lids on and put them in the fridge. I find that I use leftovers so much more doing this because then I can see what I have and I don't mind reheating it in the microwave because it is glass. Even a few leftover green beans get used for my kids lunch the next day.

I find that I really don't need many plastic containers now. I keep a few for bringing salads to work. My kids have Planetboxes for their lunches so no extra containers needed there.

I highly recommend the Pyrex. Target sells them individually so you can just get the ones you want or get a small set and add the pieces you want.

[vancouverlori]

Originally Posted by umami_mommy

i never microwave in plastic.

I should clarify that I usually try to transfer to our regular dishes when at home (except now, while we have no dishwasher... I hate making extra dishes), but I mostly only microwave them at work.

I also find that we're more likely to use up leftovers in the glass containers. The ziploc containers are fairly transparent, but somehow the glass is more so.

[laurabfig]

Originally Posted by lucky_mia

My kids have Planetboxes for their lunches so no extra containers needed there.

Totally off-topic: I just googled Planetboxes and WOW! I want them for my kids. Too bad we just last year bought go green lunchboxes, which I don't really love after all....they're really bulky and too big with the thermos in the box. Maybe I'll have grandma buy these as gifts for them...

Back on topic: I cleaned out my plastic containers today so there is more room in the cabinet, but didn't really get rid of many. I don't know why I found it hard to get rid of them...mostly they are locking lids and I just feel like we "need" them for some reason.

[lucky_mia]

Originally Posted by laurabfig

Totally off-topic: I just googled Planetboxes and WOW! I want them for my kids. Too bad we just last year bought go green lunchboxes, which I don't really love after all....they're really bulky and too big with the thermos in the box. Maybe I'll have grandma buy these as gifts for them...

I like them a lot but they are a little shallow. I may buy Goodbyns instead although some reviews say it is difficult for little ones to close. The PlanetBoxes are a cinch to open and close and amazingly, nothing mixes.