kitchen cabinets: how do you organize all your "tupperware" type containers?

[HappyLamb]

My cabinets, for the most part, fairly organized, except where I keep my reusable containers for lunches, leftovers, etc.....it's a mess, lots of different types of containers, missing lids, etc.... how do you keep yours neat? We use a lot of these, especially for bringing leftovers to work, etc. Also, I like to freeze soups for the future, etc., so I don't want to get rid of too many.....  I wouldbe willing to purge and replace with all the same kind, but I need to have a system in mind before spending the money! Thanks. :)

[doubledutch]

i don't have a ton of containers so i'm probably not the best person to ask, but one thing i'd do for sure is pull everything out, match it all up, and get rid of the stuff without a partner.  then you can also take inventory of what you do have, and think about if there are some containers you rarely/never use and why.  if they're the wrong size or you just don't like them, get rid of them.  then think about the ones you use the most, and if you want to streamline by having all the same style, then go with whatever seems to be your current favorite, since you already know you like it and it works well for you!

[ChristyMarie]

In an ideal world:  They are all neatly arranged in a drawer with the lids in separate shoe boxes by size/shape.  Then the individual containers are stacked like with like. 

In reality it stays that way for a few weeks then they start getting just tossed in there and dug through and it stays that way for months until I've had enough and organize it again.

Currently we're in the super neat phase of the cycle and it is awesome.  ;-)

[littlest birds]

I mainly use the round glass kind (Pyrex and Anchor) in multiple sizes, and we stack to dry and store them on a drying rack I built, and they are on a slatted shelf with about 12"x16" of horizontal space.   (We replaced a 42" cabinet with a large wood drying/storage rack.  We had stacked them on open shelves before that but they were lower and tended to get dusty.)  Oh I forgot that we have the rectangular glass baking dishes that have lids for storage and we often use them even for things that are not cooked in them--those have vertical spots to dry on the rack.  We also use a lot of canning jars and reused glass jars for storage, and they go in a below-counter cabinet.  All lids go in one drawer.

[Arduinna]

I have most in a drawer but previously I had a large container that I fit most of them in.

[clutterwarrior]

[bezark]

All of my containers are one kind. They stack neatly and the lids all snap together so we don't lose any of them.

Two of those sets stacked by size only take up about 3/4 of one 12x30" cabinet.

[larablue]

There are a few rules for making it easier:

- Get rid of all things without lid and of all the lids without partner

- No nesting!

Nesting makes it so much harder to get everything out. You then have to find the correct lid..even harder.

Make sure you have enough space in your cabinet (or get rid of all those plastic containers you don `t have the space for) to put the lid on each container and than put all the containers on one another.

Makes it so much easier to see what you have and to get it out easily.

[LaughingHyena]

I have mine in a couple of larger boxes in a kitchen cupboard. One box holds the ones we use regularly for kids lunches and so on. The other holds the larger ones that I don't use as often.

The regular use box just has boxes and lids thrown in, the other is a bit more organised with the boxes nested to take up less space and the lids stacked together. Because I get the whole box out to find anything or put it away it stays reasonably organised.

[columbusmomma]

I got rid of a bunch and also tend to use more glass containers with plastic lids and glass jars. I have a seperate cabinet for them so they aren't visible! They get so annoying don't they

[justmeandmybrood]

Up until we moved last week, I kept the containers nested since it took less space, then right under the cabinet I kept the lids in a drawer.  In our new place, I have less space, so keep my glass Pyrex rectangular and round pieces nested.  Their lids and all T-ware bottoms and lids are in a low cabinet under where I keep the lunchboxes since my plastic stuff is only used for lunches.

Glad you asked this - I have a mess of plastic...what little I even kept through the years!  I look forward to hearing even more great ideas!

[lucyem]

I tend to use pyrex for home and tupperware stuff to send off in lunch boxes.  I keep the glass pyrex with other bowls and their lids with the tupperware stuff.  The tupperware stuff is kept in a drawer for ease of grabbing in the morning.  Recently we outgrew the drawer so I put all the tupperware stuff into a box.  As I used it, it went back into the drawer.  Anything left in the box after a month went away.  I do have a couple of larger pieces that are kept in a closet.  They are used less often so I do not want them in the way.

[redvlagrl]

I got rid of all the ones I didn't like or use. I then bought a henging shelf thing from the dollar store which hangs below the cabinet shelf that they are stored (stacked/nesting) on. The lids are int he hanging shelf. Works well for us

[beanma]

We try to minimize plastic. We have stainless steel containers for lunches and those go in the special lunch drawer with the lunch bags and other lunch stuff. We have jars and lids we use for a lot of leftovers. They're in another deep drawer. We have a third drawer for the plastic we have. Very little of it is purchased plastic. There are butter containers and other plastic containers in there, though. The drawers really help with being able to find the lids. They're not particularly organized w/in the drawers, but because I can see everything I can easily find a lid. If you don't have drawers you can use (our last kitchen was just doors and shelves on base cabinets) I'd consider getting a shelf pull-out like rev-a-shelf.

[mkksmom]

I keep the plastic stuff in a big wicker basket on top of my fridge. (Stops the hubby from putting random crap up there). I have the glass ones on a shelf in a cabinet, but they don't stay there long. I only have 3, and we make food ahead. I have my stainless steel in a different cabinet. I really need ot figure out a better system. I am eyeing my bottom drawer, but it needs a lock on it first to keep my toddler out of there.

[Mulvah]

Originally Posted by HappyLamb 

My cabinets, for the most part, fairly organized, except where I keep my reusable containers for lunches, leftovers, etc.....it's a mess, lots of different types of containers, missing lids, etc.... how do you keep yours neat? We use a lot of these, especially for bringing leftovers to work, etc. Also, I like to freeze soups for the future, etc., so I don't want to get rid of too many.....  I wouldbe willing to purge and replace with all the same kind, but I need to have a system in mind before spending the money! Thanks. :)

I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but I freecycled all of my containers and purchased BPA-free stacking containers through Amazon.  (I used Swagbucks to buy them, so they were near-free.)  The stacking containers are just what they sound like - the lids stack together and the containers stack into one another.  So, they do take up space (they don't collapse), but they are very neat and organized.