Storage containers for flour, cornmeal, etc

[windyacres]

Could someone recommend good storage containers for flour, sugar, cornmeal, etc. ?  Either stainless steel or food-grade plastic.

 

I don't want a canister "set" because I don't want the smaller containers that normally come with these.  I've looked online, but it is difficult to tell how much a container holds in terms of pounds of flour, sugar, etc. 

 

Thanks in advance.

[blue_dolphin]

This 14 cup lock-top flour container from King Arthur Flour was recommended in another thread.  I bought it and the similar 10 cup sugar container from Amazon, as the prices were lower at the time I ordered.  Not so at the moment.

Edited January 10, 2017 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Beebs]

I just bought a bunch of these from IKEA, different sizes.  The lid has a rubber gasket, so it fits snugly - important, because of my pantry moths problem.  The description says "jar", but it is a stackable plastic container.

[quiet1]

I like the large round containers for flour because it is easier to get a spoon in and level a cup off back into the container (if you are using US cups and not weight.) I find this one holds a regular bag (5lb?) of flour quite comfortably with a little room to spare - so you can tuck a scoop in too, or top up the container before it is entirely empty, etc.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Oggi-Acrylic-Airtight-Canister-130-Ounce/dp/B00CSG0ON2

[Dave the Cook]

Who else? -- Tupperware! -- has volumes all figured out, and has put it in chart form. You can ignore their product recommendations if you want, and just look for the volume of the container for say, five pounds of flour (about 20 cups)..

[Beth Wilson]

I use these type of containers for my coffee, sugar and flour.  I like that I can take the lid apart and run them through the dishwasher.

 

They are really quick to open and close.  I think I got them at the container store and bed bath and beyond.  Very handy, I think the ones I have hold about 9 lbs of flour.

http://www.clickclack.com/

 

[kayb]

I've had good luck using some gladware-style containers I got at WalMart. Back when I used to go to WalMart. Havent been in two months, working on seeing how far I can stretch it....

[liuzhou]

I bought a bunch of these a while back. They are 6 litre capacity (enough to comfortably hold around 3 kg / 7lb plus scoop). I use them for various flours, couscous and rice. Stackable. Never had a problem with them. (And they were dirt cheap - around $1.50 USD each.)

 

Edited January 11, 2017 by liuzhou (log)

[asthasr]

I use Cambro containers. Not the most beautiful, but uniform and available in a variety of sizes.

[dscheidt]

12 minutes ago, asthasr said:

I use Cambro containers. Not the most beautiful, but uniform and available in a variety of sizes.

camsquares fit better on the shelf.  Smallest is two quarts, though, which is too big for some thing.s

[Anna N]

2 minutes ago, dscheidt said:

camsquares fit better on the shelf.  Smallest is two quarts, though, which is too big for some thing.s

Yep. Long ago divested myself of most round containers. They are shelf space hogs. 

[windyacres]

58 minutes ago, asthasr said:

I use Cambro containers. Not the most beautiful, but uniform and available in a variety of sizes.

What size would be best for 5 lbs of flour?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

5 minutes ago, windyacres said:

What size would be best for 5 lbs of flour?

 

I use the round Cambro sold by KAF.  Mine are listed for 5 lbs of flour.

 

[dscheidt]

19 minutes ago, windyacres said:

What size would be best for 5 lbs of flour?

4 quarts is just a little to small, 6 quarts is a little too big.  So six quarts is probably the right one. 

[andiesenji]

I have been using Cambro containers since I was catering in the 1980s and I still have some of the first ones I purchased at Smart & Final in Canoga Park when I still lived in the Valley.

I have every size from 1-quart to 22 quarts.  

A 10- pound bag will fit in the 8-quart container - you have to shake it down a bit to fit the last bit in.

I agree that the 6-quart size is right for a 5-pound bag.  

[Porthos]

I'm with asthasr and andiesenji.  I do have other containers but I like my Cambro containers the best. I bought some 6 qt Rubbermaid containers for the restaurant supply area of SamsClub but don't care for them.

 

For coarser things like barley and beans I use a Better Home and Gardens riff on the seal-top OXO acrylic containers. Instead of a button they have a toggle that is easier to grip when in the "open" position.

 

 

 

[liuzhou]

I am in the rectangular storage camp, too. Round containers just take up more space.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I like round.  I have a large bedroom.

 

[liuzhou]

9 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I like round.  I have a large bedroom.

 

 

I don't dislike round on aesthetic grounds, but I am not endowed with space, so...

[Porthos]

For me, round for things that will be refrigerated, square for stuff on the shelf. Round allows for more airflow as far as I can tell. If I'm wrong I can accept that.

[quiet1]

I like attractive, which usually means round, as due to space and access issues most of the baking stuff ends up visible on an open shelf. (I save cabinet space for stuff in packages since they tend to make the room look more cluttered if they are visible.) If I could find nice looking and robust square that seals easily and well, I'd go for that.

[Lisa Shock]

I also use Cambro containers for many things. For small amounts, I use wide mouth canning jars and vacuum seal them. The vacuum helps keep things fresh and bug-free. The jars may not be the most efficient, but they look good and can be reused for a long time.

[Martin Fisher]

Square 6-quart Cambro or Rubbermaid.

I found Rubbermaid's at Sam's Club.

[lindag]

I'm a Cambro fan as well.  Since I'm a frequent bread baker I used the big squares for white and for whole wheat (they can go in the freezer).  The square design is a big space saver over the round containers.

Cambro

[daveb]

I also like a mix of cambro round for prepared foods, and square for pantry items.  Though I prefer the Carlisle to Camsquare cause they have handles on sides. 

.

Very easy to add more as requirements grow/change.   Blue, i tape to mark them.  Inexplicably the square lids do not interchange between Cambro and Carlisle, if going this route pick a brand early.  

 

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