When I moved into a new kitchen last summer, one of the first things on my priority list was new containers for flour and sugar. I frequently bake in bulk, and I go through a lot of white flour, wheat flour, brown sugar, and white sugar. I have been trying to ditch plastic storage as much as possible, so I was looking for glass containers. But there was one problem.
When I went on the hunt for containers that would fit in my narrow cupboards, and that would hold enough baking supplies for my needs, I was sure that I wanted big glass jars. No more plastic! Glass all the way!
But then I discovered one major drawback to glass: it's heavy.
I wandered through IKEA, Target, The Container Store, and countless online shops looking for just the right storage containers, and I couldn't avoid the fact that glass was going to be too heavy. See, my cupboards are rather high and narrow, and I'm really short. I didn't think I had the leverage to grab down a big glass jar filled with a five pounds of flour.
So I decided to compromise, and in a rather defeated and skeptical moment, bought four Click-Clack containers from The Container Store. They were tall and narrow, which is what I needed for my narrow cupboard with a built-in lazy Susan.
And guess what? I love them! After six months of using them day in and day out, they've been very durable and practical. I still would prefer glass, but these canisters aren't ever heated or frozen, so I am not too concerned about any of the more worrisome effects of plastic here.
Their tops stay on securely, with a squeeze mechanism in the lids to release the airtight seal and open them. I like how light they are, and how well their narrow shapes fit my little cupboard.
How do you store flour and sugar? Did you find the perfect solution?
• Click-Clack jars available through The Container Store in six sizes, $6.99 to $11.99 each.
Related: Pantry Organization: Put Your Grains In Jars
(Images: Faith Durand and Cooking.com)
I use vintage containers, which is even more environmentally friendly than buying glass!
view Damfino's profile
I have some great OXO containers that are sort of like these and I LOVE them. I got them from Bed Bath and Beyond.
view deftgurl's profile
I love these--I use them for my flour and sugar. They've held up for two years and 3 moves, including one cross country move.
view rbelrbel's profile
I'm going to buy 2 plastic containers from the container store either this week or this weekend. SQUARE ones. My current round ones waste way too much space. I have deep-ish cupboards but the shelves are really short and the ONLY place I could find with short enough tubs was the Container Store. Here's hoping they hold up as well as yours have.
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
Ditto on the OXO! They have one improvement over what's posted above - they are square and rectangular in shape, so they fit nicely together and a bit more compactly than circular containers. Just bought a ton of them after Christmas, and our pantry is so much more organized!
view kls987's profile
I have a set of tine containers with see-through glass tops. If I get more I think I'll get glass so when they're in the cupboard I don't have to label/memorize their contents. I also have a lovely big glass jar full of penne on the top shelf in my cupboard. It's a little heavy, but I'm tall so it's not a problem. I just like the clean, shiny look of glass and think it's worth it.
view foodefafa's profile
I use these for all bulk stuff...flour, sugar, nuts, pasta, cereal, etc. Other than melting a few on the bottom rack of my dishwasher (mea culpa,) they're holding up like champs. When you wash the tops they all fill up with water, though...takes quite a lot of shaking to get it all out of there.
view debtex's profile
I use vintage jars, also. I have big old coffee jars, canning jars. But I have a pantry with pull out shelves, so I don't have to worry about the extra weight of the glass. I use jars for flour, sugar, dried fruit, nuts, rice, grains ... I love jars.
view All About Food's profile
OMG! I've had my Click-Clacks for over 10 years. They are fabulous! I store my flour and sugar in one set in the cupboards and I store cat crunchies in two containers on the counter. That way I can buy the big bulk bag and decant them. Close at hand and the containers look great too.
Try as they might... the kitties can't break into them... the seal still holds after all these years.
view burrda2000's profile
I'm a third for the OXO containers. Much easier to get into than the Click-Clacks.
view cara_mia's profile
I also was looking for glass canisters, so I bought the "stackable square glass canisters" from the container store:
http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=74062&PRODID=66840
DON'T buy them! Despite the description, they are NOT airtight (the fins that hold the lid on don't go to the edge at the corners). I got bugs in all my grains. It was very demoralizing.
For now, I'm just using spaghetti sauce jars, which perhaps in the current economic climate is the best option of all.
view jesster's profile
Jesster: I bought the same containers only to discover the problem... They work great for office supplies/bookends, though.
view Dunc's profile
I use lots and lots of different flours (I bake gluten-free and have at least 10 different types of flour in my cupboard), so I've been saving glass containers from food. I've got a big (empty) saurkraut jar waiting for my next type of flour. Spaghetti sauce jars make up most of the rest of my collection.
view KerriS's profile
I use the square click-clacks for flour, suger, lentils, couscous, masa, etc. I bought them (and then requested more for Christmas) about 6 years ago and loved them so much I shipped them all to Paris from SF. They hold up like champs against constant use cooking and baking, keep bugs and moisture out, went through the dishwasher without problems, and the square shape is very efficient in my storage deprived kitchen.
view Hannala's profile
I use a mix of the 1-quart and 2.5-quart rectangular Click Clack containers to store dry goods (I have over 40 of them at last count).
In addition to their space efficiency, it's easy to dip into the sugar with a measuring cup. Large openings are a requirement for me.
view Ducky's profile
One thing I've always wanted to do is put a "label" of chalkboard paint on my glass containers so that if I decide to change what is in the container, I can just erase and re-write. Labels are fine, but they end up losing their sticking power and looking messy (and I just like the look of handwriting).
The chalkboard paint thing is a little work, but you only have to do it once (hopefully). I know that you can get chalkboard paint that works on glass. I'd be interested to know if anyone has tried this, and any results/tips they might have?
view grendel's profile
I do use glass containers - but I originally bought them just because I like the look. The first few I bought from Crate and Barrel, but I later discovered that the Container Store also sold them: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=74062&PRODID=10013282
These sizes might not be big enough for your needs, though. The only drawback I've found is: duh, they're glass -- so I always need to remember to be careful not to have wet hands, in case they get slippery.
I have several: big ones for flour and sugar, medium ones for brown sugar and oatmeal, small ones for coffee and tea. I think they even have these in spice jar sizes.
view stlellen's profile
Doesn't anyone find that the glass ones are heavy, especially larger ones that hold a 5-lb bag of flour? Aside from them not being airtight, that was my main complaint with our old containers (the weight).
view kls987's profile
I store all of my baking things in giant plastic pretzel jars from Costco. We go through the pretzels like crazy so I have more than enough for 10x sugar, flour, etc. Also like that they have a screw top, so things like brown sugar don't get dried out.
view mangosteen's profile
I love these containers. I have them all in my pantry for organization.
Great Idea though! :-)
view ThatsSoYummy's profile