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Tea, coffee and sugar storage are probably the most frequently searched items as they are so essential to any kitchen. Whether you’re a student setting up your first coffee station in your room, kitting out your first kitchen in a new home or just looking for some new canisters there are some key points to keep in mind when shopping.
In this post, we’ll look at which containers are the best for storing these food items and why.
Reason for Storage
We use jars to store our tea coffee and sugar for several reasons –
- Convenience
- Preserve the freshness of food increase longevity
- Keep out things that could ruin them – such as bacteria, and mould and even insects
- Add to the look and appeal of the kitchen
Convenience
Tea, coffee and sugar when bought at the grocery shop often comes with packaging that is not sturdy enough to last long. Our sugar comes in a stiff paper bag that can still spill and split. The tea comes in foil sachets in a cardboard box. Once you open those foil bags they split easily and the bags are then exposed to the air and light. The glass bottle that our coffee comes in is perhaps the best of all as it has a strong lid that can be screwed on tightly. However, it is not particularly attractive if you want to leave it on display on the countertop.
So for convenience and to prevent a mess on your worktop or on the shelves of cabinets it’s best to store them in some form of container. In this way, you can move them around – on the work surfaces next to your kettle – or store them neatly in a cabinet out of the way.
The next question that arises is which is the best container to use?
You want to preserve the freshness of your beverage foodstuffs so that they can last in a useable condition for as long as possible. Food costs quite a bit these days so you naturally want it to last as long as you can.
Choose containers that are as airtight as possible
Whether you are searching online or in a physical shop make sure that the lids fit on tightly. These could be as screw-on lids, ones with a silicone seal on them or with some kind of mechanism that ensures that they fit securely. This tight seal is going to help stop moisture from getting in which could spoil your coffee, tea and sugar. It will also keep air out which will also preserve the freshness of those foods. Less air means less chance of bacteria and other contaminants growing.
Which Material is Best for Kitchen Canisters?
There are many different materials that are used to manufacture canisters for use in the kitchen. When choosing the right one you need to consider other factors such as what kind of food you are storing in them, your budget and family circumstances.
For example, consider carefully when choosing a glass container if you have young children or elderly members living in your home. Glass breaks and is often heavy, so that might make it harder for these family members to use them safely. However, glass is inert, does not react with food items and is transparent so it is easy to see what it contains – no need for a label probably!
Plastic is lighter but you need to check that it is food grade standard. Read the descriptions carefully.
Ceramic material is often used in the manufacture of storage solutions for tea coffee and sugar jars and is a good choice.
Metals and stainless steel are often used too and also serve as a good material for jars. Many metal containers are coated with enamelling which allows color to be added and prevents them from rusting too.
Budget
If your budget is tight consider reusing containers that you already have in your home. For example, I reuse the glass bottles from our pickled beetroot. They are of a big enough size to be really useful for storing many food items. The lids are screwed on and are black which matches part of my kitchen color scheme. They have wide necks which means you can get a measuring cup into them quite easily without creating a mess. If I need a label, for example for different types of tea, I will cut it out from the original packaging and stick it on with clear sticky tape. So you don’t need to spend your hard-earned cash.
Kitchen Decor Style and Color
Try to match the container you choose with the particular type of kitchen that you have, and the shades of color you have already used in it. I love to see kitchens where the owner has incorporated a passion they have into the decor. I love farmyard animals so have a few containers with nice images of those as a theme in my kitchen. Consider adding your personality to your kitchen by selecting storage solutions that reflect that passion or hobby.