Organizing Plastic Food Containers

[monkeywrangler71]

I have a cupboard that goes deep into a corner where I just throw them in and quickly shut the door
Anyone have a better system?

[Nada.Leona]

I am trying to eventually change all my containers over to the same sized glass jars from condiments we use. It's a slow, annoying process.

[beks37]

No "real" system here. I just take all the like sized containers and stack them, then put the lids on top of them. It works if you have a lot of the same sized containers. If you have many different sized containers, it may not work for you.

[Grainlady]

I come from the era of Tupperware parties and the smartest thing we did was to eliminate the bulk of our plasticware, and things we ACTUALLY use on a regular basis (freezer food, brown bag lunch containers, etc.) are kept in the kitchen. We also use a lot of glass canning jars (in a variety of sizes) for food storage, especially in the refrigerator and dry-goods in the pantry.

Everything that has a lid, is stored with the lid on it to eliminate the "search", and like-kinds are stacked. I have a shelf in our tall utility cabinet for plastic storage containers and a selection of canning jars in a number of sizes; and a rack on the back of the pantry door that holds plastic storage containers. The large pieces, that seem to only come out during the holidays, are stored in the basement.

Since implementing the "container exchange method" for freezer foods, I don't need as many plastic storage containers, and only have a few of them in the freezer. Here's how my exchange method works...

When I make soup (or other foods) I quick-freeze it in small containers, and as soon as it's solid I pop the soup out of the containers, stack the soup "bricks" and vacuum-seal them in a FoodSaver bag. I now have one kind of soup per bag and I can take out one or more servings at a time and reseal the bag.

Using this method I don't have all my plastic containers in the freezer. I do the same thing with spaghetti sauce, Sloppy Joe Mix, Hamburger Stroganoff, etc...

[baxjul]

I seem to have the same throw and go storage system here for mine. lol

[Contrary Housewife]

I have small cupboards, so I have to stack the containers and the lids separate. Not enough room to have the lids on and then stack them.

I go through every now and then and match up all the lids and containers and toss what is left over.

I don't keep a lot of product containers (yogurt, sour cream, etc.), only 1 kind of clear tub, so they will stack neatly.

The bulk of our containers are in 2 sizes (again for easy stacking and storage, I'm not sorting half a dozen sizes) We use a 3 cup size and a 1 cup size. Between that and plastic freezer bags, it covers our needs.

I use the same containers in the freezer because they stack nicely. Too many bags and they slide around and I loose stuff.

[monkeywrangler71]

I went through a few weeks ago and threw out a bunch of them. I don't know how I got so many to begin with, I think they breed in there. I gave away all the round ones, and unusual sizes. The ones I kept fit inside each other and the lids are in a basket. Even with so many fewer and all fitting together, they were still a mess after a few days. I'd love to do away with them completely.

I've considered switching to those pyrex dishes with the lids, but it's a big initial investment, and would be heavy for bagged lunches.

[Mom2-3]

Once or twice a year, DH and I take everything out of the cupboard and re-organize. We try to organize as we use things, but it needs a good clean once in a while.

I try to group like objects and try to use the same type of containers. I have a medium sized basket for snacks located on the bottom of the pantry. I also have a small basket for all those mixes and pouches of stuff.

There is also a basket for all the foods that need to be eaten that month before they expire. Towards the end of the month, we have some unusual dinner mixes! lol

[Lady_V]

I have drawers in my kitchen and I put the plastic in there.

Before I had the kitchen remodeled, I used the plastic draws. I'm short (only 5'2) and reaching the lids that may have slid back on a shelf was almost imposable for me.

[MakeADollarHollar]

Like others I keep all similar shapes/sizes together but I store all the lids in a plastic sink/dishwashing tub in the same cabinet.

We are using less and less of them though and are converting most things over to glass. I've been saving all my glass food jars for a while now (salsa/spaghetti/jelly jars) and they come in very handy with all their shapes and sizes. I try not to use my Mason Jars because they actually cost me money and I need to use them for canning. The other jars are free so I thought I'd find ways to use them.

[Ali Lee]

I have a shelf I use. My problem, many x's they're not dry. So, I put them away damp..the lid is kept off. About once a week I'll go thru & match. But for some reason, I like to keep pea butter jars!! I used to keep ALL jars, for some silly reason-like they're pretty. I recycled over 30 one x. I'm trying to get better~really I am.

[Darlene]

I have one cabinet that is for casserole dishes and plastic storage containers. I nest the bottoms and have to go thru once a week & straighten and the lids get put in a small basket that I just pull out and put on counter to thumb thru.
I like to go thru the tops & bottoms every once in a while and write the # or letter in permanent ink (fades with washings so have to repeat every so often) on them so matching is easy.

[Palooka]

I have a wire type basket that fits in the bottom of one of my cabinets that's easy to pull out. I don't have a ton so it's easy this way.

[mndtrp]

We stack the square containers with other square containers, round ones with round containers, and then put the lids in a larger container that holds all of the lids.

We don't keep any jars, only used plastic containers, like for butter. If someone at work has left a tupperware container in the break room for more than two weeks, I'll take it home. Likewise if I see one thrown in the trash, which happens more often than it should. The main reason I do that, is because my fiancee seems to lose containers on a semi-regular basis (although she claims a tupperware gnome is lurking around the house).

[sabrelvssammy]

i also stack those alike (round, square, etc) based on size...largest to smallest... the lids are in a large plastic dollar store basket with largest in the rear and graduating to smallest in the front...it is super easy to match a lid to a container this way...