A few years ago I asked our readers for suggestions on finding affordable, quality food storage options for bulk foods. You guys delivered with a ton of great comments and ideas! I’ve consolidated the comments and bring you 12 awesome suggestions for storing bulk foods in your home.
PLEASE NOTE: These are suggestions from readers, in their words (with just a few minor edits).
Be sure to check out this great list of foods to stock in your fridge, freezer and pantry to save time and money!
1. Food Grade Buckets
✓ My mom has used the food grade buckets for 30 years and they work great.
✓ Just ask any local story with a bakery for them. You will want to wash and sanitize them but they hold up great and are air tight. In case of a flood or earthquake they shouldn’t break like glass.
✓ I went to the bakery area at our local grocery store and asked for their food grade buckets that their icing comes in. I just got 3 for my rice and milk. Even though I wash and disinfect it, I’ll use a plastic bag in it. So far so good!
✓ Cash & Carry has a ton of food storage containers for very reasonable prices (especially considering they last FOREVER). We bought buckets to hold flour, wheat, and sugar for about $14/bucket. These buckets hold a 25# bag of flour. I know some people who bought buckets from home depot for $5 BUT they aren’t technically food safe. You just have to decide what works best. The Home Depot buckets are a solid orange color, the Cash ‘n Carry buckets are clear with measurements marked on the sides.
2. Reuse and Recycle
✓ Empty candle jars with lids. Just clean and disinfect. If candle wax remains inside, put in the freezer for about half an hour and you should be able to pop out the remaining wax with a butter knife.
✓ Rinse and disinfect glass applesauce or pasta sauce jars and use for smaller items like nuts, popcorn kernels and rice.
✓ Use the square animal cracker cookie jars from Costco. I bought the cookies for $7.99 and because the containers are square, I can store them easily on shelves without losing much space.
✓ Check the glass sections at Goodwill or other thrift stores. They will often have all sorts of inexpensive jars.
3. Canning Jars
✓ I use half gallon canning jars in the cupboards for nuts and grains (around $15 for 12) and Cash and Carry buckets in the pantry for the bulk stuff.
✓ For smaller quantities I use quart and pint canning jars. If you buy them around canning season, then you can get a good deal on them.
4. Miscellaneous Storage Solutions
✓ We use Tupperware containers. Especially for pantry items that absolutely must be airtight to maintain freshness. I placed all empty containers (with lids on) into a tub of water with a brick for weight to see how effective the container is prior to use. If we see bubbles, then that one gets to be a sandbox toy!
✓ What I finally found for large amounts of flour and sugar is at Walmart in their pet food section. They have several large plastic containers for storing pet food. It sounds funny, but the lids snap on and then hinge open and lock shut, they’re air tight and also they’re BPA free. I was totally excited when I figured out this solution!
If you loved this crowd-sourced post, be sure to check out one of our most popular resources with comments and suggestions from readers — How to Remove Pee Smell from your Bathroom!
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Amazon actually has a HUGE selection of bulk food storage options, in various sizes and shapes. Buy individual pieces to round out your pantry or buy a variety pack to fit various foods like pasta, flour and sugar, nuts and seeds and more.
Any other suggestions? How do you safely store your bulk items and baking ingredients?
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I started using my empty candle jars with lids that have been thoroughly cleaned. I plan to put nuts, pop corn, granola, etc., in those little containers.
WOW! Thanks for posting this question and for all your great tips, everyone!! 🙂 Love it!
Tupperware works great but they do not make the big buckets like they used to. My mom has used the food grade buckets for 30 years and they work great.
Just ask any local story with a bakery for them. You will want to wash and sanitize them but they hold up great and are air tight and in case of a flood or erthquake they shouldn't break like glass.
We have shelves made out of them too. Take 2 buckets and lay a piece of wood acrossed them. You can store other goods in between. Then stack 2 more buckets and so forth. It works great. And if you want you can easily make the shlef look nicer by cover it with a old sheet that you decorated.
I use a few things. Large Tupperware storage containers for my baking pantry. For my counter I use mason jars, large glass with metal lids that I found at Target a few years back, and glass jars that I washed out that had pasta sauce etc. Apple sauce comes in glass jars and can be used the same way. I store stuff in my freezer too.
Walmart bakery also will give you the 5 gallon buckets with lids for free. I have also got many other sizes from there. When you are there check with them, they told me they just recycle them. They are happy for us to take them.
I just called my local grocery store; they have a scratch bakery and I asked if they had any food buckets and lids that they'd be willing to give me. They said sure, how many….So I am going to pick up 6 buckets and lids for FREE!!!! Thanks for all of the great suggestions everyone 🙂
Another place that I picked up mine is through freecycle.org. Can't beat the price of FREE! 🙂
I went through the same thing this summer and after some research on the price per gallon of storage capacity I went with the largest size of canning jars you can buy – half gallon size. Each one holds a decent amount and I can store them by lining them up in my deep cupboards and then rotate them as I replenish my stock with new stuff. I like this option because it gives me flexability. If I have more flour than sugar at some point I can use the empty jars for whichever and not have to have a huge half empty container taking up space in my kitchen or garage.
I'm super interested in the buckets from Cash & Carry. I'll have to check those out!
For smaller quantities I use canning jars, quart and pint. If you buy them around canning season, then you can get a good deal on them.
I love Cambro container – get them at Cash and Carry.
I also use large glass jars from Cost Plus.
Lastly, sign up for Storables and Container Store coupons – they can be combined with sale prices and that makes their large food storage bins more affordable. I bought some large rolling bins of CL from another mom and they hold 25 lb bags of flour – I transfer to a glass jar for easier usage.
Thanks for all of the great suggestions!!!
Bob's Red Mill used to have the buckets, I don't know if they still do but would assume so. I prefer glass so pick up gallon jars at garage sales. I pretty much have a glass jar collection, all sizes. What fun!
Oh, another source is http://www.richardspackaging.com/
I don't know if they sell retail, I used to buy plastic buckets from them for one of my products.
It's not local, but I recommend Industrial Container & Supply in Salt Lake City. They have a website–www.industrialcontainer.com. On the right click on "Food and Water Storage" and you can see all their options.
I bought dozens of the 1/2 and 1 gallon clear plastic PET containers and absolutely love them. I love that they are clear, so you can see what's inside. They're plastic, so they are light and unbreakable. The lids have a rubber seal to keep out air and insects, and they are square so they use space more efficiently than round containers. I use mine in my kitchen for flour, sugar, pasta, beans, rice, bulk foods from Winco, anything and everything! And they look so nice all lined up in my pantry–I get compliments all the time. I'm not sure how much shipping is, but their prices are so low to start with that it's probably still quite reasonable.
In my experience, the IKEA containers haven't worked as well or lasted as long. And I would recommend the Gamma lids for the 5-gallon buckets, if it's something that you're going to use more than once a year. I keep my big buckets of flour, sugar and rice in my garage with Gamma lids, so when it's time to refill my smaller kitchen containers, it's really easy. Otherwise you have to use a lid lifter or hurt your fingers getting the regular plastic lids off! If you're going to store the buckets for years without opening them, it's probably not a big deal, but the Gamma lids are a good investment for those few frequently-used items, IMO.
Ikea has some great storage containers as well for great prices. They are not the huge ones you get at Cash and Carry, but they do the job well for us. They are glass and look nice on the counter and in the cabinet as well.
Cash & Carry has a ton of food storage containers for very reasonable prices (especially considering they last FOREVER). We bought buckets to hold flour, wheat, and sugar for about $14/bucket. These buckets hold a 25# bag of flour. I know some people who bought buckets from home depot for $5 BUT they aren't technically food safe. You just have to decide what works best. The Home Depot buckets are a solid orange color, the Cash 'n Carry buckets are clear with measurements marked on the sides.
I use lots of Tupperware that I have had for YEARS that I earned from having parties when my children were young and I was a stay at home mom. My overflow I just put in one gallon jars. Nothing can get in and I can easily see what is in them. For the safety of those less able to discern the difference between salt and sugar, I also mark them!