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All the plastic lids!!

(35 Posts)
Franski Sun 03-Nov-24 18:19:19

Am intetested to know how you store your plastic/ tupperware boxes & lids..? I am driven scatty by a hotchpotch of lids that don't fit and the cupboards a mess. My latest tactic is literally to store boxes with lids separately ...but it takes up so much space. What do others do?

crazyH Sun 03-Nov-24 18:29:27

Yes, separately- slip containers, one into the other and lids on top of containers, if you know what I mean. That saves space

kittylester Sun 03-Nov-24 18:36:09

I use a big 'tupperware' cake box to store the lids and then store the boxes inside one another. I keep them on a swing out shelf in a corner cupboard.

Lakeland sell boxes with matching coloured lids. They are brilliant and I will only buy those in future.

Sadly, I still have all the usual old stuff. I did once pair all the lids and boxes and throw away all the ones that didn't have partners. What I had forgotten was all the boxes used to store various things all over the place in boxes without their lids (vitamins in the kitchen cupboard, perishable flavourings in the fridge, lego on the toy shelves) which will, now, forever remain lidless. Hey ho.

grannydarkhair Sun 03-Nov-24 18:36:11

I keep all the lids in a cotton bag in a big drawer, the tubs are in a cupboard above the drawer.

kittylester Sun 03-Nov-24 18:37:50

Or batch cook furiously so the boxes, with lids, are in the freezer together.

paddyann54 Sun 03-Nov-24 19:19:23

I prepare food for my sister who is paralysed down one side ,also for a couple of neighbours with serious health issues,sometimes my container cupboard is nearly empty and I have to go collect them …my son usually brings the ones he has back I wash them and pairthem with their lids when they all come back and store them stacked by size/shape in a tall larder unit.
My husband says I should charge deposits for onesreturned worth no lids as the food is all free…..I think/hope he,s joking ….lol

fancythat Sun 03-Nov-24 19:21:52

Gave away/offered 3/4 of mine to other people, in my great declutter.
I just dont use as many as I thought I was.

SueDonim Sun 03-Nov-24 19:26:10

Stack the containers inside each other. I keep one spare in which to stack the lids on their sides.

M0nica Sun 03-Nov-24 19:37:14

For my freezer batch cooking, I use one size container only and have a stack of boxes with a stack of lids behind them. No problem

For the heavier duty, tupperware type cobtainers in random sizes and shapes. I just bung the whole lot in a drawer, and because their shapes are all distinctive a quick fossick around will usually find the right lid for the box I want to use..

Tizliz Sun 03-Nov-24 20:02:14

I store them in the big cake carrier - rarely make cakes now

Pantglas2 Sun 03-Nov-24 20:13:20

Containers stored inset size order and all lids in the largest one with a regular clear out of older brittle, cracked ones.

Babs03 Sun 03-Nov-24 20:21:33

I put all the containers inside each other, not just tupperware but I keep take away containers and big yogurt buckets as well as ice cream containers etc. They all go in my big bottom drawer which is very deep, lids go inside a big tupperware container.

Tenko Sun 03-Nov-24 21:01:05

I store them inside each other and the lids in a separate container . I don’t have much Tupperware but use take away containers /ice cream tubs for batch cooking , and fresh soup tubs for freezing soup . I have a shelf for food containers

Franski Sun 03-Nov-24 21:10:58

Okay thanks. So mostly you store them separately and manage to find the right lid for the container. Kittylester: yes I too use the lidless containers for a range of other things..bit cant bring myself to get rid of the lids.

JackyB Mon 04-Nov-24 07:40:51

Minimalists advise storing with the lids on. You really don't need more than about four. I am slowly throwing out my plastic containers as and when they split and lose their lids. Instead I am using glass jars. I have a basket with half a dozen jars of different sizes in a cupboard. Every few weeks I have a purge and whittle it back down to a maximum of 5 or 6.

The advantages of glass jars over plastic are:

- you can immediately see what is inside
- the glass can stand high temperatures and is therefore very hygenic (food keeps fresher longer)
- the glass gets really cold in the fridge which also keeps food fresher
- Jars are tall and cover a smaller area, using space more economically in the fridge than flatter, bulkier, plastic tubs
- Jars are free

They can a!so be frozen. After all, you can get those little desserts in glass jars in the freezer.

If you still prefer to use the plastic tubs, do have a critical look through them and decide if you really need them all!

Cambsnan Mon 04-Nov-24 07:45:00

Buy new set that is colour coded!

shysal Mon 04-Nov-24 07:45:43

SueDonim

Stack the containers inside each other. I keep one spare in which to stack the lids on their sides.

I do this too.

I have several small ones the same size so they are in the drawer with their lids on

CanadianGran Mon 04-Nov-24 07:51:11

We store with lids on, stacked. Although it takes up more space this way, at least you know where both pieces are.

It drives me mad that the companies change the shape and size every couple of years, so things don't stack as well. Also, you get used to a favourite shape or size, then they don't make those ones any more.

kittylester Mon 04-Nov-24 07:55:24

Jars are also round which isn't very space efficient in a packed freezer.

When I batch cook, I mostly freeze in portions for 2 people and at the moment have 6 boxes of chilli, 3 of butter chicken, 2 of creamy sausage past sauce, a fair few chicken casseroles, soups, stocks, gravy - 4 containers would hardly be enough.

I do realise that I am odd.

cornergran Mon 04-Nov-24 08:13:20

Not odd kitty you just have a bigger freezer than we do smile. I bet you also label yours, I intend to…….

Here oblong takeaway plastic boxes are used for freezing portions of batch cooked food and are stored in the top shelf one of those narrow pull out cupboards. Boxes inside each other and lids in a separate row, they all fit. I throw out as soon as damaged, a ready supply comes from number one son. grin. Larger boxes are in a corner cupboard, stacked with lids on.

All kitchens are different. Ours is tiny so I have to store carefully, also a much reduced quantity of everything to avoid chaos which I would be very grumpy about. Hope you find a solution that works for you frankski.

kittylester Mon 04-Nov-24 08:19:42

Don't bother labelling, corner, they only fall off!!

karmalady Mon 04-Nov-24 08:23:50

I gradually changed over to all lock and lock, took me many years. I have never had any of these crack or deteriorate or leak. I store them with lids on and apart from the storage ones, holding goodies in my kitchen, I keep them in large, labelled zipped bags and all neat in a keter 570litre storage box outside. They store beautifully. These are the plastic ones and I have dozens from tiny to very large, I use all of them

I store a few glass lock and lock inside, more for every day usage eg making crumbles and then going into the freezer after the lids are on

Witzend Mon 04-Nov-24 08:26:59

We have a lid thief here. Goodness knows what happens to them.

kittylester Mon 04-Nov-24 08:28:07

I can send you some!

loopyloo Mon 04-Nov-24 08:38:34

This is a whole subject.
My DD and DHC live with us half the time and take meals into work.
So we have loads of little boxes.
She doesn't like storing them with the lids on as they get musty, allegedly, so now a I put an elastic band on them to keep the box and lid together.
Also we have the boxes that Indian takeaway comes in and we reuse those . They get stacked up and the lids stored beside them. They are a very useful size and are used for leftovers in the fridge.
But I do have an increasing concern over plastic.