Kitchen Space Savers: Rectangular Food Storage Containers by Jennifer SwansonI finally did it. I got rid of all my round plastic food storage containers (Tupperware®, Rubbermaid®, etc.).
I’ve been preaching “rectangular beats round” for years; but rather than eliminating them all together, I’ve been content to separate the round containers from the rectangular ones by giving each their own kitchen shelf. It wasn’t an obnoxious amount. I used it all, but I never used it all at once. But when I needed another low shelf for my children’s items, I decided it was time to bite the bullet and free up some space. Plus it was a fun experiment to see if my husband would notice or care.
I put all the round containers and lids into a box and hid them in a closet for a month. That way, if anything went awry in my little experiment, I’d have a safety net. Guess what? We didn’t miss any of it.
Not convinced? Maybe this will help you.1. Rectangular food storage containers take up less space than round ones, given the same food volume. (I’ll spare you the full geometrical proof; but in the simplest case (cube vs. cylinder of equal width), the cube is 4/π larger, giving you 25% more volume). This is especially important in your refrigerator, where space is limited. Think of your rounded containers as rectangles with the corners lopped off, reducing available storage volume. In the figure on the right, the blue represents the wasted space of a round container on a rectangular refrigerator shelf.
2. You only need a few days’ worth of storage for leftovers, unless you do a lot of freezing. Keep anything much longer than that, and you’ll have a health hazard and/or science experiment.
3. You know you could use that extra shelf for something else.Once you convert to rectangular storage, you can begin supplementing with glass, such as Pyrex®. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the safety of certain plastics (or, depending on whom you ask, plastics in general). And you might be surprised by the affordability of glass storage containers. However, since glass isn’t always practical, let’s talk about your plastic options…
Some plastic food storage containers out there are dangerous—especially to babies and children. Watch out especially for any container marked with a “3,” “6,” or “7.” You’ll find the plastic classification number on the bottom of the container, encircled (or should I say, en-triangled) by recycling arrows. Until very recently, many popular water bottles and baby bottles are made of #7 plastic, which contains a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA), made with carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and hormone-disrupting chemicals. Unfortunately, the U.S. is pretty lenient about chemicals; it takes a lot to get anything delisted. Canada and many European countries won’t even touch the stuff. Fortunately, consumer demand has recently forced some of the big-name manufacturers (e.g., Nalgene) to phase out BPA.
For a full breakdown of the best and worst plastics for food storage, visit National Geographic’s Green Guide.
Allow me a tangent here…What about water bottles? My Mom always sent my Dad to work with a Thermos®: stainless steel lined with glass. Big and heavy, but effective. Fortunately, we now have lighter options, like stainless steel without the glass, and aluminum. Just be sure that your aluminum bottles are properly coated inside to protect you from aluminum leaching into your drinks. This is a particular problem with hot drinks or acidic drinks such as fruit juices. Unfortunately, like just about anything, you get what you pay for. There are inexpensive options out there, but for something you’ll use on a daily basis, the extra cost is worth the peace of mind. My favorite brand is SIGG; they’re made of enamel-coated aluminum and available in a variety of sizes from toddler to adult.
Keep in mind the fact that your dishwasher can be hard on plastic containers, making them more likely to leach chemicals into your food and drinks. To be on the safe side, wash them by hand. To be on the safest side, reconsider switching to glass.
Food storage isn’t as easy as it looks. But with these basic guidelines for shape and safety, decluttering your cabinets and refrigerator will be quick and simple.
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1. Rectangular food storage containers take up less space than round ones, given the same food volume. (I’ll spare you the full geometrical proof; but in the simplest case (cube vs. cylinder of equal width), the cube is 4/π larger, giving you 25% more volume). This is especially important in your refrigerator, where space is limited. Think of your rounded containers as rectangles with the corners lopped off, reducing available storage volume. In the figure on the right, the blue represents the wasted space of a round container on a rectangular refrigerator shelf.
2. You only need a few days’ worth of storage for leftovers, unless you do a lot of freezing. Keep anything much longer than that, and you’ll have a health hazard and/or science experiment.
3. You know you could use that extra shelf for something else.
Once you convert to rectangular storage, you can begin supplementing with glass, such as Pyrex®. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the safety of certain plastics (or, depending on whom you ask, plastics in general). And you might be surprised by the affordability of glass storage containers. However, since glass isn’t always practical, let’s talk about your plastic options…
Some plastic food storage containers out there are dangerous—especially to babies and children. Watch out especially for any container marked with a “3,” “6,” or “7.” You’ll find the plastic classification number on the bottom of the container, encircled (or should I say, en-triangled) by recycling arrows. Until very recently, many popular water bottles and baby bottles are made of #7 plastic, which contains a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA), made with carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and hormone-disrupting chemicals. Unfortunately, the U.S. is pretty lenient about chemicals; it takes a lot to get anything delisted. Canada and many European countries won’t even touch the stuff. Fortunately, consumer demand has recently forced some of the big-name manufacturers (e.g., Nalgene) to phase out BPA.
For a full breakdown of the best and worst plastics for food storage, visit