April 22, 2017 - 11:44am
5 lb bread "can"?
I'd like to get a few flour storage containers that are METAL, as in, a big can with a simple press-top lid. I have a nice one that I got a few decades ago. Well, it's as "nice" as you can expect something like that to be. But all I see now are plastic containers with fancy hinged and lockable lids. I see expensive metal ones that are decorated with old-fashioned bakery art. You're paying for the art. Anyone know of any sources?
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I have used Cambro containers for all my flours, going on ten years now. They are sturdy, easily cleaned and convenient to use. The 6qt size is ideal for 5lb amounts.
gary
Eight O'Clock Coffee comes in those larger metal cans, and are resealable, if that size works for you. Otherwise, yeah, you're paying for cuteness, not actual storage.
I also use several Cambros, for storage and for other things like fermenting. They aren't metal as specified, but they really are nice.
I'm not opposed to plastic, though most plastic ones I've seen strike me as cheaply made. Cambro is interesting, though there are no outlets nearby. I've also looked at OXO POP. In the case of the latter, their 5 quart size is 6x6x12 - long and thin. Not that useful for storing flour, since you'd have to scoop way down to get it, and pouring from a 6 inch bag into a 6 inch canister can be tricky.
There are lots of used metal "flour tins" on e-bay, which are attractive and inexpensive, but the sellers seem to not want to post size/volume. Not sure why anyone concerned with food storage would want to but a container without knowing how big it is.
King Arthur used to have some sort of "commemorative" 5 quart tin, and it's in their catalog but not in stock.
Almost any restaurant supply store carries Cambro products. You can also purchase online. These products hold up very well and are excellent for any kind of storage. Here is the link to look at the catalog.
http://www.cambro.com/Catalog/
Not sure where you live, but check out restaurant supply places that sell used equipment and small wares. Often these places take over restaurants, bakeries and other places that are closing, and sell all their stock. I sometimes get used 8 quart ones for $5 each.
Thanks. There is a Mission Restaurant Supply nearby. I'll check it out tomorrow. I think they carry Cambro. One puzzle is that Cambro sells clear 6 qt round containers, and white 6 qt round containers. Same dimension as a respectable "tin". The price on the former is almost three times that of the latter. Duh, whaaaat? Both polyethylene. Is there something disadvantageous about the white ones (except that they aren't clear, which is hardly disadvantageous for storing flour)?
because they were so much cheaper than the clear ones. I use them to make my dough. They are transparent enough that I can see easily when the dough has doubled. I am not sure what the advantages would be of the clear ones aside that they seem to be more rigid which makes me wonder if they are also more brittle.
Thanks. I just wanted to make sure the translucent ones weren't marked down because they were defective in some way.
And they clean up quite easily which was a pleasant surprise after struggling to clean other types of bowls.
If you can get your hands on the big tins that popcorn companies use for their products, it might suit your needs. Here in the KC area, Topsy's is one such vendor and I can usually score at least a couple for free just by wandering around the office during the week between Christmas and New Year. That may not be a thing in your area but other options might include the tins that Charles Chips uses for their potato chips and pretzels, or something similar.
Paul
Very clever, using a popcorn tin. Not sure where to get one around here, and the ones available online are filled with very pricey popcorn! Various can companies offer options in a range of sizes of empties, but only in bulk. I need ONE. I do have to wonder if a popcorn tin, which is engineered to hold popped corn (which is featherweight), is really up to holding 5 lbs of flour. That is, in making these, I'd think you'd use as little metal as you can get away with.
OK, you folks sold me on a plastic one. I was impressed with it's functionality, and with its price. I guess I would have preferred an old-fashioned tin, but they just don't make 'em anymore! Thank you! Kind of odd that the usual housewares stores don't sell these things, but it's always slick to mosey around in a restaurant supply store.
FWIW, I *thought* I was getting a Cambro, but now that I look at it more carefully it has "Rubbermaid" stamped on it. Apparently Mission Restaurant Supply just changed suppliers. They still advertise Cambro on their website catalog. The Rubbermaid one looks a lot like the pictures I have of the Cambro one. So essentially, they're identical.
Various "polyes" are used for containers. Some work better than others, and cost more. Most Cambro containers are polycarbonate which are clear. I like and use these. They are used by restaruants and bakeries because they can handle the high temperature of commerical dishwashers. Polyethylene works too -- i. e. Rubbermaid but these do not handle high temperature of commerical dishwashers. Also polyethylene contains tend to pick up oders over time. That said we are still using some "Tupperware" containers made of polyethylene that are are more than 30 years old. (Home use). For baking and flour storage I use Cambro.
Well, as a white flour storage container, it's unlikely to ever go near a hot dishwasher, nor pick up odors. Polyethylene is, however, BPA-free. Polycarbonate is not. BPA is pretty nasty stuff. That might not be very important to flour storage, but is certainly an potential issue for any hot food, and even moist food, like dough. I find the polycarbonate hard and somewhat brittle. Polyethylene is not. Rubbermaid is actually the safest polyethylene, which is HDPE.
FWIW, the polycarbonate containers are about three times the price of the polyethylene.