Has anyone solved the mystery of how to store their tupperware?

[lesliem]

This is something that is driving me NUTS!!!

I've tried to find an efficient way to store all my tupperware including a basket for bottoms and a basket for lids- didn't work.

I can never find what I need and everytime I start looking all the other containers jump out of the cupboard and land all over the floor.

Anyone have any good ideas?

[BarbaraL]

A universal problem! A friend of mine has moved several times and always had HUGE kitchens; she has a drawer for lids! I've tried various strategies, with varying degrees of success (or failure). Sometimes I put a bunch of lids in another Tupperware container (works until I need to use the bigger container)! Sometimes I stack the containers, and lean the lids on the side or put the lids underneath (this mainly for the Freezermate containers -- large, flat containers). Confusion really reigns when my husband tries to put things away (of course, THAT doesn't happen very often). He puts things away whereever he finds room (doesn't note that bottoms and tops work in pairs; and puts them in separate cabinets). Oh, well. A friend's husband complains she shouldn't buy any more Tupperware until they come out with a Tupperware cabinet or storage unit! Of course, he doesn't mind eating the food that comes out of the Tupperware!

[lorilei]

I'm afraid I'm blessed with two large drawers. I keep my containers stacked in one drawer (as long as I take the time to put them away, they stay neatly in place), and my covers are in another drawer.

I finally decided, after having a disastrous Tupperware CUPBOARD, that I just couldn't keep a cupboard organized. Since then, I've always cleared space in a drawer for my Tupperware, and it's worked out great.

[cryskie]

I too have a deep drawer for containers and one for lids. I've stopped trying to keep them neatly stacked and organized, though, I just toss them in and they're pretty easy to find afterwards. This works really well for us!

[food girl]

I avoid round containers and bowl-like things. The roll around in the floorboard of my car while I am wheeling into work, and they lids roll when they are on end. Square or rectangular are so much easier to separate and they don't tip over when they are full of soup!

Aggg Tupperware! I hate the stuff! I have 3 containers that are Tupperware and I kill my fingers trying to get the things open. Bad design if you ask me. I prefer the Rubbermaid stuff at Wal-Mart.

[luv2cook]

I can lament about all of the above tupperware woes. What I have done is just use different lid keeps and made one whole row of lids. They're neat, you can see them and you can always find what you're looking for. As far as stacking, I just keep them all alike and put the ones I use the most in the front.

Second, the new Tupperware lids do stink. I have problems with those, too, but I found if you get them on and then heat something up in them and leave the lid stuck on, it stretches. My new ones have gotten much better...

[BevP]

I have a large space which helps but here's an alternate idea. I gave up and bought a bunch of those gladware things, all one size. Instead of leftovers in one large piece of tupperware, they're in a bunch of individual sizes. If I need more, hey, just 3 bucks at the grocery store. Always buy the same size though. I've eliminated most of my small tupperware and kept only a few larger ones.

P.S. I do that with socks too. That is, buy a whole bunch of the same sock. Makes sorting easier and who cares if the dryer eats one, it doesn't ruin a pair.

[sneezles]

I gave up years ago trying to keep the lids and bowls separate. Now I just put them away with their lids on so when they fall out of the cabinet, I don't have to search through all the mess to match the top and bottom just push the whole mess back in after finding the size I need. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[HARRYET]

i have more tupperware then the catalog http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

but i have tried to organize the "tupperware cabinets" yes i have 2 cabinets dedicated specifically tupperware. everytime i organize it DH or the kids try to help and put things away and guess what---it never goes back the way it came out. so now when you open the tupperware cabinets you better be in battle gear! cuz it just comes flying out.

one of my new years resolution is to eliminate some of the tupperware i don't use and donate it, then perhaps i'll be able to keep it nice and organized.

anyone want some tupperware?

[This message has been edited by HARRYET (edited 01-12-2001).]

[Norma]

This is a sensitive subject at our house. DH doesn't understand why I need so much Tupperware. Over the years I've decided that I don't like the round stuff and have gotten rid of all of it. They take up too much room. I have pretty much ended up with square stuff (fits in the freezer good) that fits inside each other. I have one cupboard. If I can't get it to fit, I have too much and need to get rid of something. Sometimes I do some very creative stacking to stuff it all in there. The lids are stacked upright in a drawer. I can easily see what I need. I have to stay organized. If I get sloppy then it's out of control FAST. Anyway, this is my latest method.

[anna-rina]

Tupperware frustrations must be universal! When we moved into our present home, the owners had installed lid keepers that screw onto a door. They screwed three different sizes onto the inside of the pantry door. These could be bought at a container store like Hold Everything or The Container Store I'm sure. They worked for awhile, but seeing as I don't keep my tupperware bottoms in the pantry, I always had to walk a bit to get a lid. Another problem, the contraptions are shaped for round containers, not square or rectangle. They probably make both, but , unfortunately, there is no manufacturer displayed on the product. I wonder if Tupperware makes anything to solve our problem???In addition, if you didn't have a pantry, I'm not sure what you'd screw them onto. Presently, I'm back to the "stack-the- bottoms-lean-the-lids" method...which is working because I've purged the drawer of all the lids without bottoms and bottoms without lids.....and, okay, I confess, I have a husband that not only does dishes, but knows where things go and puts them back! Good luck!

[Tiger]

I love tupperware. I even sold it for a year so I could get EVERYTHING. Yes, my cabinets look like the ones in the book.
My Dad calls it Tumbleware. When I would say Dad it's tupperware, he would say No it's tumbleware. When you open your cabinets everything tumbles out!!

[LindaHentzen]

My Rubbermaid cabinet is one cabinet I let my one year play in - I mea, she can't really break anything. But, whenever it's time to clean up it takes forever. By cabinet has two doors but doesn't have that bar going down the middle so it's very accessible. I bought those wire baskets on drawer slides from the hardware store (I think it was either Home Depot or Builder's Square). I thought they'd be nice because I could pull them out and see what stuff I had, rather than sticking my head inside the cabinet. Nice plan, but the stuff flops all over - down behind the basket which makes the problem even worse. So, I removed the wire baskets (I now use them in my Pasta cabinet - works great!) and bought 2 huge plastic totes (Target's brand) one for containers, one for lids. That usually works pretty well. The big problem is with all the various juice containers and oversized stuff.
After having said all that, I must also admit that more often than not we use Zipper lock freezer bags. I think we use the rubbermaid stuff for big things like leftoever lasagne. Go figure. This message comes at a good time - the beginning of the year when I re-evaluate things and am full of good intentions that this year things will be different. Is this a sign from the kitchen gods that I should "simplify" my life and get rid of all that great stuff that "I know I'll need sometime" and just stick with the ziplocks? Not a revelation to change the world as we know it, but I can definately use the extra cabinet space. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[food girl]

Haven't you ever come back from a cook-out, church retreat, dinner at a friends with some tupperware that was not yours?

Do you return it?

I figure tupperware is kinda like that 50 cents you borrow from your friend, it will all come out in the wash. I don't usually try to get my own plastic containers back from people, but then again I don't kill myself to return them either. When I go to my Moms for a big holiday dinner I take my own tupperware because she is fanatical about getting her containers back.

[SusanL]

Tiger, too funny! I even tried to pay my niece to organize our tupperware cabinet while we were away over the Christmas holiday. She was checking on the cat but graciously refused when, they tumbled out so she shoved the containers in and quickly closed the doors.I think I will try the top on the container trick or tops in one drawer and bottoms in the cabinet. Something has to work!!

[donleyk]

Just for kicks and grins http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

After reading this thread I went home and threw out the majority of my big tupperware bowls this weekend. I haven't been using them and they take up so much space. They are, in fact, just ready for the trash so I will actually try to find a charity or foundation to give them to.

[ShirleyD]

This works 'cause there's only two of us, but I store it all in my dishwasher!

I've always hated unloading a dishwasher, so we do dishes by hand each evening (DB's job!)

[cjm]

I don't have any solutions to this age-old problem. I do have several cabinets filled with tupperware and lids. My goal one of these winter, snowing weekends is to clean these cabinets out and donate my unused stuff to our local children's home.

For years I have used ziplock bags for storing/freezing foods of all kinds. The bags make it east to store in the fridg. and in the freezer (I always write the date cooked, what is inside and how much ie. 1 cup etc.)