Selecting and Using Airtight Canisters for Dry Kitchen Staples
Canisters for the kitchen come in a range of shapes, sizes, and materials such as ceramic, copper, and glass. What matters most is that they form an airtight seal for dry goods. A proper seal keeps out moisture and insects that could ruin what is stored inside, and most dry staples can go into these containers, particularly when shielded from direct sunlight.
By Avery Howard
Kitchen canister sets can be decorative as well as functional.
Kitchen canisters appear in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they are produced from materials including ceramic, copper, and glass. What they all need to share, however, is an airtight construction suitable for dry goods. An effective seal is necessary to block moisture and insects that might otherwise spoil the contents. For most dry pantry staples, these containers are a suitable option, especially when they are not exposed to direct sunlight.
Flour
Baking ingredients, among them various kinds of flour, store well in kitchen canisters. The best protection against humidity and dampness that can cause flour to clump comes from airtight canisters whose silicone or rubber seals sit on the lid and press tightly against the canister's lip. Such seals also prevent insects and their larvae from getting into the flour. Typically, the flour canister is the biggest one in a kitchen canister set.
Sugar
Often the second-largest canister in a set is the one meant for sugar. Humidity and moisture are harmful to sugar as well. When the seal fails to create an airtight bond with the canister, sugar forms lumps and turns sticky. To keep the seal functioning properly, brush it clean so that sugar crystals do not clog the grooves when the lid is closed.
Pasta
Take spaghetti out of its store box and transfer it to a tall kitchen canister. Containers of this taller style are well suited to holding spaghetti without snapping the dry strands. For spaghetti enthusiasts, whole strands that can be twirled on a fork in the Italian manner make the meal more pleasurable. Keep the spaghetti canister on the counter within easy reach so meals can be prepared quickly.
Coffee
For coffee beans and ground coffee, storing them in an airtight kitchen canister is particularly important, since otherwise the oils that are essential to coffee's taste can be lost through evaporation. Silicone or rubber seals are capable of making a kitchen canister airtight, but they tend to attract ground coffee particles that stick to them and can interfere with a good seal on a coffee canister. Before closing, brush off both the seal and the canister rim so that no coffee particles remain.
