Stack containers in a few piles: (1) Rectangular ones, (2) Circular ones, (3) Really little ones piled in a bucket , (4) Chinese takeaway containers have their own dedicated piles :-) And then all the lids vertical in an icecream tub from big to small. Voila!

Also -- buy the same brand of containers so they (and their lids) fit more easily when stacked or stored.

I put the lids for the containers under the containers for larger items and inside the containers for smaller items. So, if i have four small rectangular containers, they are stacked together and their lids sit inside the top container. If I have larger round bowls, the lids are under the container and the bowls are stacked. If I don't have a lid for a container, I don't keep the container and vice versa. I think a key is to not have too many. How many left-overs are you going to eat, after all? For the dry goods storage containers, they stay on the shelf where they belong when filled, with their lids inside.

Emily, do you mean the storage containers when they've got stuff in them and you want to access them easily, or the mountains of mismatched empties?

We've been using the Ziplock tubs for years, and the little sods are always escaping from their lids. Having read a great idea from Kenji Alt over at Serious Eats, I've bought a pile of catering tubs - various sizes of tubs, same lids: same stuff you see at the deli counter at the grocery. I'm hoping they will behave a bit better for us!

His kitchen wouldn't slot easily into any design mag, but it's very functional, and he has some inspired ideas.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/07/virtual-tour-of-kenji-alt-food-lab-kitchen-slideshow.html#show-101296

Seriously, our firm is a HUGE believer in the Container Store. Their clear canisters look great for just about everything! Here's my favorite line that they carry in stores + online:

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodStorage/clear?productId=10029918&N=176+1000023

PS- they're modular + stackable! =)

I have kept to one size for needed pantry storage and a couple of sizes for refrigerator storage. Works great and everything looks tidy.

I have a very low tech/inexpensive way to store our plastic-ware. I have two large plastic bins - one for rectangular containers and the other for round. The lids go on the right side of the tub and the containers the left. We've tried all kinds of ways to store this stuff but this has been what works the best for us.

Sorry - my second picture never got attached for some reason.

I agree with ericamusacchio. Use the store-bought packaging. It defies the business agenda of selling us stuff, but why spend money on packaging to only replace it with more packaging. Use what the manufacturer of your food provided.

Since not all food comes with packaging, though, I use freezer-grade gallon size ziploc bags for 90% of our storage. They cost about 10% of the other containers and I don't feel bad about throwing them away sometimes. They wash well with dishsoap, too.

You might spend 30 extra seconds looking at bags in the drawer or fridge, but they stack better and they don't leak. They work better than EVERYTHING else for marinades, rice, dry beans, ribs, hamburger, etc. Its even easier to mix things up in them. Have you ever shaken a marinade in a container you thought was tight, only to find it wasn't? Bags eliminate that problem. And when you put an unwrapped frozen pound of hamburger in a bag to thaw in the fridge overnight, and you get up in the morning and moosh it like playdoh in the bag to see how frozen it still is, well, that can't be done in a hard container. Or when you are rooting around in the fridge, pick up a container that looks like it has moldy chinese food in it, though it could be jello, or perhaps your childs school project from last March, do you really want to open your $4 container to find out? If its in a $0.20 bag, it goes in the trash.

Bags are definitely the way to go.

I only use pretty containers for things that I don't use daily, like flour, sugar, oats, etc. Everything else stays in original packaging. Except I do put kids pourable snacks (pretzels, vanilla wafers, etc) into a cereal type container so they don't need to dig into the food with potentially unwashed hands. My leftover containers are stacked by shape and lids stand beside them. I don't keep a lot of these on hand because they tend to get out of control.

Aaaaack! Too many storage containers! I had this same problem and when I moved to a new house in July and opened the boxes with the mismatched, where-the-heck-did-the-lid-go containers I realized I did not NEED them all. I sorted them all out, put the lids on the correct containers and threw out the rest. I picked a cabinet to stack them in WITH their lids attached It is so much easier to deal with them now. You will never use them all at once anyway so why keep so many? Now, if I could just apply the same principal to all of my other junk................... : )

Canning Jars. Four sizes, all wide-mouth. Multi-purpose, because we use them for drinking cups too . They don't need their own drawer or shelf. Lots of reasons to love them. Pour hot right into them, microwave without fear of leaching chemicals. Dishwasher safe. Clear glass so that you can see what the heck you've got. Easy to label. Stack well (but only two high!) -- this only really works with the wide-mouth ones. Retro-hip and decorative.

Definitely invest $3 for a wide-mouth/canning funnel.

I don't send them to school with the kids, so we also have a small collection of stacking, matching plastic containers. I can get by with very few plastic containers if I wash them out each night. But I digress, since that's not really storage.

Oh, and extra-strength (they don't call them Freezer anymore) Ziplocks, two sizes, when a canning jar isn't quite right.

One more suggestion. The basement. Grandma had the right idea. So long as stuff is sealed, the cellar is the place for bulk provisions.

Question

Hahaha John Lilja! Love your sense of humor AND your practicality!

The storage wars!
I love the Lock 'n Lock type containers in my pantry. Keeps baking things and cereals fresh.
Was too stupid to buy stacking ones for storing when empty.
We have to have a lot of to-go type containers, as I make dinners for my aging mom and mother-in-law. (And hungry, grown children who love to take home Mama's cooking. Or they are just hungry. ha.)
Love the Food saver vac. for the freezer. But I'm still on the hunt for an organizing system for the upright freezer. Any ideas?
Labels, Yes! I cannot always tell whether, once frozen, if it's chili or pasta sauce.
Dear Trusty Zip Lock bags, Thank you.

Oh my.... My favorite subject!! Zip lock bags. They are the greatest invention ever.

I make sauces by the gallons, so I use zip lock bags to store them in the feezer. Fill the bag, roll out the air and then flatten it out on top of a same size cookie sheet or baking pan and label them with type of sauce and date it was made and expected consumption by date plus instructions for heating (comes in handy when hubby has to cook when I am late from work). Put the whole thing into the freezer overnight. The next day, take the bags out of the baking pan and stand them upright. When you need to cook, just take the bag and lay it on the counter for about 15-20 minutes to soften and then contents go into pan. Works well for hamburger meat and soups as well - portion, flatten, freeze and stand upright.

We have also covered zip lock bags in packing tape to make them sturdier to hold sharp items like pencils or screws. We keep one in our bag at all times in case one of the kids feels sick or spills on/dirties her clothes (protects your bag from a dirty mess). I could go on forever about the uses - imagination is the only limitation with ziplock bags. It helps that they are washable and reusable and come in an enormous variety of sizes.

Love canning jars with chalk paint

I love ziplock bags as well. I make vegetable broth and freeze it as noted above. I measure two cups per quart size container and always have it on hand. I cook with it almost every day, so I go through a lot of it. They are also super easy to defrost since the surface area is so large compared to a square container. One tip is to make an ice bath in your sink (ice and cold water) that you submerge the hot bags in. The ice bath brings the temp down quickly to avoid food borne illness issues and makes them freeze faster.

In my pantry, I use the snap lock containers that are easily stackable to store nuts, seeds, dates, etc. I usually go through rice and quinoa fairly quickly, but I keep these in containers as well to maximize freshness. I like the containers since they are stackable and maximize space in my fairly small pantry. I have everything labeled with a label maker.

I went to my neighborhood deli and had them save their pickle jars. Now most of the pantry has a consistent look. All of them were free.

I use mason jars and paint a little rectangle with chalkboard paint and write what's in each jar. They're also great for storage without having to use plastic.

I like glass storage whether it is jars, glass bases w/snap-on plastic lids, mason jars, etc. because, in time, they don't get stinky OR sticky. They don't melt, stain or get rough on the inside like plastics and glass is recyclable. Plastics are, too, but I don't have the moral compass to try to recycle stained, sticky and smelly plastic containers.
Don't forget to put labels on container lid if in drawers and on fronts when on shelves.
The spaghetti-sauce-in-ziplock bags is perfect for freezer stacking.

Sharpie pens are my friend. I label reusable freezer containers by snipping a short piece of clear plastic packing tape, folding over one side, and sticking it on the container, labeling it with a Sharpie pen with the contents and date frozen. Then when the item is used and the container washed, the tape can be removed. Plastic bags just get labeled directly so I know what it is and the oldest can be used first. Plastic containers multiply like rabbits, don't they? Have moved to glass containers for leftovers that will be reheated.

sharpies work just as great for labeling all my canning jars, my ziploc bags, my ziploc containers, comes off in the dishwasher but not in the freezer!

Some ideas

I like canning jars too. And you can get plastic reusable lids instead of a ring and lid. I use canning jars for most of my pantry items. Bulk items (beans, rice, raisins, nuts, oatmeal) fill 2 qt sized canning jars in the pantry and the bulky packaging with the remaining product goes out to pantry shelves in the garage. For leftovers, I have a large set of Pyrex in various sizes/shapes. I love that leftovers can go from fridge to oven to table.

I also like glass storage. I generally use the containers of jam, jelly, pickles, sauce, jars of health drinks, honey etc. When the item is used and the containers are washed, the tapes are removed. Matching containers for different kind of items like all the pulses are in a type of containers, and size of the containers upto the quantity of the material! As these are transparent, I think no label is necessary. In this way, I save expenses also, and I am sure, thee is no health hazard using glass containers.

I use glass and steel containers ,avoid plastic as far as possible.I use sharpie marker to write down what the contents are and when I finish using the item ,I wash it off and so save time,money ,energy and paper too.
I use similar type one for spices and for spices I prefer the storage method of carousel type where you can see what spices are inside,similar ones I mark them with a sharpie.Easy methods are what works well.

Combination of ziplocks; rectangular sterilite storage tubs, squarish Tupperware.... We have nasty bugs here (house spiders, all three nasty kinds) and I have perennial issues with the little brown weevil beetles and the tiny millermoths. Pasta in original packaging goes into ziplocks as soon as they come home then are stored in sterilite tub. That way if I get 'pre-infested' it doesn't spread, and I can either toss or put in freezer for a week to kill them off. Breakfast cereals all have to go into Tupperware like containers, I pull the inner bag out and plop them right into the container sometimes, other times I pour the cereal from bag to container. Then LABEL EVERYTHING. New butler pantry allows me to put my couple of gallon sized sterlites with lids onto the shelving and I can see that this one is pasta, that one is my various foodflakes, that one is the oatmeal, etc. Not-round unless it's in jar or can; it uses your space more efficiently that way. Glass storage would be great but my better half is a fumblefingers and drops things far too often. When I pull out the tub, I can see webbing and if anything is along for the ride easily and deal with it, knowing what's past the lid is secure... Ziplock makes 2 gallon bags, you can slide a full cakepan in one; 3 gallon, 10 gallon, and 20 gallon. The largest keeps pet food fresher; and 3 and 10 gallon also seal away some of my low use cookware to not get icky or infested while it sits. Wash, dry, pop in bag, burpNseal, and it waits clean and no critters in corners when I want it.

The best storage system is the one that keeps your stuff safe, and easy to find. Visual (clear/seethrough) and label it are the two most important things. With the butler pantry build I could make my storage shelves fit my container system and the other way around.

awesome

For liquids that freeze, so - anything from spaghetti sauce to ground meats to fruits, soups and stocks, freeze in ice-cube trays first, then tip the cubes into Ziplock bags and mark with a date and description. Then I only need to de-frost as much as needed, instead of the whole bag.

@ Studio M Interior Design - I looked at the storage tubs you linked: they're pretty and stack together when full, yes, but they're no good for the freezer, and don't appear to stack when empty: I demand more of my kitchen storage containers. ;)

For things that go into cupboards, I use canning jars - mostly wide mouth (discovered those after I bought the regular). But I don't use the plastic lids for them (unless I am putting it in the refrigerator) or the jars I used to wash & reuse from other store bought food items anymore - apparently bugs can get in unless you use real canning lids! Ugh - I've had a problem that has turned up in the number of apartments where I've lived so I'd rather be safe. Due to a previous mouse invasion a few years ago which meant I had to throw out ALL my pantry food, I try not to leave any food items in cardboard or paper. Sigh... don't have the problem but that nightmare burned a forever impression in my mind!

For the fridge, most of the stuff I have doesn't have packaging, as I try to make most things homemade - so I either use the canning jars or zip lock bags. I also have a bunch of plastic I need to toss (mostly yogurt containers) that are way too annoying to deal with.

And yes - a simple, inexpensive canning funnel is so very useful for many things! It even surprises me that this is one of the best things I bought for my kitchen.

I'll add to what bubblyjock's said about Studio M Interior Design's comment - besides not being stackable - they are @#(&$ing expensive!! They START at $7 each - most are more. If people have that kind of money to spend on reusable plastic food containers... good grief, I guess I'm just not part of that crowd!

I never met a glass jar I didn't like. Vintage ones mainly. I've got loads and had a wonderful setup when I had a pantry. But sadly I don't now so most are in the attic. It's the plastic Tupperware-type containers that are that bane of my existence. I make casseroles, etc in advance and use them for lunches at work so I need a bunch. I love Schmuttis's system but will have to adapt it to the limited storage in my almost cabinet-free kitchen.

Haven't read the posts. I keep bowls in a stack, largest on the bottom to smallest inside. If any have a lid, they are under the stack or on edge in a shoe box or container.

I use anchor glass bowls. Mine have blue plastic lids. I like glass best. Also can see what's in it! Not fond of plastic because some stain. Hubby uses a midsize glass anchor bowl for cereal and soup and stew.

All my lids for other containers are side stacked upright in a lid holder or a shoe box. I don't like spending too much money on fancy storage containers. It depends where they are going in the house or garage.

If I don't have room, I don't buy anything new or switch it out to avoid clutter.

Yvonne Wade has a good system for sure!

Schmuttis has a good system too!

I cook in bulk for the freezer, so use a lot of containers -BUT, it seems to be either feast of famine - everything is full and in the freezer, or I am overdue for a cook up, and everything is in the cupboard (and overflowing), I have been gradually changing over to the sistema plastic containers for the freezer - 2Lrectangles and 1.2L squares , stack fabulously, and exactly 6stacks x 4high will fit in a freezer drawer. The problem is when they are empty. I bought a plastic fridge storer which has a handle, and find that the lids do stack nicely together, and I can fit 12 lids in each basket, and with the handle, its easy to pull it out, and find the right size lid. Of course, it only works properly if the rest of the family can be bothered to put them in there.
All my other lids are thrown into a bottom drawer, and we rummage to find the right sized one.
And all the really little and mismatched containers all go into the drawer above it.
Sort of works.

Connie, Wish I had time to cook larger quantities. Kinda glad I don't. It sure eliminates the need for all those containers : )

If you have space available stack the lids with the appropriate containers to eliminate the frustration of "lost lids" or "no lids", and if there is not room organize both the lid and container areas according to size.

bethbevington
that is so cool... canning jars and chalk paint...would u use a white marker of some sort
, or is it actually chalk?

Ikea has an amazing selection of different types of containers. Those are Ikea containers in the picture at the top. Using re-usable containers vs. ziploc's is a good thing ecologically. We don't eat packaged foods, wheat or refined sugar anymore but we still use them for our rice pastas, oatmeal, raw nuts, brown rice, etc.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/small_storage/15937/

Ever since ZIP LOCK bags came out I use them for whatever storage I need. That being said it's not the only solution - particularly in a kitchen setting for example. I prefer NOT to take food items out of the pkg they came in unnecessarily - even if it does look better. I want the cooking instructions, the expiration date if perishable, etc. at the time I go to use the food item. I'm living in an aptmt waiting for a home build. It is small and looks like a warehouse…..I wash plastic/glass containers after they are empty and reuse them in the refrig for example or something to bring to an outing. If it doesn't make it home to be re-used…….nothing lost. (I will do less of this when we have a "new home" but for now it's the ULTIMATE RECYCLE effort. LOL..

I want cheap dyi dishwasher safe labels? How?

The only dishwasher safe labels I have found are from Tupperware. They already have the words printed on them in black on a clear label. They come on a sheet, with every label you could think of (eg rice, paprika, pasta, garlic powder etc). Mine have been stuck on my Tupperware for at least 5 years now and not a single one has come off and they always go through the dishwasher for cleaning. You can peel them off and re-stick them onto another container. And no, I don't sell Tupperware!

Labels! There are these dishwasher safe labels called Label Once and I swear by them. You can write on them with Sharpie and erase them when needed. I've put these in the dishwasher so many times and they've been a dream. Color-coding (using different color Sharpie) is also very effective when you're trying to find things among many of the same container.

Label Once sounds great. I didn't know about those.
I came up with an odd but effective way to label tupperware for the freezer. I bought some sticky magnets:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HUE7HPA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

and then some magnetic whiteboard labels:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007JTNBNI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

and stuck the sticky magnets to the tupperware (the lid is the best place for combi freezers). I then use an eraseable marker to write the contents on the label, and stick the magnetic label to the magnet on the tupperware. It works.
But I think Label Once is better :-)

I limit my storage containers to what will fit neatly in one drawer. Sturdy glass containers are stacked with lids on; cheaper plastic are stacked with kids in a bin.

ACTUALLY ORGANIZED, NY & MIAMI

When storing items like multiple size and shape containers I like the idea of having a deep large drawer. I separate and stack the round containers inside of each other and the square containers inside of each other. I use some of the containers to hold lids or very small containers. The idea is to keep things contained so that the drawer does not become a junk drawer of plastic containers. If you don't have a deep drawer using a large container that fits the space of your cabinet can be used, the idea is to be able to pull out the large plastic container easily so that you can see what is inside and you would sort and store your containers in that the same you would in a drawer.