Finding the perfect flour storage container that both fits in your kitchen AND fits a standard 5 pound bag of flour can often feel like searching for a unicorn.
Whether you're making homemade baguettes or overnight pizza dough, you need to know that you have enough flour on hand to bake what you want, when you want.
The ideal flour storage containers for 5 lbs of flour will:
- Have an airtight seal
- Be made of food grade materials (ideally glass or metal, though some plastics are also fine)
- Easy to lift or carry with one hand
- Have a wide enough mouth to maneuver a measuring cup or flour scoop
- Be easy to clean
Figuring out what size container fits a five pound bag of flour is harder than you think. Most containers are measured by volume (fluid ounces, quarts, etc.) while flour is measured by weight.
A standard five pound bag of flour contains about 18 cups of flour. But as any good baker knows — 18 cups by volume is relative, depending on how tightly or loosely the flour is packed.
To find containers with enough capacity to fit five pounds of flour, I started by looking at some containers that I know can fit that much flour. From there I was able to establish some baseline ranges to work with.
If you're looking for a container to hold five pounds of flour, you're looking for something that can hold:
- 4.4-6 quarts
- 150-190 fluid ounces
- 18-20 cups (that's 18-20 mini focaccias!)
- 1-1.5 gallons
- 4.5-6 liters
While there are plenty of functional, practical BPA-free, food grade plastic flour storage containers out there (and on this list!), finding stylish countertop-worthy containers is much harder.
Unfortunately, most of those cute countertop trios of decorative jars for holding flour, sugar, and coffee or tea or whatever are not big enough to hold a whole five pound bag of flour. That means you have to decant some of the flour into the decorative jar, and find somewhere else to store the remaining flour.
If that works for you, great, but I am not about that life. Like most people, I have limited pantry space and a small kitchen space. I want one container big enough to store ALL my flour, not two small containers each storing part of it.
Luckily I was able to find at least a few glass flour storage containers that will look great on your countertop AND can fit a full five pound bag of flour.
These flour storage containers check as many of the "safe flour storage" boxes as possible. And they fit five pounds of flour without breaking a sweat.
1. Progressive International ProKeeper Flour Storage Container
These 4 quart clear BPA-free plastic flour storage containers from Progressive's International ProKeeper line get first spot on this list because it's a personal favorite thanks to a few unique design considerations. I have two of these that I use for specialty flours (bread flour, whole wheat flour) that I don't use often.
The rectangular shape is space efficient in small cupboards, the silicone seal is truly airtight, and the grey latch is super sturdy. When you latch the container closed you can feel confident it's really and truly closed.
There's a bar that clips to the inside of the lid that you can clip onto two notches about an inch below the top of the container to gently swipe flour off the top of your scoop so you don't make a mess.
2. Progressive Prepworks Prokeeper+ 5 lb. Flour Storage Container
This flour storage container from Progressive's PrepWorks ProKeeper+ line has a lot of the same great features as the one from their International line. It has the same 4 quart capacity and can hold a full 5 lb bag of flour. It also has the detachable leveling bar, and a silicone seal with airtight lid.
Where it differs is primarily in aesthetics. It has a grey lid and brushed stainless steel locking tab. It also has a slight indentation on one side to make it easier to grip — something the International ProKeeper is definitely missing. It has volume capacity lines clearly marked down one side so you can see how much flour you have left.
Both lines of Progressive brand storage containers are part of a larger line of food storage containers — so if finding matching containers for sugar, grains, nuts, etc. is important to you, definitely check out their companion keepers.
Shop Progressive™ Prepworks® Prokeeper:
3. 6 Quart CamSquare by Cambro
Cambro is the gold standard of restaurant food storage and prep containers. With a 6 quart capacity, these space efficient square shaped flour storage containers can easily fit 5 pounds of flour with room to spare.
It's important it is to be able to periodically aerate your flour in the container, especially if you don't use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients by weight, and the 6 quart CamSquare gives you room to do so without flour clouds flying everywhere.
I actually use a larger version of the CamSquare to store my all purpose flour (I buy it in 25 pound bags) and what I like about the Cambro design is that the lid is easy to remove while still being airtight.
Shop Cambro's 6 quart CamSquare:
- Amazon
- Sam's Club
- Restaurant supply stores
4. Urban Green Glass Flour Container with Bamboo Lid and Scoop
This one gallon glass container from eco-friendly brand Urban Green is made from high quality borosilicate glass and features a bamboo lid harvested from sustainably grown bamboo.
The glass is odor and stain resistant and the silicone ring on the lid ensures an airtight seal. The loop on the lid is a stylish touch and made from a natural fiber rope.
Important to note: This jar DOES NOT come with the "Flour" label on it. That has been added to the marketing image. The glass container itself is clear.
Shop: Amazon
5. OXO Good Grips Flour Storage Container (4.4 quart)
OXO Good Grips "Pop Top" flour storage containers are extremely popular, in part because they're part of a sprawling line of "pop top" containers in a variety of sizes. If having a flour storage container that matches the rest of your food storage containers matters to you, OXO is a great option.
This 4.4 quart flour storage container easily fits a 5 pound bag of flour with a little room to spare. The silicone gasket expands and contracts when you press down on the pop top creating an airtight seal.
A word of caution — I used to have a set of these OXO pop top flour containers and learned the hard way that if you don't periodically remove and clean the silicone gasket, flour can cling to it and prevent the lid from sealing tightly. As long as you don't pick the container up by the lid, it works just fine.
Shop OXO Good Grips 4.4qt White Pop Top Container:
6. OXO Good Grips Steel Lid Flour Storage Container (4.4 quart)
Everything you love about the white OXO Good Grips pop top containers, only this one has a brushed stainless steel lid (which makes it just slightly more expensive).
If you've got a brushed stainless steel aesthetic happening in your kitchen and like the pop-top design, this is the flour storage container for you.
Shop Stainless Steel OXO Good Grips Pop Top 4.4qt Container:
7. See Through Hinged Lid Flour Keeper
I can't quite put my finger on it but there's something charmingly retro about the rounded corners and hinged lid design of this simple flour storage container.
It reminds me of something I'd see at my grandma's place that she'd had for years and years because the simple, practical design just worked for her. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
If it's important to you to be able to fit 5 pounds of flour, bag and all, without squishing, this flour keeper is a great option for you.
The rectangular shape is space efficient and the clear heavy duty plastic makes it easy to see what's inside. It's also dishwasher safe for easy cleanup!
Shop Hinged Lid Flour Storage Container:
- Miles Kimball (with matching sugar keeper)
- Amazon
- Wal-Mart
8. Rubbermaid 18 Cup Space Saving Flour Storage Container
If you've got tall narrow kitchen cabinets, these tall, narrow 18 cup modular food storage containers from Rubbermaid are the perfect size for storing flour.
The red lid snaps on tight and has an easy pour spout that flips up. If you use a kitchen scale to measure flour (as you should!) you can easily pour the flour right from the container into your mixing bowl. No cups or scoops necessary.
These Rubbermaid containers are also BPA free and freezer safe, which is great, because the freezer is actually the best place to store your flour!
9. Large Canyon Glass Flour Canister (4.75 qt)
If you're looking for a flour container that will look great on your counter AND can snugly fit a full 5 pound bag of flour, West Elm's 152 fl oz Canyon Glass Canister in Large has a chic-yet-rustic wooden lid with a grippy gasket to create an airtight seal.
The mouth of the jar is only slightly narrower than the jar itself. Scooping flour might be a bit awkward, depending on how full the jar is. It's still a pretty wide mouth jar, so you shouldn't have any trouble fitting a measuring cup or flour scoop inside.
The container is "mouth blown glass" and should be wiped dry with a cloth. So no running this through the dishwasher when you run out of flour!
Shop: West Elm
10. Flip-Tite 18.6 Cup Flour Storage Canister
With an 18.6 cup capacity, and tall, narrow, rectangular shape, this Better Homes & Gardens Flip-Tite flour storage container is designed to save space
It's made from BPA free plastic, and has a flip-tite lid, which the brand touts as being easy to use for people with arthritis.
Much like the OXO containers, the lid has a silicone gasket which expands when you press the flip-tite seal closed. Beware of flour getting trapped between the gasket and the container which can loosen the seal. The lid comes apart and can be hand washed, while the container itself is dishwasher safe.
11. Threshold Large Glass Container with Metal Lid (6 qt)
If glass and brushed stainless steel is your kitchen aesthetic, this countertop jar from Target's Threshold line is the flour storage container for you. With a roomy 192 fl oz capacity, this jar can easily hold a full 5 pound bag of flour with room to tuck a flour scoop on top.
Unfortunately, reviews of this container are mixed on how tight the seal inside the lid is. If you have a Target near you, you may want to scope it out in person to see how it feels for you.
Shop: Target
For more of my product roundups, reviews, and gift guides click here. For a master list of my favorite kitchen tools click here.
Trish
This article was very helpful, Rebecca! I think I will go with the first one even though they are plastic (more economical). I am also trying to figure out glass container sizes for sugars, baking powder and soda, cocoa, chocolate chips, coconut, panko crumbs and pasta, beans and rice. They all range between 8 oz - 32 oz. The sizes are all running together lol. What appears to fit logically, really doesn't fit lol. I was trying to make use of the two Prime days and my brain was swimming with cups, quarts, ounces and gallons.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Hi Trish! I haven't done the research into all those other sized containers yet so I can't make recommendations there, but I do have two posts with sugar and brown sugar containers which you can find here:
https://thepracticalkitchen.com/sugar-containers-4-pounds/
https://thepracticalkitchen.com/brown-sugar-containers-no-hardening-clumping/
Maya Boguslawski
Thank you for this article! Additionally, it would be very helpful if you also put the dimensions on here. My small apartment kitchen can only fit up to 8” tall inside the cabinets.
Kamari
What an incredibly helpful article. Thanks for sharing!
Lonni Tanner
Hi. I noticed you listed the Cambro translucent containers among your picks. I thought they were for me too. But the version you show is not BPA-free. It is made of polypropylene. Cambro has another version that is BPA-free but does not have an airtight seal (says Cambro). Does this mean you feel comfortable rec'ing BPA containers?
Rebecca Eisenberg
I do, but what you choose is really up to your comfort level.
Hanuman
Actually, the link is for the clear polycarbonate which is not BPA free. The Cambro translucent containers made of polypropylene are BPA free from my research.
Cathy
Would the Camaro container also serve as a good container for allowing bread dough to rise?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yes! I use Cambro containers for bread rising too.
Joan Herrick
Thank you for such a helpful article. I'm looking for a plastic container for my flour. Glass is too heavy and it's breakable.
BonJon
I'll start with: I hope you won't take offense at my comments. They are not meant to offend.
I'm a granny, I bake a lot, gave birth to a professional pastry chef, too. We have tried a great many flour containers over the years. And due to contaminated birdseed, a few years back we had a horrible flour moth problem. My experiences are quite different from yours.
#1 and #2, both Progressive products - tried em, they broke easily and quickly - very disappointing. Did not keep the moths out.
#3 Cambro products - we have a lot. I don't know what planet you live on, but these airtight lids are very hard to open! The force needed would have flour flying everywhere! Strength required. If you had fake nails...well, you wouldn't be keeping them on with these. The containers are fairly brittle plastic, will crack if dropped, the lids split if a lot of force is applied. What we most use them for is dough proofing, plus cold storage and food prep. Because they crack, they may not stay airtight, bug-proof. Great on price, many sizes tiny to ginormous, 1 size lid fits many size containers, available at restaurant supply stores, with 3 styles of lids.
#4 Urban Green - have not used their brand, but have used two brands nearly identical. Their tug ropes for opening them gave out, one in a month, one in four months. They were not bugproof. I was miffed because I love storing in glass. Similarly, #11 Threshold, seals were VERY un-bug-proof, useless for sugar storage, it clumped in a week from moisture getting in. #9 Large Canyon had the little ring break off quick, was only a tad better at preventing moth infestation, and the glass chipped within 2 months. I didn't like the amount of wasted pantry space the round containers took up either.
#10 Flip-Tite, #7 (Miles Kimballs) old plastic box hinged lid, #6 Oxo metal top and #5 Oxo plastic top, all were useless against flour moths, #5 and #7 being the worst. They are, however, the easiest to open. Both Oxo containers cracked within 2 years.
#8 Tupperware. First comment: DO NOT BUY THE POUR LIDS, you might as well invite the bugs to supper! However, with the tight seal lids, these are the very best for grain storage: never had a flour moth or moisture get into the Tupperware EVER with a tight seal lid. My Tupperware flour container is 41 years old, holds 6.5 lb flour, large square opening to easily scoop and fluff. Can't replace it, it's not made anymore. The ModularMates line is the most similar. Both lids and seals are guaranteed against breakage, at least they used to be. Only reason I tried all the other types and brands was because I couldn't get matching ones anymore, and was looking for something at lower price or that was easier to open with my arthritic hands. These are not easy to open, but boy howdy do they work! We've had several lids break on the ovals, but only after 18 years of use, only one container chipped, after 33 years use.