If you have ever looked at pictures of Pantry Organization on Instagram you have seen those pictures. There are rows of clear containers with white lids that are perfectly clean and they are filled with flour and pasta that is all leveled out. Pantry Organization pictures like these are really nice to look at. They look like they cost a lot of money to set up. That is why Pantry Organization can seem expensive.
The OXO Good Grips POP Containers cost a lot of money, about fifty dollars for a starter set. This is a deal. The people who sell the OXO Good Grips POP Containers say they are airtight and space-saving.
So I was thinking do these things really keep sugar soft for six months? Are you just paying extra money for the way they look? Brown sugar can get hard fast so it would be great if these things actually worked for brown sugar. I mean, who wants to pay for something that does not even work for sugar?
We did not bother with the excitement of opening these containers for the first time and instead looked at how they work after using them every day for six months in a real kitchen. Here is what we found out about how they are made.
The Mechanism: How the “POP” Actually Works
A lot of people do not really understand what the button is for. The button is something that people get wrong. They think the button does one thing. Really the button does something else.
- The Myth: Pushing the button sucks the air out (Vacuum Seal).
- The Engineering Reality: When you push the button it makes the silicone gasket get bigger. There is no pump that sucks out the air. The button works a part that goes down and squeezes the rubber ring out against the sides of the container.
This means it makes a friction seal, not a vacuum seal. It works well to stop a spill that happens by accident. However, it is not strong enough to keep working when the temperature changes. If the place where you keep your food gets hot the air inside gets bigger, which can make the lid come loose.
The 6-Month Wear Test: The Ugly Truth
When these things are brand new they look really beautiful. After you have had them for about half a year, the problems with them start to appear. There are three issues that you will notice with these things after a while.
1. The “Scratch Magnet” Issue
The body of this thing is made from a kind of plastic that is safe to use; it is called BPA-free plastic and it can be either SAN or Tritan depending on the batch. While durable against drops, the body is also really soft.
- The Result: If you use a Scotch-Brite pad to wash your things you will ruin them right away. They will get all cloudy and scratched. You have to use a sponge or a microfiber cloth to clean them. Even scooping granola with a metal spoon can make tiny scratches on the inside after a while.
2. The “Water Trap” Lid
This is the biggest design flaw. The lid is a complex sandwich of plastic, springs, and silicone.
- The Problem: When you put them in the dishwasher (even though the new 2.0 version says it is dishwasher safe), water gets stuck inside the mechanical button assembly of the lids.
- The Risk: You might hear a sloshing sound when you shake the lid. This sound is because of the water that gets trapped inside. If this water does not dry out and it is really hard for it to dry out because the space is enclosed then it can grow mold inside the lid mechanism where you cannot reach it to clean it.
3. The Brown Sugar Test
We put brown sugar in a special container made by OXO called a POP container. We compared it to sugar that we stored in a really cheap jar that you have to screw the top on and off.
- The Result: The OXO sugar started to harden after 4 weeks, which is not that great. The screw-top jar lasted 3 months, so that is a bit better. The problem with the OXO sugar container is the “POP” seal. It is just not tight enough to keep the air out and maintain the humidity for sensitive ingredients unless you add a terracotta disk.
So, Why Are They Best Sellers?
Professional organizers really like these things even though they are not perfect.
- Modularity: These things are made to stack in a special way. You can put two squares on top of one rectangle and they will fit perfectly. This means you can use all of the space on your shelf without having to play a game of Tetris to get everything to fit in your pantry.
- Accessibility: This is really important for people who have arthritis or limited hand strength. You do not need to use a lot of grip strength to open a lid. All you have to do is press down on it with your palm.
Is It Worth The Money?
Buy OXO POP Containers If:
- Looks are really important to you: You want your pantry to look perfect like the pictures you see on Pinterest.
- You store dry, non-sensitive goods: Things like pasta, beans, pretzels, and white rice work perfectly because they are dry and will not go bad easily.
- You have dexterity issues: The push-button is the easiest opening mechanism available.
Skip Them If:
- You want long-term preservation: For flour, sugar, or coffee, get a Rubbermaid Brilliance or a locking clamp jar. They seal tighter for half the price.
- You hate hand-washing: Disassembling the lid to dry it out properly is a chore you will eventually get tired of.
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