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The first time I used a Cambro container, I was proofing focaccia dough in a Brooklyn restaurant kitchen. I had just quit my full-time nonprofit job to go freelance and was using the extra time to find out what it was like to work in a restaurant. A local spot hired me as a prep baker, despite my lack of professional baking skills, and twice a week for about six months, I showed up and got to work. Cambros were everywhere.
If you’re unfamiliar, Cambro containers are the extremely durable, stackable containers you’ll find in just about every professional kitchen They come in a range of sizes (two to 22 quarts) and can be used to store, prep, and organize ingredients. Restaurants use them for everything from keeping ingredients fresh to proofing dough to brining large cuts of meat. Once I started using them, I understood why they were so popular.
Cambro
Square 4-QT Food Storage Container with Lid
During my time at the restaurant, I proofed focaccia dough in Cambros, stored hundreds of saltine crackers in them to keep them from drying out, cracked dozens of eggs into them for French toast batter, and mixed zucchini bread batter four batches at a time so the weekend chefs could quickly measure and bake off loaves for brunch. The containers made large-scale prep logical and efficient.
My time at the restaurant didn’t last long—turns out not everyone is cut out to be a professional baker—but I brought the Cambro habit back home with me. Once you use these chef-favorite polycarbonate containers for storage and large-batch prep, going back to Ziploc bags and mismatched Tupperware just doesn’t cut it.
Whether you’re looking for a better way to organize ingredients in your kitchen or prepping for a large party, you need to use Cambros in your kitchen. Here’s why I like them so much:
They come in a variety of sizes, so there’s probably an option for you. I picked up a four-pack of 2-quart bins at Costco that I use for storing grains and pasta, and a 6-quart tub for making a huge batch of cold brew. Smaller half-quart and quart sizes work well for prepped ingredients or leftovers, and measurements marked on the side make it easy to track quantities without pulling out a measuring cup.
They are extremely sturdy, so you don’t have to worry about any major cracks or chipping. The lids are exceptionally tight-fitting, so there’s less chance of anything sloshing out of the side, and they’re also dishwasher safe, which is key. Perhaps most importantly, they’re stain and odor-resistant (we don’t need weird odors and colors sticking around forever). You can finally say goodbye to those flimsy leftover takeout containers.
Larger containers help you buy in bulk to save money. I often buy many pounds of coffee and rice at once, and I use my 8- and 12-quart containers to store backstock in the pantry. If you bake a lot, they’re a great way to store large quantities and varieties of flour.
A large container is great for liquid-based prep like marinating large cuts of meat, holding water for using a sous vide, and for bulk-making coffee or tea. I make large batches of chicken stock a few times a year, and my large Cambros are extremely useful for straining the liquid.
Sourdough baking was not something I picked up in the last few years, but Cambros are great for proofing dough, and it’s easy to measure how much your dough rises.
If you’re an avid host, they can make party prep easy. You may not have ever cooked 30-plus quarts of chili, but I have, and I used my 8- and 12-quart Cambros to store it in the fridge until the day of my chili pop-up. I don’t necessarily advise this, but now you know how to store it all.
They can help keep your fridge organized for faster cooking. Home cooks don’t need to store 30 onions in a large walk-in, but medium-sized containers can bring the same logic to a home refrigerator. Keep washed vegetables separate from other produce, store washed lettuce, or use them to keep citrus fresh for longer.
You might not work in a restaurant, but you can at least prep and store like one.
Cambro
Square 2-QT Food Storage Container With Lid
Cambro
Square 6-QT Food Storage Container with Lid
