topic Re: Remember the bread box? in Kitchen

Remember the bread box?

DEnatsfan — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:04:59 GMT

I remember my mom and grandmother using a breadbox. Do they still make them? Does the bread keep well or will it mold? I don't remember my mom throwing out bread, but we did eat a lot of bread pudding.

Re: Remember the bread box?

betteb — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:24:16 GMT

Yes I do remember, yes they do help keep the bread fresher longer.

From Wiki

Bread does not go stale by "drying out"—stale "dry" bread weighs the same as moist "fresh" bread, indicating almost no loss of water. Bread goes stale through a process of retrogradation, in which the starch transposes to a crystalline form in the presence of the water contained within the bread itself. The process speeds up at cooler temperatures,such as under refrigeration, and thus bread stored at room temperature remains fresher for longer periods than refrigerated bread. (Frozen bread, however, traps the moisture as ice, and prevents the staling process.)

Breadboxes are thus designed to:

Keep their contents at room temperature, prolonging edible storage time.
Have a lid loose enough to allow airflow, reducing condensation, which helps to prevent the formation of mold
Have a lid tight enough to protect their contents from mice and all other pests, including ants.

A search for bread box on Amazon had over 900 results. Your post makes me want to find a nice retro looking box

Re: Remember the bread box?

MathisFan — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:36:52 GMT

I've used a bread box for years. I have one with a drop down front that I keep bread and crackers in. I also have a couple of vintage style enamel ones that I keep chips and other snack items in.

Re: Remember the bread box?

151949 — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:37:34 GMT

I have a TT bread box I got as a house warming gift. It looks much nicer than just having bread lying out on the counter.

Re: Remember the bread box?

ittyreen — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:47:12 GMT

I think my mother/grandmother used metal bread boxes. I have a wooden one that has a recipe card box to match.

Re: Remember the bread box?

FranandZoe — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:56:53 GMT

I bought a beautiful Temptations bread box a few years ago - love it. I use it for everything but bread lol. Bread will get moldy if you don't refrigerate it. Or freeze it.

Re: Remember the bread box?

oceantown — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:58:08 GMT

You may be interested to check out the bread boxes on the thread here....

http://community.qvc.com/forums/kitchen-and-food-talk/topic/481858/if-you-like-retro.aspx

There are a few items pictured from the King Arthur Flour website including a cake tin, a biscuit tin (could be used for cookies) and a couple bread boxes. They are very unique and have a great retro look. Pretty colors too.

If you go to the King Arthur Flour website and put "bread box" in the search, a couple more styles come up too. One with a wooden lid that doubles as a cutting board.

Re: Remember the bread box?

betteb — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:58:47 GMT

On 12/2/2014 ittyreen said: I think my mother/grandmother used metal bread boxes. I have a wooden one that has a recipe card box to match.

Originally bread boxes were made of wood, tin or clay.

Re: Remember the bread box?

oceantown — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 03:02:47 GMT

This is one of the styles on the King Arthur Flour website.

They also have this one in a beautiful turquoise color and it has the wooden lid that doubles as a cutting board:

Re: Remember the bread box?

Foggy morning — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 03:07:37 GMT

I found a nice, reasonably priced, stainless steel breadbox on Amazon a year or so ago. It holds crackers, energy bars, my favorite shortbread cookies, and sometimes even bread!

Re: Remember the bread box?

Meeras — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 03:26:46 GMT

i used berad box for years

Re: Remember the bread box?

Still Raining — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 03:50:46 GMT

Thanks for the information betteb, I always thought mine tasted better when it was left out but had not idea why.

Re: Remember the bread box?

Mominohio — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 15:26:32 GMT

My mom used to have a metal bread box, in the gold of the 1970's. I have purchased the TT ceramic one, and use it for everything but bread.

The traditional drop front bread box takes up way too much room for my kitchen, but it is really handy to have bread, bagels, english muffins and crackers at the ready.

I have a deep drawer (one of a series of drawers in my cabinets) that we use as a bread drawer.

Re: Remember the bread box?

Vamp — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 15:31:09 GMT

I had one until a few years ago. It didn't keep the bread any fresher, just out of sight on the counter top. Mine had a cutting board in the door that you could use when the door was open. I'm sure they still sell them.

Re: Remember the bread box?

Trix — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 15:38:06 GMT

I always thought the old bread boxes were more for counter tidiness rather than preserving freshness. Bread was never intended to be an item which should be kept for weeks. My breadbox today is a Debbie Meyer bread container. It supposed to be ok on a countertop, but due to counter space limits, I keep mine in the refrigerator. I think it really helps keep the bread fresh longer, but it was engineered to do that. This is great for me because it allows me to keep a supply of bagels and rolls handy.

Re: Remember the bread box?

Sweetbay magnolia — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 16:55:50 GMT

I've recently considered the TT bread box (on that site), but I would probably keep other things in it, as I freeze our bread products as soon as I buy them. A couple of slices take just minutes to thaw and they are often toasted, anyway. The toaster has a defrost mode, also. I enjoy the convenience and freshness of storing it in the freezer.

We had a bread drawer as a kid, built into the cabinets.

Re: Remember the bread box?

nomless — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 17:11:13 GMT

I have a pretty wooden one at Target, but I don't keep bread in it. It's where I store all the papers that accumulate in the kitchen.....mail I need to go through, coupons, receipts and the like. It keeps the clutter at bay.

Re: Remember the bread box?

Madisson — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 17:15:32 GMT

On 12/3/2014 nomless said:
I have a pretty wooden one at Target, but I don't keep bread in it. It's where I store all the papers that accumulate in the kitchen.....mail I need to go through, coupons, receipts and the like. It keeps the clutter at bay.

Great idea! I don't have a bread box, but my mother had one when I was a child.

Re: Remember the bread box?

morganjen — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 17:21:45 GMT

Oooh, those are a sore spot for me. Used a big, heavy, wooden one for years until I put it out in the garage to give to his daughter. Later, something (me?) caused it to tumble down onto my husband's motorcycle, denting the top of the fender. It unceremoniously got smashed to bits by him on the driveway...

Re: Remember the bread box?

chickenbutt — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 18:27:02 GMT

I have one of those antique Lustro Ware breadboxes in red that I really like. But I wouldn't store bread in it unless it was inside of something else.

I'm, probably not surprisingly, pretty squeamish about bread so I used to only keep it for a couple of days before I couldn't eat it. Consequently, I didn't buy bread much because I also hate waste. But now I keep it in a Lock & Lock container and it will stay fresh for over two weeks.