6 Best Bread Boxes for Your Kitchen Counter posted by Taylor Munsell Pin Share Tweet Email SomethingSwanky is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Home-baked bread is fun and easy to make. It’s also a healthy and extremely versatile snack for any time of day, so it’s nice to have some ready and waiting on the kitchen counter at all times. To keep it from getting stale or moldy, though, you need a bread box – a nearly airtight box meant for keeping bread on the counter without it going bad. In this post, I’ll go over some of the chief advantages of a bread box and how you can make the most of yours. I’ll also provide my top six recommendations for bread boxes worth checking out. About Bread Boxes First, let’s look at how you can use a bread box to get the most out of your homemade bread. What is the Advantage of a Bread Box? First and foremost, a bread box is there to keep your bread fresh. Homemade bread usually goes stale in three or four days when kept on the counter. That’s generally not enough time to finish a whole loaf of bread, though, so a bread box is needed to preserve freshness. Keeping bread in the refrigerator will keep it from getting moldy for longer, but it with also dry out the bread faster. Freezing bread is another way to keep it fresh, but a bread box is much more convenient since you don’t have to spend time thawing the bread whenever you want to have a piece. Bread boxes are a convenient and waste-free way to prolong the life of bread. They look great on the counter if you choose the right one, and they’re a good way to encourage healthy snacking. Bread Box Materials There are four main materials for a bread box: Stainless Steel The most durable material for a bread box. It has a sleek, modern look and is also great for humid environments since it keeps out excess moisture. Ceramic Ceramic bread boxes often have elaborate designs that look more luxurious than other materials. They are good for dry climates, since they don’t generally have ventilation holes and so do a good job of sealing in moisture. The one downside is that they can chip or crack. Wood Wood is my personal favorite since it has a vintage look that I love, it’s eco-friendly, and it feels nice to the touch. Commonly used types of wood for bread boxes are walnut, teak, and bamboo. Be sure not to use a wood bread box if you live in a humid climate, though – the humidity will expand the wood and might make the box hard to open. Plastic The cheapest option, but also the least aesthetically pleasing most of the time. What to Look for in a Bread Box Other than material (discussed above) a few aspects you should consider when buying a bread box are: Size First of all, make sure the dimensions will fit in your kitchen space. Second, consider how much bread you cook at one time and look for a bread box that will fit it. Some bread boxes can hold two or even three loaves of bread. Flat Top Being able to store other appliances such as a toaster on top of the bread box is a great feature, especially for those with limited counter space. Viewing Window Some bread boxes that are not transparent have a useful glass or clear plastic window on the front so you can look at the bread inside without opening the box. Lid Design There are lots of types of bread box lids – hinged, roll-top, cutting board, flip-down, magnetic, the list goes on… but they’re all best for different kinds of counter spaces. Aesthetic Visualize the box in your kitchen and ask yourself if it looks good with the decor. A bread box is a fairly large appliance and draws a lot of attention, so you want to make sure yours does not clash with its surroundings. Bread Box Care & Maintenance Bread boxes are pretty easy to care for. Every now and then, you just need to wipe the inside of the box down with a mixture of water and vinegar. Doing so will eliminate odors and sanitize the inside of the box. Note that this won’t do much good if you buy a low-quality bread box in the first place, since cheap wood tends to retain odors. Best Bread Boxes If shopping isn’t your thing, you’ll surely appreciate this table with my top six recommendations for bread box models to buy online. To help you find the best bread box for your specific needs, I’ve sorted the models into six categories based on material, size, or price. Below the table, you can read a bit more about each model. CategoryModelPrice Range ($-$$$$$)Editor’s ChoiceYamazaki Tower Bread Box$$$$Vintage[amazon link=”B07BL51JQP” link_icon=”none” title=”Home Vintage Bread Box” /]$$StainlessBrabantia Fingerprint-Proof Roll-Top Bread Box$$$Budget[amazon link=”B07GYXNN2G” link_icon=”none” title=”RoyalHouse Natural Bamboo Roll Top Bread Box” /]$WoodenWalnut Bread Box$$$$$CeramicKaloh Bread Box w/ Lidded Cutting Board$$$$ 1. Editor’s Choice: Yamazaki Tower Bread Box by Yamazaki This bread box is made of steel and has a hinged door on the front, but the main attraction is the spacious interior that’s big enough to hold a few loaves of bread, some spreads, and some snacks to eat on the side. The box is rectangular, so you can even use the top as a table or a large surface for additional storage. Unsurprisingly, the box was designed with the urban Japanese audience in mind and aimed to serve the tiny apartments found there. 2. Vintage: CTW Home Vintage Bread Box by [amazon link=”B07BL51JQP” link_icon=”none” title=”CTW” /] [amazon fields=”B07BL51JQP” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”CTW Home Vintage Bread Box”] This solid steel bread box is also very attractive, bringing a pleasingly vintage, lived-in look that will fit into some kitchens better than even the walnut bread box mentioned above. I also love the handles on the side that make it easier to transport the bread box around the kitchen or from counter to table. I have two major complaints, though. One in the thinness of the metal. It takes up less space on the counter, but it’s also pretty easy to dent since it’s so flimsy. The second is that the box is not even close to airtight. This means the bread kept inside will not actually last much longer than if you just left it out on the counter. Luckily, you can solve this problem by wrapping the bread before putting it in the box. Overall, this box is aesthetically distinct and quite pleasing to the eye but lacks some of the functionality that I look for. 3. Stainless Steel: Brabantia Fingerprint-Proof Roll-Top Bread Box by Brabantia This stainless steel bread box has a compact, low-slung design that not only looks flashy and futuristic, but also makes storage easy. Despite being so compact, though, it still holds two loaves of bread and allows for more storage on top of it because it has a flat top. The bottom of the box’s interior is textured, creating better ventilation inside the box that keeps bread fresh for longer. Opening the box’s roll-top lid is satisfying too, since the action is very smooth and the lid rolls up inside the box. 4. Budget: RoyalHouse Natural Bamboo Roll Top Bread Box by [amazon link=”B07GYXNN2G” link_icon=”none” title=”RoyalHouse” /] [amazon fields=”B07GYXNN2G” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”RoyalHouse Natural Bamboo Roll Top Bread Box”] If you’re looking for quality without having to spend much money, this bamboo box might be the right model for you. It’s ecologically friendly, it looks nice, and the roll-top lid works quite smoothly as long as you don’t keep it in a humid climate. It’s also small, which could be seen as a downside for families but is probably an upside for those living by themselves or for those with limited counter space. The main problem with this model, and the reason it’s so cheap, is that the wood absorbs smells and it will probably need to be replaced after a while. 5. Wooden: Walnut Bread Box by Williams Sonoma This gorgeous wooden work of art is my favorite bread box of all time and the most attractive bread box I’ve ever seen, hands down. The dark walnut that makes up most of the box is coated with a shining wax and mineral oil finish that waterproofs the material, making it less likely to stain or to absorb moisture. The box has a lot of space inside to hold more than one standard-sized loaf, but the walls are not thick so it won’t take up too much counter space. The box even has a flat surface on top to keep jellies, spreads, or another appliance. The front of the bread box consists of a premium sliding acrylic door that allows you to easily access the bread or just view the contents of the box without opening it. This model is expensive as far as bread boxes go, but it really is the best of the best. 6. Ceramic: Kaloh Bread Box w/ Lidded Cutting Board by West Elm This ceramic box with rounded edges has a white matte texture and is coated with a shiny gauze. The ceramic piece has a definite simplistic beauty in itself, but what makes this model really stand out is the equally attractive maple wood lid, which can be lifted off and double as a cutting board. It’s compact, durable (as long as you don’t drop it), and brings to your kitchen a rustic but simplistic appeal that you might love. Bread Recipes Once you’ve got ahold of your dream bread box, it’s time to fill it with some delicious homemade bread! I’d recommend trying out these superb bread recipes. Easy German Christmas Bread Quick Bread Dough PB&J Swirl Bread Bread Box FAQ Finally, let’s address some of the most commonly-asked questions about bread boxes. What kind of bread box is best for homemade bread? It all depends on what you’re looking for. Stainless steel bread boxes are durable and good in all climate types, but they’re heavy and the sterile metallic look is too flashy for some kitchens. Wood bread boxes have a rustic charm and look great in most kitchens, but they can absorb odors after a while and they aren’t good for humid climates since the wood will warp. Ceramic bread boxes are elegant and insulate humidity, but they’re fragile. Plastic bread boxes don’t look as nice but are the best option for budget shoppers. Do bread boxes work for store bought bread? Yes. Many people put store-bought bread in their bread boxes. It looks nicer than repackaging the bread in the plastic bag it came in and it’s more convenient to grab a slice for a snack. Store bought bread will usually last a bit longer in a bread box than fresh bread because bread manufacturers often add a small amount of preservatives to keep the food fresh for longer. Where should bread be stored in the kitchen? Bread should be stored in a cool, dark place that doesn’t have much moisture in the air. A bread box is a great solution, because they are usually designed to keep out most moisture while encouraging air flow via ventilation. They are obviously dark inside, too. Note that different types of bread box are best at regulating moisture in certain climates; ceramic is best for humid climates and wood is great for dry climates. Should a breadbox be airtight? No, a bread box should not be completely airtight. If it is, moisture will build up inside the box over time and cause the bread to mold quickly. On the other hand, bread should not be left out in the open air either, because that will cause it to go stale. A bread box provides the perfect compromise; it is nearly airtight but it still provides ample air circulation. Do bread boxes keep ants out? Yes. Almost any bread box (and certainly the six recommended in the previous section) will protect your bread from ants, even if there are a lot living in your area. How do you store bread in a bread box? All you have to do is stick your loaf of bread in the bread box and close the lid! You don’t need to cut up the bread first or wrap it in a plastic bag – these steps will just make accessing the bread less convenient and will eliminate the purpose of the bread box. The Final Slice Keeping a loaf or two of freshly-baked bread on the counter is a major lifestyle upgrade. My family and I absolutely love the fact that we can quickly access a few slices of fresh bread anytime and have ourselves a quick snack. I hope you, too, will give it a try with one of the six fantastic bread boxes recommended in this guide!
