Storage Tins

What storage tins do well

Metal is what makes a tin worth having. It keeps the contents in the dark, it holds its shape in a crowded cupboard, and the biscuits inside survive a heavy jar stacked on top. Unlike a cardboard box, a tin will not go soft in a steamy kitchen or split at the corners.

Some of ours are tin and a few are tinplate, which is thin sheet steel with a coating of tin. It is the same material the classic biscuit tin has been made from since Victorian times, which is why so many old tins are still going strong.

Using a tin as a tea caddy

The word caddy comes from catty, an old unit of weight that tea was once sold by, and in the eighteenth century tea was so precious that a caddy often had its own lock and key. It is easier to come by now, but what tea needs has not changed: somewhere dark, dry and cool, away from strong smells.

A tin takes care of the dark, and the rest comes down to where you keep it. A cupboard away from the hob suits a caddy better than the worktop beside a steaming kettle. Keep loose tea in its inner bag inside the tin and put the lid back as soon as the pot is made.

Biscuit tins and what they hold next

Biscuits have been kept in tins for generations, and a tin rarely retires once the last one has gone. There is a reason the family sewing kit so often lives in an old biscuit tin: it is sturdy and it keeps small things together. Buttons, batteries, fuses, stamps and spare keys tend to end up in one sooner or later.

A few of ours are mini tins, the right size for hair grips, plasters or lip balm in a handbag, or a few sweets in a coat pocket.

Picking a tin for the shelf, cupboard or desk

Start with what will go inside, where the tin will live and, if it is a present, the occasion. Coffee beans or a stack of biscuits need far more room than a few sachets of hot chocolate, and a cupboard tin has to fit under the next shelf with room to lift the lid, so measure first.

A tin you love the look of deserves an open shelf or the dresser, while a hard-working one can work out of sight in the cupboard. Some of ours come as a set of two, which splits neatly between tea and coffee, or between the kitchen and a desk for pens and paper clips.

Tins as presents, filled or empty

A tin is half the present and the wrapping as well: fill it with homemade biscuits or fudge, close the lid and add a ribbon. It also makes a sturdy box for a small present that is awkward to wrap.

Some of ours suit a keen cook, some make a good gift for him, and you will also find some for her. A few suit a teacher, a gardener with seed packets to sort, or teens with earphones and hair bobbles to keep track of. Some are a natural fit for Christmas, and a few suit a birthday or a housewarming, where a tin of tea and biscuits sees someone through their first afternoon of unpacking.

Looking after a tin, inside and out

Some of ours are wipe clean, and a soft, damp cloth is usually enough for the outside of a tin. If the inside needs a wash, wipe it with warm water and a drop of washing-up liquid, dry it straight away and leave the lid off for an hour so no damp is trapped.

We would keep a tin out of the dishwasher and the washing-up bowl, since soaking can spoil the outside and let water into the seams. Skip scourers too, as they can scratch through to bare metal, which is where rust starts. Store tins somewhere dry, away from the hob and oven, and never fill one while it is still damp.