Review of containers

[+Ambrosia]

I was watching this video from America's Test Kitchen, and realized that even though the video was about food storage containers, it had a lot of interesting info that could pertain to geocaching.

In the end, they say what they think is the best container. I only wish they had been a little bit more thorough. They should have named all the containers that they tested, and then rated each on each criteria that they tested. Edit: noncentric pointed out that there is a link in the video description to more detail about all the containers that were tested. 

Equipment Review: The Best Plastic and The Best Glass Food Storage Containers & Our Testing Winners

Edited April 13, 2018 by Ambrosia
new information

[+noncentric]

This page shows the plastic containers they tested and shows 'star' ratings for different categories: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment_reviews/1879-plastic-food-storage-containers

Interestingly, "Lock & Lock" (#3 overall) got 2/3 stars for "Leaks" - while Rubbermaid Brilliance (#1 overall) and Kinetic Fresh Series (#2 overall) got 3/3 stars.

 

Edited April 13, 2018 by noncentric
shortened the link

[+Ambrosia]

5 minutes ago, noncentric said:

This page shows the plastic containers they tested and shows 'star' ratings for different categories:  https://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment_reviews/1879-plastic-food-storage-containers?sqn=ygR%2BNaojlikHuFZ8erxlIu4gxX/MR1lDN3xpYnpODlk%3D

Interestingly, "Lock & Lock" (#3 overall) got 2/3 stars for "Leaks" - while Rubbermaid Brilliance (#1 overall) and Kinetic Fresh Series (#2 overall) got 3/3 stars.

Ah! I looked at the description, but I guess I didn't do a good enough job, because I didn't see that link. Thanks. 

[+Ambrosia]

They said that snapware was good in a previous test that they did, but not anymore. They think it's because they changed owners and do not have as good quality as they used to.

This concerns me, as I buy the big bulk snapware at Costco because it's cheaper and I don't have a big geocaching budget.

 

[+cerberus1]

22 minutes ago, Ambrosia said:

They said that snapware was good in a previous test that they did, but not anymore. They think it's because they changed owners and do not have as good quality as they used to.

This concerns me, as I buy the big bulk snapware at Costco because it's cheaper and I don't have a big geocaching budget.

We have that with ammo cans as well.  The surplus cans we get in bulk are completely different (but look close) to the new ones found at our local big-box chain that caters to farming, and one selling sports equipment.  We have a surplus can still in the back yard well before we started this hobby.  A new can from the sports equipment company rotted out in two years for us.  One brand new one bought at a mega event met the same fate.  Might even  be the same manufacturer, but clearly a difference in construction. 

[+Ambrosia]

12 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

 

44 minutes ago, Ambrosia said:

They said that snapware was good in a previous test that they did, but not anymore. They think it's because they changed owners and do not have as good quality as they used to.

This concerns me, as I buy the big bulk snapware at Costco because it's cheaper and I don't have a big geocaching budget.

We have that with ammo cans as well.  The surplus cans we get in bulk are completely different (but look close) to the new ones found at our local big-box chain that caters to farming, and one selling sports equipment.  We have a surplus can still in the back yard well before we started this hobby.  A new can from the sports equipment company rotted out in two years for us.  One brand new one bought at a mega event met the same fate.  Might even  be the same manufacturer, but clearly a difference in construction. 

 

 

Wow, actually rotted?  I noticed that the costco ammo cans feel a bit different from real ammo cans. I don't know yet if that will affect performance, though. They mainly just feel looser when you open and close them, but that may not matter because of the gasket.

 

[+L0ne.R]

1 hour ago, noncentric said:

This page shows the plastic containers they tested and shows 'star' ratings for different categories: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment_reviews/1879-plastic-food-storage-containers

Interestingly, "Lock & Lock" (#3 overall) got 2/3 stars for "Leaks" - while Rubbermaid Brilliance (#1 overall) and Kinetic Fresh Series (#2 overall) got 3/3 stars.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Brilliance-Storage-Container-Leak-Proof/dp/B01JCNEJIY

Price:

$3.59US (on sale, regular price $6US) for 2 1/2cup containers. Great sale price. Good regular price.

Is anyone using Rubbermaid Brilliance, or run across one in the wild? 

[+fizzymagic]

11 minutes ago, L0ne.R said:

https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Brilliance-Storage-Container-Leak-Proof/dp/B01JCNEJIY

Price:

$3.59US (on sale, regular price $6US) for 2 1/2cup containers. Great sale price. Good regular price.

 

I haven't seen one but that looks pretty good.  From the looks, I would guess that the container is polycarbonate (which lasts a lot better than polyethylene or polypropylene) and the hinges look good as well.  Only concern is whether the snap clips retain their integrity outside in the UV.

FWIW, polycarbonate is what most Nalgene water bottles are made of today.  It's also used for bulletproof windows.

[+CAVinoGal]

7 hours ago, Ambrosia said:

 

Wow, actually rotted?  I noticed that the costco ammo cans feel a bit different from real ammo cans. I don't know yet if that will affect performance, though. They mainly just feel looser when you open and close them, but that may not matter because of the gasket.

The ammo cans we got at Costco a couple of months ago (a 50 and a 30 size) don't feel "loose" at all to me when opened and closed.  The gasket assures the seal is tight, and the lock mechanism feels pretty tight to me on the two we have.  We have not yet placed them as caches, we keep our unactivated trackables and spare containers in them for now!

[+noncentric]

7 hours ago, L0ne.R said:

https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Brilliance-Storage-Container-Leak-Proof/dp/B01JCNEJIY

Price:

$3.59US (on sale, regular price $6US) for 2 1/2cup containers. Great sale price. Good regular price.

Is anyone using Rubbermaid Brilliance, or run across one in the wild? 

Looks like @hzoi found Rubbermaid Brilliance was not so great:  https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/topic/339343-whats-your-current-geocaching-project/&do=findComment&comment=5669740

 

[+mimaef]

Has anyone had experience with these preforms? I'd like to get around that amount for some mystery/puzzle/multicaches I've been planning out to use as stage pieces with just some clues in them for the next stage. Not worried about a log staying dry since they wont contain them, but I am looking for a sturdier, smaller container like these that will do well when the winters roll around.

https://www.amazon.com/Soda-Bottle-Preforms-Caps-30/dp/B008MB1QNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523696826&sr=8-1&keywords=preforms

I'm wondering if i might find them cheaper somewhere else.

Edited April 14, 2018 by mimaef

[+NYPaddleCacher]

13 hours ago, L0ne.R said:

https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Brilliance-Storage-Container-Leak-Proof/dp/B01JCNEJIY

Price:

$3.59US (on sale, regular price $6US) for 2 1/2cup containers. Great sale price. Good regular price.

Is anyone using Rubbermaid Brilliance, or run across one in the wild? 

I saw some very similar containers at IKEA a couple of weeks ago.  The seal looked really good, but although the top was plactic, the bottom was glass.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

3 hours ago, mimaef said:

Has anyone had experience with these preforms? I'd like to get around that amount for some mystery/puzzle/multicaches I've been planning out to use as stage pieces with just some clues in them for the next stage. Not worried about a log staying dry since they wont contain them, but I am looking for a sturdier, smaller container like these that will do well when the winters roll around.

https://www.amazon.com/Soda-Bottle-Preforms-Caps-30/dp/B008MB1QNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523696826&sr=8-1&keywords=preforms

I'm wondering if i might find them cheaper somewhere else.

$21 and change for 30 containers seems pretty inexpensive to me.  You may have misread the page.  It has "Number of items 1"  in the specifications table near the top of the page, but if you scroll down you'll see that the one item is a box with 30 containers.

Edited April 14, 2018 by NYPaddleCacher

[+noncentric]

9 hours ago, mimaef said:

Has anyone had experience with these preforms? I'd like to get around that amount for some mystery/puzzle/multicaches I've been planning out to use as stage pieces with just some clues in them for the next stage. Not worried about a log staying dry since they wont contain them, but I am looking for a sturdier, smaller container like these that will do well when the winters roll around.

https://www.amazon.com/Soda-Bottle-Preforms-Caps-30/dp/B008MB1QNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523696826&sr=8-1&keywords=preforms

I'm wondering if i might find them cheaper somewhere else.

That is a pretty good price, at 72-cents each.  Preforms are pretty good containers and should stay watertight for a long while.

[+Isonzo Karst]

I've bought 3 nalgene wide mouth water bottles at thrift stores, one today for $1. I generally will go in and check whenever I'm near such a store. I think used, they make better cache containers than new - they take paint well.  Stick 'em in the dishwasher, then hit 'em with flat black paint. 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2018 by Isonzo Karst

[+Isonzo Karst]

Rubbermaid Brilliance ....  built-in vents under latches allow splatter-resistant microwaving with the lid on...

This worries me some. But they are good looking containers

[+CAVinoGal]

4 hours ago, noncentric said:

Preforms are pretty good containers and should stay watertight for a long while.

Yes, we found one today in the hollow of a tree, totally submerged.  Camo tape and the outside were soaked and grungy, but the log and contents were completely dry.  Amazing!  We made sure to screw the cap back on correctly as we had to put it back in the water in its hiding spot.

[+noncentric]

40 minutes ago, Isonzo Karst said:

Rubbermaid Brilliance ....  built-in vents under latches allow splatter-resistant microwaving with the lid on...

This worries me some. But they are good looking containers

With the lid on, but the clips open. So, if a cacher doesn't close the clips, then moisture can penetrate, but that's the same for all containers.

Per the article  "When open, the clips created small vents so we could microwave with the lid on"  It allows you to keep the lid on when microwaving to avoid splatter all over the inside of the microwave. Can't (shouldn't) microwave a sealed container, or else "boom!"

[+L0ne.R]

17 hours ago, noncentric said:

Looks like @hzoi found Rubbermaid Brilliance was not so great:  https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/topic/339343-whats-your-current-geocaching-project/&do=findComment&comment=5669740

 

Thanks noncentric. Hzoi said: Update: Rubbermaid Brilliance containers do not, in fact, keep water from leaking in.  Had to dump out one that was relatively sheltered.

[+noncentric]

1 minute ago, L0ne.R said:

Thanks noncentric. Hzoi said: Update: Rubbermaid Brilliance containers do not, in fact, keep water from leaking in.  Had to dump out one that was relatively sheltered.

Yep. I haven't yet seen one out in the wild. I am curious though, because the testing process in the OP's article seems to be pretty thorough.  From the other thread, it sounds like @NanCycle might've also tried Rubbermaid Brilliance. Hopefully, she'll see this thread and be able to chime in about her experience.

I'm also curious about the Kinetic Fresh brand. Maybe I've come across them, but just haven't recognized them, since their style is pretty generic as far as tab-lock containers go.

I know you favor Lock-and-Lock's, but I'd love to see other options because I've come across plenty of "authentic Lock-n-Lock" containers that were wet inside and don't ascribe to the idea that there can't be something better, especially as time passes and tech/material development change.

[+L0ne.R]

30 minutes ago, noncentric said:

Yep. I haven't yet seen one out in the wild. I am curious though, because the testing process in the OP's article seems to be pretty thorough.  From the other thread, it sounds like @NanCycle might've also tried Rubbermaid Brilliance. Hopefully, she'll see this thread and be able to chime in about her experience.

I'm also curious about the Kinetic Fresh brand. Maybe I've come across them, but just haven't recognized them, since their style is pretty generic as far as tab-lock containers go.

I know you favor Lock-and-Lock's, but I'd love to see other options because I've come across plenty of "authentic Lock-n-Lock" containers that were wet inside and don't ascribe to the idea that there can't be something better, especially as time passes and tech/material development change.

They tested water-tightness by holding the container down in a bucket of water. The water exerts pressure. In the wild, without the pressure on the lid and tabs, the design of the ventilation hole under the tabs may cause wicking. 

Edited April 14, 2018 by L0ne.R

[+colleda]

A suggestion I read a while back on a similar thread is to do your own testing using your dishwasher, the mechanical not two legged variety. Run your containers through a few times with a paper log inside the container then see how they fair. Hot and cold cycles will, to a degree (pun intended), simulate seasonal changes/fluctuations.

[+noncentric]

5 hours ago, L0ne.R said:

They tested water-tightness by holding the container down in a bucket of water. The water exerts pressure. In the wild, without the pressure on the lid and tabs, the design of the ventilation hole under the tabs may cause wicking.

Are those images from the video?  I didn't watch the video, but read the testing methodology instead.  I would think that the holes would be sealed by the clips, when the clips are closed. The holes are designed to provide ventilation when the clips are open. If the holes allow wicking, then I'm surprised that water didn't come out of the container when they shook them while full of water.

 

Here's the summary of how they tested for water leaks and durability.  I can't see the results anymore. The page keeps locking me out from the results view, asking me to login or create an account, even if I use other browsers or private windows.  If I recall correctly though, the Rubbermaid Brilliance got full stars on both Leaks and Durability:

Leaks: We filled the containers with water tinted with blue food coloring and shook them vigorously for 15 seconds. We also filled them with moisture-detecting color-changing crystals and submerged them in water for 2 minutes. Containers that didn't leak when shaken and that kept their contents dry when submerged received high marks.

Durability: We opened and closed each container 100 times, washed the containers 50 times in a home dishwasher, and repeated all the previous tests (leaking, odors, opening and closing, microwaving). Then we filled containers with water and knocked them off a kitchen counter and froze water in them and dropped them from 3 feet above the floor. Finally, we checked for stains, warping, breakage, and general wear and tear, giving high marks to those still in good condition.

[+hzoi]

Yeah, to confirm, Rubbermaid Brilliance doesn't make a good geocache.  It leaked without modifications, and it wasn't like it was in a gully or anything, it was on flat ground under an evergreen and covered by a log.  Still got wet inside.  Then when I tried filing off the little plugs under the flaps and sealing the vent holes it still didn't keep water out.   I do not recommend them.

Meanwhile, the ammo can I replaced it with has remained bone dry inside.  And I'd know, because it contains sand which has shown no sign of getting any water inside - still powdery.

Edited April 15, 2018 by hzoi

[+Isonzo Karst]

speaking of containers, i'm looking at a dozen ammo cans, delivered to my house (US only) for $6.53 each. Generally, when I see that kind of offer I load up, but  probably not today, I've got a pile already. Hint, if I were hunting this I'd be wondering about ammocanman