A loaf of bread – freshly baked or packed, has a certain appeal to it. It is a quick snack between two meals or a component in a Western food item that has been adapted smoothly into the Indian cuisine. But because of humid or dry weather, it becomes challenging to store the loaf of bread for a long time. Then you are left with only two options: either finish it quickly or throw it away.

However, food wastage is a big no-no, and that's why we are always looking out for new ways to save food, especially bread. One method that is slowly returning to popularity is the Bread Box.

The Breadbox was a popular way to store bread a few years back, but due to lack of product design ideas, it went out of fashion. Other methods such as cloth bags, plastic bags were also tried to store bread.

Also Read- How Having a Bread Box Can Directly Affect Your Health

Why Didn't the Other Methods Work?

When the bread boxes took a sabbatical from the kitchen counter, many other methods entered the minds of the expert chefs and experienced home cooks

• Plastic Bags/Plastic Wrap: Plastic bags and wraps work as long as you are consuming the bread immediately the next day. Any period longer than that, the plastic wrap causes the crust to harden and make the bread rubbery.
• Paper Bags: Paper bags are of no use when it comes to storing bread. It neither keeps it airtight nor keeps the mould away. In two to three days, the bread is likely to turn into hard rock and become inedible.
• Refrigeration: While it is possible to avoid contamination, by refrigerating it, it also speeds up the staling process by drying up all the moisture in the bread. Still, you can save the bread by heating it in the microwave, but it won't be the same anymore. And this hack will last only for a maximum of three days.

Also Read- Why Bread Remains More Fluffy When You Use a Bread Box

The Breadbox Wins by a Broad Margin

Breadbox is the most efficient method of saving bread. It keeps the bread away from humidity and direct sunlight, thus preventing it from staling. Ellementry brings you its durable and stylish bread box. It is the perfect blend of rustic and contemporary style. Ellementry's bread box not only stores the bread and keeps its fresh, but its lid is multi-functional as it also serves as a cutting board.

A Bread Box is made of either wood or metal or plastic – and consists of intentional holes to allow ventilation and retain the moisture of the bread. Some of the latest models of the bread box are also made of wicker. These wicker bread boxes are environment-friendly and non-toxic. It is preferred to use an organic breadbox such as a wooden or wicker one.

A well-ventilated bread box allows the loaf of the bread to retain its moisture in dry weather or block too much moisture in humid weather. With no unnecessary requirement of plastic, the bread box is an eco-friendly way of storing bread and allowing it to breathe. This keeps the bread fresh for at least three or four days.

Also Read- How Are Eco-friendly Kitchen Accessories Taking Upon Traditional Materials

The Right Way to Use a Bread Box

Like any other tool, there is a right way to use the bread box to serve its purpose and effectively store the bread for a long time:

• The bread box is most effective if the loaf of bread is unsliced. This retains the moisture of the loaf in the best possible manner.
• Ensure that the bread box is always clean. An unclean bread box is easy prey to mould and pests and defeats the purpose of keeping the bread in it.
• Keep the bread box in a cool and controlled atmosphere, away from direct sunlight.
• Keep the bread box away from all-day air conditioning and too many temperature changes, as this can soak up all the moisture from the loaf of bread.
• Ensure that the seal of the bread box is effective.
• Avoid stuffing too much bread in the bread box, especially when the weather outside is humid. This will only accelerate the moulding process.
• Do not use a metal bread box in places where there are too many temperature fluctuations in a day. The metal of the bread box may hasten the condensation process and make the bread more moist than necessary.
• If you live in humid weather, try using a big bread box so that there is no congestion of moisture.
• Line the base of the bread box with a soft linen cloth. That way, it is easier to keep the bread box free of crumbs.

Selecting the Right Bread Box

The design of the bread box is instrumental in deciding how efficient it is in storing the bread.

• Size: The bread box takes up quite a lot of space on the kitchen counter, which is why it is essential to plan the position of the bread box, depending on the size of the kitchen. If you do not have enough counter space, then consider a wall-mounted bread box.
• Lid Function: Roll-up lids in a bread box do not take up much space and are ideal for small counter space. If you have a spacious kitchen counter, you can use a hinged lid because it takes up a lot of space. Another special category of bread boxes – wooden bread boxes – come with flat lids that also serve as cutting boards.
• Style: With bread boxes made of different materials, there is a bread box out there for everyone. Be it rustic, modern, minimalistic or country, there are bread boxes made of metal, wood, ceramic, or wicker.

Also Read- 10 Reasons Why you Should Choose a Wooden Bread Box

Conclusion

A bread box is not just a mere accessory in the kitchen. For the fans of a freshly baked loaf of bread, the bread box is a boon. However, the users of pre-packaged bread can also use the bread box to keep the bread from going stale. Ellementry provides the best quality bread box to its buyers.