Optimizing Product Storage: Box or Bag? Tips and Advice

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Discussion Overview

The thread explores various approaches to storing and transporting Pampered Chef products, specifically discussing whether to keep items in their original boxes or to use alternative storage methods. Participants share their personal experiences and preferences regarding product storage, particularly in relation to carrying items to shows.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, expresses curiosity about whether to keep products in their boxes or discard them, particularly regarding starter kit items.
  • Another participant shares that they only keep a few boxes, such as for the trifle bowl and large round platter, due to limited storage space.
  • Several users mention using crates or bags instead of boxes for transporting products, highlighting personal methods for organization.
  • One participant notes that they carry fragile items in boxes for protection, while others prefer to wrap such items in kitchen towels.
  • Some participants indicate that they keep only rarely used items in boxes, while frequently used items are stored without them.
  • Another participant shares that they have recycled most boxes for other uses, finding it easier to access products without the original packaging.
  • Several users mention that keeping items in boxes helps with organization and prevents loss of small parts.
  • One participant reflects on their past decision to recycle boxes and expresses regret, emphasizing the importance of personal preference in storage choices.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ significantly among participants regarding the storage of products in boxes versus other methods. No clear consensus emerges on the best approach, as experiences and preferences vary widely.

Contextual Notes

Participants share their experiences based on personal storage solutions and the practicalities of transporting products to shows. The discussion reflects a range of strategies and considerations related to product management among Pampered Chef consultants.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants looking for insights into product storage and transportation methods may find the shared experiences helpful in determining their own practices.

PCMelissa
Gold Member
Messages
469
Just curious... do most of you keep your products in the box? Do you carry your product to your shows like that? Or just put them in the bad without the boxes. Just wondering. I am trying to decide before I throw out the boxes of the items from my starter kit!

Thanks!
 
The only boxes I have kept are the trifle bowl box (with the pedestal box as well), large round platter, and I think that's it!

Below my oven is storage space so that's where I keep all my stones. I guess if I didnt have that perhaps I would keep the boxes. But I do use most of my stones a lot.

HTH
 
I don't have a bag, but I use a crate that we used get in our kit and I put the product directly in the crate. Everything, okay most everything, is coming out of my kitchen cabinets and I don't store my product in their boxes in the cabinet.
 
I carry some of my items in the boxes in my rolling cart - The trifle bowl, coating trays, RUFTH trivet, some simple additions - things I don't want to take a chance being broken or scratched - the chopper, microplane, etc all are out of the boxes - you will get the hang of it and what works for one might not work for another -
 
No boxes. If anything is fragile or scratches easily it gets wrapped in kitchen towels (I have the towels from like the past 4 seasons so I use them for that). I also have the cookware bags plus the new cookware protectors.
 
The only thing I keep in a box and bring that way to shows is the Trifle Bowl (if it's not filled with a Trifle) and the Deep Covered Baker. Everything else gets packed with lots of towels. I try not to keep products in boxes in my house because it just takes up SO much room. Most everything has "lived" outside of its box except the two mentioned above.

The ONE drawback to being a consultant is the storage of all the products....especially once you start earning FREE stuff!!!:) :)
 
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Thanks all!! Okay, the kitchen towels is a great idea! I was leaning towards discarding the boxes, but wanted to make sure I wouldn't be mad I did. So, I think I will. Thanks all for your help!
 
I keep my SA bowl caddy and the small bowls in the boxes (Bowl box is inside the caddy box). And then I end up putting my spices in there too. It is such a weird shape it makes it hard to pack around. My stone with handles and trifle are in boxes also but I don't take them to shows unless I'm using them.

Have fun!!
 
I don't use boxes either and use towels like the other ladies said...besides, you can never have to many towels with you at a show.


For those of you who have a Meijer Store near you...I got the Free wine bag that you get when you buy a bottle of wine and I use it to carry all my little utensils in (I got tired of digging them out of the bottom of the bag). This way I can grab an item while I am at home to use and put it back when I am done without unloading everything.
 
DebbieJ said:
No boxes. If anything is fragile or scratches easily it gets wrapped in kitchen towels (I have the towels from like the past 4 seasons so I use them for that). I also have the cookware bags plus the new cookware protectors.
...ditto...
 
I have to vote the other way--I prefer keeping my items in boxes. It just gives me so much more peace of mind. At first, I recycled all of them, and in hindsight, I could just kick myself. But, each person has to decide for themselves. Small stuff definitely comes out of the box, but I have kept all my larger things in the boxes for safe storage and travel. But, that's just how my mind works. You need to find what works for you. I just used my show to go rolling tote the other night, and it was SO hard for me to put a SA platter in it not in the box. I just don't want to worry about breakages or scratches. Do what you think is best.

Tammy
 
The only item I have kept a box for is the Large Round Stone w/ handles - so I don't have to worry about the handles cracking or breaking during transport. I've been doing this for 5 years, and never broken anything yet in transport.....watch, now that I say that, I probably will!:rolleyes:
 
I keep the following in its box:
Ultimate MAndoline
Easy Accent Decorator
Cookie Press
Decorator bottles (w/ extra tips)
Microplane® Adjustable Grater

I do this only for storage reasons. The box keeps everything together and then I can stack things on top of it. Nothing like hunting for a bunch of loose pieces in a drawer. Everything else I use way too often to always have to repack it each time.
 
Mwalker said:
I keep the following in its box:
Ultimate MAndoline
Easy Accent Decorator
Cookie Press
Decorator bottles (w/ extra tips)
Microplane® Adjustable Grater

I do this only for storage reasons. The box keeps everything together and then I can stack things on top of it. Nothing like hunting for a bunch of loose pieces in a drawer. Everything else I use way too often to always have to repack it each time.


Oh, yeah, I didn't even think about the cookie press and Decorator Bottle Set - I keep those in their original boxes too.....but I rarely use them, so that just helps me know where they are, and I don't have to dig all the little pieces out the couple times of the year that I use them!
 
I keep the cookie press and large dots bowl in a box. Everything else is used so often in my house the when I do a show I just pick what I'm taking and put it into my crate. My basic rule is if it don't fit in the crate, I don't take it :)
 
now that I think about it... meat tenderizer, SA lg platter, decorator bottles, ice cream sandwich maker..... they are in boxes. But I think that's it. Everything else gets wrapped in dish towels for transport.
 
I keep the following in boxes:

Easy Accent Decorator
Cookie Press
Decorator bottles (w/ extra tips)
Chillizane items (only b/c I store them over the winter
RUFTH Trivet

I should have kept my Trifle Bowl in one since I just broke the pedestal b/c I was in a hurry and did not put my Micro Fiber Towel inside with it when I was packing away (Grrrr!!)

Oh well - guess I will have to get another one...:o
 
I keep the Cookie Press and Easy Accent Decorator in the box because of all the extra parts. I keep the Square Platter, Large Rectangle Platter and Oval Platter with Cranberry Accents in their boxes, too. I hold on to some boxes for a little while to see if I will want them. As I clean out my cupboards to store new product, I throw out the old boxes that I haven't used. I did keep the box for the new cup and bottle holders because I don't know a better way to store those.
 
Like so many others, I keep a few of the items I use only occasionally and loan out a lot (like the Cookie Press and Easy Accent Decorator) in the boxes. Everything else I toss in my carrier as is. One exception from the new S/S products is the new Outdoor Party Sticks. I think they'll be easier for me to transport in their box.
 
I only keep things in boxes that I don't use on a regular basis. I used to keep all the "nice" stuff in boxes, but then realized that I never used it at home because it was too much hassle to take out of the box. But, I have recycled most of the boxes for other things around the house - kids toys, puzzles, small craft do-dads and the big shipping boxes make great airplanes, trains, cars, boats, etc and great toy boxes!
 
I wrap fragile items in towels to take to shows. At home the only boxes I have kept are:

Fluted Stone - b/c I keep all my stones on a shelf in my pantry and there wasn't any room for it in the stoneware rack (wish I had bought 2 more of them when they were in the outlet!)
APCS - b/c it has so many peices & it's sharp!
Cookie Press
Decorator Bottles

I think that's it.
 
For my shows, I only keep the trifle bowl (when I do bring it) and the RFTH trivet in the box. I used to keep the DCG in the box but got sick of taking it out and putting it back in. At home, I keep the DCG, old USG, EAD and a couple other items in their original boxes. Helps when some items have different parts and pieces to keep them all together.
 
Mwalker said:
I keep the following in its box:
Ultimate MAndoline
Easy Accent Decorator
Cookie Press
Decorator bottles (w/ extra tips)
Microplane® Adjustable Grater

I do this only for storage reasons. The box keeps everything together and then I can stack things on top of it. Nothing like hunting for a bunch of loose pieces in a drawer. Everything else I use way too often to always have to repack it each time.


I keep all of these except the Microplane in boxes too! I also keep the Trifle Bowl and the Salad Berry Spinner in their boxes.

I have so many products (almost everything in the catalog except for the SS cookware) that I don't have room to keep all the boxes:)! I have shelves in my attached garage I use to store all of my products. For my Simple Additions I purchased two SA carrying bags on the outlet and store all of them in these and put them on the bottom shelve in the garage. It's so easy to find what I need that way.

You will find what works for you. I would suggest keeping the boxes for a little while and you will find which ones you want and which you don't.
 
I wishI could keep my Apple Peeler/Mangler in its box without having to take it apart each time. It gets tangled in other stuff in my drawer.
 
I keep my Cookie Press and Decorator bottles in their box, as well as the stencil set.
The outdoor party sticks will also stay in their box, just to keep them "organized".
I also have the silicone floral cupcake pan in its box, tho it really could come out now. I have the cheese board in its box, simply so I can sell it at some point, as its not something I have a need for personally, and just have it in case I need to "show" it at a show. (like for the March host special!)

Paula
 
I keep most of my boxes in storage in case the product ever needs to be returned. But I do keep boxes to store the simple additions caddy; cookie press; triffle bowl and stones (which probably will be moved out of their boxes when I figure out where i wanna keep the stones, probably after I re-organize my pan cupboard again.)
 
For transporting...I mostly use towels and our oven pads to cushion.

At home, my not so much used items are in boxes in my back storage room
EAD
Cookie Press
Simple Additons
Odd shaped stones that I don't have stored in my kitchen (loaf pans, fluted pan, etc.)
Decorator Bottle Set
 
I have also kept the box to my trifle bowl, I'm afraid I'm gonna break it! Everything else though is out and used at home and at shows.
 
All of my products are used at home, so I throw away the boxes. They take up too much space. My SA pieces are displayed in my hutch and used for special occasions, but other than that everything is in a drawer, bin, TTA, or stoneware crock.
 
Im surprised to see how many keep their SAs in the box. We actually use them daily. Then again, I only have one piece thats larger than the Medium Square plates. I have 6 small bowls, 4 small plates (2 cranberry accent), & I think 8 medium plates. At any given time about half are in the dishwasher. lol My Dots large bowl has turned into my fruit bowl.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of using boxes for product storage?

Boxes provide sturdy protection for products, preventing damage during transport and storage. They are stackable, which helps maximize space efficiency. Additionally, boxes can be easily labeled for quick identification of contents, making organization simpler.

When should I consider using bags for product storage?

Bags are lightweight and flexible, making them ideal for items that need to be easily accessible or transported frequently. They can also be a great option for smaller products or samples, as they take up less space and can be sealed to keep contents secure.

How do I decide between using a box or a bag for my Pampered Chef products?

Consider the size, fragility, and quantity of the products. For larger or more fragile items, boxes may offer better protection. For smaller, less fragile items or samples, bags can be more convenient. Assess your storage space and how often you need to access the products as well.

What tips can I follow for optimizing storage space with boxes and bags?

Utilize vertical space by stacking boxes and hanging bags on hooks. Use clear bins or labeled containers for easy visibility. Group similar items together, and regularly declutter to remove any products that are no longer needed. This will help maintain an organized and efficient storage area.

Are there any specific storage solutions recommended for Pampered Chef products?

For Pampered Chef products, consider using clear plastic bins for easy visibility, and ensure that items are stored in a cool, dry place to prevent damage. Use dividers within boxes to keep smaller items organized, and invest in resealable bags for food-related products to maintain freshness.

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