Wish you could afford stainless steel storage containers, but replacing all your plastic that way just isn’t in the budget?
We talk a decent bit around here about material safety: plastic, aluminum, and someday, Teflon. It seems like it’s awful hard to find and afford the safer alternatives to all those materials that are filling your kitchen cupboards, top to bottom. Don’t despair! You might not need all sorts of new gadgets to take up space, just a new perspective and a good second-hand sale!
Here are all the goodies I found at thrift sales just last summer alone:
- small glass glasses for my kids
- medium-sized glass plates
- creamer/pitcher for son pouring milk
- large glass storage, formerly nut jars, that I use for crackers, flour, granola, etc.
- 3 stainless steel pots, 2 with lids. The final pot is supposed to be for melting butter (and that’s what it gets used for quite often…see, folks used to have pans just for melting fats, because liquid baking oils are an invention of our century)
- glass bread pans
- little glass bowls, perfect for the toddler
- a few half-gallon glass jars
- medium sized glass juice glasses
- two glass pint glasses
- medium stainless steel mixing bowl (filled with contraband birthday cake frosting in this photo!)
- popcorn popper
I was thrilled to replace some of my plastic dishes and non-stick pots and pans, and the glass jars are a super substitute for some of my large plastic storage containers. All of them are in use right now, as you can see my crackers and granola in the photo.
You can take some time this week to wander through your kitchen and make a list of things for which you would really prefer to have safer versions. Keep the list in your purse, and whenever you pass a garage sale and have time to stop, go for it! When you’re ready with a list in hand, you can be efficient, including getting out of a sale immediately if it’s not for you.
I know some areas don’t really have second-hand opportunities. My friend in Boston, an apparent second-hand desert, misses the ol’ Michigan church rummage sales, my ultimate favorite places for making a haul. So many people concentrate their stuff in one place that I hardly have to work at it to be able to find something for my kitchen.
How about you? Do you have access to secondhand sales in your area? What’s on your list for this summer’s purchases?
Note: We’re getting closer to that 4,000 subscribers number for the Excalibur dehydrator giveaway from CookWaresPlus! In the next week or two, I’ll also offer another BONUS entry opportunity for the Nutrimill grain mill giveaway from Pleasant Hill Grain, only for current subscribers, so now is the time to Facebook, email, and otherwise politely invite your friends to get in on the fun around here… I’ve finally opened my Nutrimill (Link no longer available) (and used it), and I’ll be posting on my first experiences, too.
By the way, did you see Kitchen Stewardship® has a Facebook page now?
I’m entered in Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family and Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet and Kitchen Tip Tuesdays at Tammy’s Recipes.
Katie Kimball, CSME is a trusted educator and author of 8 real food cookbooks. She is passionate about researching natural remedies and making healthy cooking easier for busy families. She’s been featured on media outlets like ABC, NBC and First for Women magazine as well as contributing regularly on the FOX Network. 
A mom of 4 kids from Michigan, she is a Certified Stress Mastery Educator and member of the American Institute of Stress.
Debra @ Sweet Kisses and Dirty Dishes says
Glad to see I’m not the only one who has random toddler hands in photos! Hopefully I can find another stockpot for boiling water. The other major thing I’d like is a boning knife, but I want that super high quality so probably won’t be able to find it at a yard sale.
Amy via Facebook says
I love the little juice glass with the star shape on the side. Mom had those when I was little. I don’t remember what was originally sold in it though. Cheese, jam, dried meat?
Heather says
I have some of those, too. The really small ones (4 ounces?) had dried beef in them. 8 oz ones might have had dried beef or been old-fashioned wax seal jelly jars. My kids use both sizes.
Katie (PuraVida Homesteader) says
www.estatesales.net
all year long, great prices and they just want to get rid of the stuff!! The former generations never threw out anything!
Angie says
I started canning a few years back (long after my mother got rid of all her canning supplies). My husband got me a pressure canner for my birthday ~ YAY~, and my parents found a large box of jars, bands, and 3 boxes of new lids at thier church thrift sale for 25 CENTS!!!
angie says
love shopping at thrift stores for dishes
Naomi H says
I dream about garage sales here in Slovakia – they dont exist – and even thrift shops that sell something other than clothes are hard to come by. Next door Austria has some really nice markets, so when we make a trip over I try to scout things out. I found some lovely glass storage containers with glass lids for 50 cents a piece one time – I love scores like that!
Heather says
Deanna: My 3-year-old is using a graniteware (metal) coffee cup for a drinking glass right now. For glass ones, try 8 oz canning jars (jelly jars). We use the “drinking jars”–pint jars with handles–for our own glasses, because they’re the right size and are durable, and the smaller jars are the same, although I’ve never seen rhwm sold with handles.
Lisa says
Yard-saleing is up and running in Boise. My dh and I are both fans so we go and enjoy our Saturday morning together. He is the chef but I am the pusher of healthy food and materials. We keep hoping to make a good find on cast iron.
kmillecam says
I got my cast iron skillet for $18 at Walmart last year. I get my half gallon mason jars from Azure Standard (http://www.azurestandard.com/).
.-= kmillecam´s last blog ..Watching Food, Inc. =-.
Ingrid says
Warm weather is here in Chicago. Bring on the yard sales!!!
.-= Ingrid´s last blog ..Small Business Spotlight: The Cocoa Cabana =-.
Tammy says
Love these ideas! Slowly but surely switching out the plastic junk. Thankfully when I was married we received a stainless steel pot and pan set that I love. Have a lot of pyrex, still love to collect the vintage stuff. I live in an area with many retired folks and they view it as junk or outdated so I can snap up some great stuff for good prices. I also plan on checking out my 86 year old Grandma’s garage this weekend as my parents had to clean it out. She was super frugal and old fashioned so I hope to find some neat kitchen items. My mother swears by corningware. She has an entire set that she uses daily and loves. She has two caretakers for my grandparents and they cook and do light housekeeping while my mom is at work. Now both have requested that I find corningware for them because they love using it.
[email protected] says
This is an old post, but records my love affair with local thrift stores, the prize items being enameled cast-iron:
http://katymcarter.com/2010/02/in-my-spare-time/
.-= [email protected]´s last blog ..Bummer, and again. =-.
Deanna says
I scored 2 large glass jars (one is now being used for sorghum flour, and one is our new cookie jar) and a glass juice pitcher. Woo hoo!
We’re using mostly mason jars for leftover storage now, but still have various plastic containers I’m still working to replace and I want some kid-size glass glasses. Shouldn’t be that hard to find, right?
.-= Deanna´s last blog ..Vegan Black Bean, Sweet Potato, and Corn Chilaquiles =-.
Amy B in WA says
Safeway grocery store is selling a 10 piece glass pyrex storage set for $15 for club members ($25 regular price.) They do come with plastic lids, but are freezer, oven, microwave safe.
I bought a set today!
Suse says
Estate sales and yard/garage sales in older neighborhoods can be a good source too – more elderly people seem to have this stuff than the neighborhoods with younger families.
Tidy Brown Wren says
I’ve been very pleased with the selection of glass and stainless I’ve found second hand. Many times people will give away canning jars in their “free” bin because they think they’re disposable! I’ve picked up quite a few that way. Also, if one glass canister breaks, people usually get rid of the rest of the set (and I buy them). Thanks for all of the great ideas you offer up.
[email protected] Daily Round says
I love thrifting cookware! I am slowly collecting Pyrex, and last year I found two cast iron frying pans. Unfortunately we do have a lot of aluminum cookware because my dh loves Calphalon, but I keep my eye out for the other stuff. I may have to save up to buy some of the more expensive cookware.
Almost forgot – found a Glasbake glass loaf pan at Goodwill just this week. Just from looking on the internet it looks like this is a collectible and I only paid $2.50 for it.
.-= [email protected] Daily Round´s last blog ..are you serious? =-.
Mindful Momma says
There’s nothing quite like a good thrift store find!! I’m getting psyched for garage sale season too!
.-= Mindful Momma´s last blog ..Green Discoveries =-.
Heather says
If you live in an area that has estate auctions (farm auctions), do this one better & hit one of those. Generally, good kitchen stuff, from cast iron to canning jars to stainless pots and pans to OLD pyrex/corning ware/etc goes for almost nothing. The people who are there already have kitchen stuff, and it’s not uncommon to bring home a LARGE box of goodies for $1. We moved back to the midwest from CA, and due to a truck breakdown, had to leave ALL of our stuff out there in storage–and haven’t been able to retrieve it yet. Thus, to set up basic housekeeping, we hit an auction. Spent $100. Filled our 12-passenger van and had another half-vanload to boot. Brought home everything from pots and pans to canning jars to a vacuum cleaner to some neat stuff for the kids.
If the weather sucks on auction day, the deals are even better–even if the auction is indoors.
http://www.auctionzip.com will help you find an auction near you (I’m not affiliated–this is a great tool I only discovered this year)
Suzanne says
That is a great idea because most people are at auctions for the antiques and bigger tickets items like tractors or tools at a farm auction. I will remember that, thanks for the reminder.
Heather says
Exactly! The people who go to auctions all have basic household stuff. So ending up getting tons of household goods for $1 is far from unusual. The haul from the auction I described above even included a sewing machine, in working condition, with fabric and accessories. For $6. My pressure canner was $12, at another auction, almost 20 years ago. And that was with a bunch of jars. If you want to find an auction near you, try http://www.auctionzip.com . We are in the San Francisco Bay Area, now, and alas, there are few auctions here. But more rural areas have lots.
Therese says
To get rid of my nonstick pans I’ve gone to using cast iron. Some I’ve purchased, some I’ve gotten from family who weren’t using it. Cast iron is extremely inexpensive in comparison to new stainless steal items and you have the benefit of a non-stick surface once it’s been seasoned well.
I also use mason jars for most of my food storage. They work great and again you can find them all over. I’ve gotten quite a few from older women who had them left over from their days of canning. Even though the jars are old they still work great, just need to buy new lids for them.
Sally says
Just this past weekend I purchased a toaster oven and salad spinner all for $7 and in perfect condition. I’m always on the look out for stainless steel, but rarely find any. There’s lots of aluminum and Teflon out there – ugh!
shelley says
While cleaning out the clutter in the garage I found two glass pyrex storage containers! Can’t wait to start hitting the garage sales. Lot’s of things on my list to replace.
[email protected] Moderate Life says
This is so interesting because my blog post today was all about wish list/must haves for a Real Foods traditional kitchen. I love your ideas and will be on the look out for items!
.-= [email protected] Moderate Life´s last blog .."Wish List" versus "Must Haves" of the Healthy Kitchen =-.
BRB says
I’ve always had great luck for this stuff in Missouri. I got a lot of glass plates and a stainless steel pan from the dumpster behind goodwill. The last few trips that I’ve made to the thrift stores have been fruitful as well. I got a sprouting kit for $4 and a dehydrator for $9 and I don’t think either had been used.
abbie says
oh my goodness, I am just itching for yard-saleing to take off…and those church sales…goodies galore! I look for pyrex, corning-ware, ceramics…a metal tea-kettle is currently on my list, as a wooden cutting board for meat only, and a mortar and pestle. We have a bunch of thrift stores around us, so my daughter and I love to go thrifting year-round. I have found that canning jars are great for cups. thick glass doesn’t break or chip as easily…and the kids can drink out of the smaller size. cheap too. Great tips!
Carrie says
i’m always on the lookout for fiestaware and pyrex
.-= Carrie´s last blog ..Greenest Deals of the Week 5/2 =-.
Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home says
You’re making me excited that it’s garage sale season once again! I don’t get out much, but I always find good stuff when I do. On my list this summer is:
-cast iron pans
-cast iron waffle iron
-large glass jars/storage
-glass bowls (large for mixing, small for my kids)
-stoneware muffin tins (yup, I’m dreaming!)
-stainless steel pans
-large glass pitcher
-pyrex glass storage containers
And probably other things I can’t think of right now. It takes a long time to slowly switch your kitchen over to all good stuff, and I’ve been working at it for several years now. It’s encouraging, though, to think how much better it is now than before. 🙂
.-= Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home´s last blog ..How to Find Local Sources of Raw Milk =-.
Sherrill says
I found a set of 15 glass bowls at Costco about a month ago. They were only $20 for all of them and the sizes ranged from small to large salad size. They came with 10 plastic lids. I am very happy with them and use them all the time.
kanmuri says
I was lucky to move back in to Canada with only some stuff; I got to start anew and buy all the safe things I wanted. But I really like the thrift store idea. There is one really close to my place and it never crossed my mind to go. I<ll be paying them a visit soon!
.-= kanmuri´s last blog ..New Haircut Disaster =-.