Steel, Ceramic or Bamboo? Choosing the Best Bread Box

Every bakery in Houston that sells bolillos and conchas faces the same problem by the next morning: a crusty roll goes leathery in a plastic bag, and soft pan dulce dries out on an open tray. A bread box sits between those two failures. It keeps bread at room temperature, out of the light and away from drafts, and holds in just enough of the bread’s own moisture to slow drying without trapping so much that the crust turns soft.

This guide names nine bread boxes worth buying, in steel, ceramic, bamboo, composite and plastic, from Brabantia, Emile Henry, Sonder Los Angeles, Joseph Joseph, ETMI, Wesco, Typhoon, Amazon Basics and Buddeez. It explains which suits sourdough boules, sandwich loaves or a bag of bolillos, and what a bread box can and cannot do, according to a university food specialist.

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Quick verdict: which bread box to buy

Five bread boxes side by side

Our five standout bread boxes, one for each kind of kitchen. All nine are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Sizes, materials and care are as each maker or listing states them.

Our picks for the best bread box

The nine boxes below cover roll-top, hinged, lift-off and front-door designs, from a single-loaf bin to boxes that take two or three loaves. Each review gives the maker’s or listing’s specifications, who the box suits and one honest reason to skip it.

Steel, ceramic, wood or plastic: the best type of bread box

Steel

Powder-coated or alloy steel boxes, like the Brabantia, Wesco, Typhoon and Amazon Basics, are light for their size, easy to wipe and do not absorb anything. Most rely on vent holes or a raised base to let some moisture out. They are the easiest choice for a kitchen that also keeps sandwich bread and rolls.

Ceramic

Ceramic is heavy and can chip, but an unglazed interior, as on the Emile Henry, absorbs some moisture, which the maker says helps a crust stay crisp. It is the type to consider if most of your bread is crusty.

Wood and bamboo

Wood and bamboo look warm on a counter and often come as cabinet-style boxes with a door, like the ETMI. They need to be kept dry and, for solid wood lids, oiled now and then. Our guide to cutting board oil covers what to use on bamboo and wood lids.

Plastic and composite

Plastic holds the most moisture in, which suits soft sandwich bread kept in its bag. The Sonder’s composite body sits in between: lighter than steel, with a wood lid.

How to choose a bread box

Measure your bread first. The most common complaint with bread boxes is a lid that will not close over a tall loaf. A homemade boule can be 5 inches high or more, so check the outside height and allow for the box walls. The Sonder and ETMI have the most height here.

Capacity. One loaf, two loaves or a loaf plus rolls and pan dulce. Brabantia gives a capacity in quarts; most makers give only outside dimensions.

Ventilation. Some airflow keeps crusts from going soft and cuts condensation. Look for stated vent holes (Wesco, ETMI, Amazon Basics), a raised base (Brabantia) or a moisture-absorbing material (Emile Henry). Soft bread does better with less air, so keep it in its bag inside the box.

Lid style. A roll-top needs no clearance above it. A hinged lid needs headroom under wall cabinets. A lift-off lid needs somewhere to put it down, which is why a lid that doubles as a cutting board is useful.

Care. Steel and ceramic wipe or wash clean. Wood and bamboo need to be kept dry and oiled. Whatever the material, empty and wipe out the crumbs every week or so; crumbs are where stale bits and mold start.

What a bread box can and cannot do

A bread box slows bread drying out at room temperature; it does not stop bread going stale or moldy. Julie Garden-Robinson, a food and nutrition specialist at NDSU Extension, explains the trade-off with the refrigerator: storing bread in the fridge slows the rate at which it grows mold, but refrigerated bread goes stale six times faster than bread at room temperature.

For bread you will not eat in the next few days, NDSU recommends the freezer, which delays staling: seal the bread in an airtight bag, date it, and it usually stays at high quality for about three months. If bread becomes moldy, NDSU says to throw it away. Stale bread, on the other hand, can be revived by toasting or heating it.

In a warm, humid kitchen, that points to a simple routine: keep in the bread box only what you will eat in two or three days, and freeze the rest. Bolillos left over after that make good molletes or capirotada, and the oven brings back the crust.

Bolillos, pan dulce and sourdough: matching the box to the bread

Crusty bread such as bolillos, teleras and sourdough wants some air. A vented steel box or the ceramic Emile Henry suits it, and paper bags inside the box work better than plastic. Soft bread such as conchas, other pan dulce and sandwich loaves dries faster, so keep it in a closed bag inside the box, or in the Bread Buddy for a sliced loaf.

If you bake at home, let loaves cool completely before they go into any box; warm bread steams and softens the crust. Our guides to the best Dutch oven for bread and the best loaf pan cover the baking, and our baking sheets guide covers the pans for rolls and bolillos. To slice a crusty loaf cleanly, see our bread knife guide.

How we picked these nine bread boxes

We looked at steel, ceramic, bamboo, composite and plastic bread boxes from Brabantia, Emile Henry, Sonder Los Angeles, Joseph Joseph, Wesco, Typhoon, Oggi, mDesign, ETMI, HOOBRO, Amazon Basics, Buddeez and others, and kept only those showing as in stock on Amazon when we checked. Specifications come from the Amazon listings and, for Joseph Joseph, the maker’s own product page. Bread-storage advice comes from NDSU Extension.

We did not find a published bread box review from America’s Test Kitchen, and we did not read Serious Eats, Wirecutter or Consumer Reports for this guide. We have not used these boxes for this guide. Several Brabantia, Wesco and Alessi versions showed limited stock, and we did not find a Kamenstein, Umbra or Le Creuset bread box in stock on Amazon, so they are not included.

Bread box questions, answered

What is the best type of bread box?

For most kitchens, a vented or raised-base steel box such as the Brabantia, because it is easy to clean and suits both soft and crusty bread. For mostly crusty bread and sourdough, a ceramic box such as the Emile Henry.

What is the best bread box for sourdough?

One tall enough to close over a boule, with some way to let moisture out. The Sonder Union Large is sized for full sourdough loaves, and the Emile Henry’s unglazed ceramic absorbs moisture, according to the maker.

Do bread boxes really keep bread fresher?

They slow drying at room temperature, which is where bread stays softest; NDSU Extension notes that the fridge makes bread stale six times faster. They do not stop mold, so keep only a few days’ bread in the box and freeze the rest.

Is a wood or metal bread box better?

Metal is easier to keep clean and does not need oiling. Wood and bamboo look warmer but must be kept dry. Neither is better for the bread itself; ventilation and size matter more than material.

Should I keep bread in its bag inside a bread box?

Soft sandwich bread and pan dulce, yes, since they dry out quickly. Crusty bread does better unwrapped or in a paper bag inside the box.

The bread box to start with

Buy the Brabantia Roll Top if you want one box that holds two loaves and lasts, or the Emile Henry if your kitchen runs on crusty bread. If you only keep one loaf, the Amazon Basics box does the job in less space.

Baking your own bolillos? See the best bread lame for scoring loaves before they go in the oven.

Related guide: Best bread basket.

Related guide: Best bread storage bag.

Related guide: Bread box alternative.

For the baking side, start with our best baking sheets guide, and for a board to slice on, our guide to wood cutting boards. If you would rather leave the baking to our kitchen tonight, see the menu or call to order.