Cambro (RFS12PP190) 12 qt Round Polypropylene Food Storage Container - Camwear®

Like others, I bought this as a BPA-free alternative to the bucket that Ken Forkish recommends in his book. It works great for that - while it's not as clear as glass, it's plenty see-through for monitoring the rise. It doesn't seem to scratch easily, which is great since scratches would probably impact the translucency quickly. The size is perfect for easy stretch-and-fold - definitely a worthwhile improvement over the large mixing bowl I was using previously. Other pros: It's easy to wash, which is key for such a big item that may not fit easily in many sinks. I find that I can use a plastic scraper to get off 90% of my bread dough residue beforehand to make that part even easier. It's slightly flexible so I don't think it's likely to break easily. I even accidentally stepped straight onto the vertical part of the side once (long story...) and it's none the worse for wear. The handles give comfortable control, even when the container is at its heaviest. It's so versatile - in addition to bread, it's useful for mixing big batches of just about anything else, washing veggies, soaking or marinating, carrying things, etc. Cons: It's a little spendy for a plain plastic container; I imagine that local restaurant supply stores would sell similar items much less expensively. Lids are sold separately, too - I just use a towel on top but of course the matching lids are available for purchase elsewhere. It also has a sizeable footprint - plan ahead for storage; fortunately you can use it to hold other things (clean towels, for me) while it's being stored.

When I was considering buying this 12 quart tub for making sourdough bread, Amazon indicated a certain lid was available, but that it was often returned. This put the brakes on my purchase decision. As I read some of the reviews, numerous writers indicated that the lid they received either did not fit at all or fit so tightly on the tub that it was of no use. So I dug deeper into the product information before ordering to avoid that pitfall. It did not help that the webpage for the lid here on Amazon did not indicate the model number. This caused me to further pause. I went to the manufacturer's website to investigate. Here's what I found: Cambro is a high quality container and is even recommended by an extremely popular book on making sourdough. But the book recommends the clear plastic containers that are made, or were made, by Cambro. Because manufacturing clear plastic containers, including water bottles, requires certain chemicals that can leach into food or water, I wanted the safer alternative made by Cambro. That's why I choose the model RFS12PP190 (made in the USA). The material is not clear but very translucent and you can see through the side of the tub very easily to see how you sourdough is progressing. It so happens that Cambro only makes the RFSC12PP lid that is translucent, but not clear, just like the tub. The lid is meant to fit only the translucent tub and does NOT fit, or does NOT FIT VERY WELL, on the clear tub, which has a different model number. If one looks at the reviews where the person said the lid does not fit the tub it is a case of the new style lid being mismatched with the older style (clear) tub. So the translucent lid and the translucent tub fit together perfectly. Not too tight and not too loose. Just right!

I’m not great at visualizing sizes in quarts. I was very happy with the sturdiness of this tub. It is going to be great for making sourdough bread, kimchi, sauerkraut and other bulky things. I didn’t have anything I could cover securely for starting those big batches. Very pleased with food safe properties and measurements on the side. It’s jumbo but I’m going to enjoy having something big enough. Big stainless bowls are difficult to cover.

I got a six quart and this 12 quart lidded containers for making no-knead bread from poolish. They are the perfect tools. I mix the poolish in the 6 quart container, then, when it's ready, I measure the additional flour, etc, into the 12 quart, and dump the poolish in on top of it. Works perfectly. They are lightweight enough that I can put them on my kitchen scale and measure the flour right into them, saving me on cleanup. I can see if my dough has risen sufficiently on a glance as I walk by. After I have removed the dough, I just leave the containers open on the counter overnight so that any scraps of dough stuck to the sides dries out, then use a rubber spatula to scrape the crumbly left over dough into the trash can, thus avoiding plumbing clogs. My one wish is that the 12 quart version had come with a lid like the 6 quart did, but the lid I bought (Cambro RFS12SCPP190 Seal Lid for Round Storage Containers 250-367, 250-368 and 250-369) fits perfectly.

This is Cambro's 12 qt Translucent polyethylene round container. NOTE that Cambro also makes an identical looking one in Clear polycarbonate, which is a harder, translucent kind of "acrylic" material. (For those breadmaking fans of "Flour Water Sale Yeast" it is the latter that is pictured in his book). It comes WITHOUT a lid however Amazon recommendations will point you to the one that matches it. Cambro states it can handle -40F to 160F. Overall it is good quality and pretty solid, although it is plastic so its somewhat flexible and not entirely see-thru. I also own the polycarbonate version which I would use instead for a) things that may stain, b) uses that involve heat (210F), or c) where you may need greater strength. The polycarbonate version is ~2x the price. For the price and quality it's a great product.

Easy to clean and store and perfect for brining two sirloin tip roasts for making my own deli meat.

This container will hold nearly two 10 lb bags of King Arthur bread flour if you pack it down as you go. I have this one for long term storage, and another for everyday baking. I had to put about a pound that wouldn't fit into my everyday baking Cambro.. maybe a little more. I was really pretty amazed at how much it held, and the seal was tight! I'm going to buy another one for my AP flour

I bought one several years ago and the top was a devil to put on. This new one has corrected this problem.

Ottimo

Courtesy of Ken Forkish

exactly what I ordered. will work great for mixing breads

Perfect for my sourdough and I can now see clearly how much my dough has risen. Love the tight fitting lid too.

I bought the container for bread-making based on a recommendation in a book. It is a great idea to use for proofing and kneading. Keeps everything in one place and keeps counter clean.