One of my favorite places to save a dollar on food is the bulk bin section of my grocery store. Not all stores offer bulk goods, but it’s a a great feature when they do. I always feel like a kid in a candy store when browsing the bulk goods. So many colors, textures, and flavors; I want to try them all!
Why do I love the bulk bins? Because they allow me to buy the exact quantity of food that I need, they reduce packaging waste (especially if you use reusable bags, like these), and allow me to try out new foods without committing to a large quantity. And, most importantly, you can often get a lower price per pound than the pre-packaged items on the shelf.
That being said, it’s always smart to compare the prices found in the bulk bins to packaged goods. Depending on the item, you might find a generic packaged version for a lower price than bulk, which are sometimes reserved for organic or specialty varieties. Many larger grocery stores are now offering bulk goods, but I find that natural and ethnic food stores seem to have a better variety and lower prices.
While I don’t buy everything from the bulk bins, here are five of my favorite things to stock up on when I get the chance:
Nuts and seeds are one thing that I buy almost exclusively from bulk bins. I love the large variety of nuts offered in bulk, including raw, roasted & salted, and seasoned (hello black pepper cashews!), and the price is almost always lower than the bagged nuts you’ll find in the baking aisle. With nuts especially, I like to buy in the quantity that I know I need because they will go stale and get rancid if they’re left hanging out in your pantry too long. Rancid nuts = NO. (insert joke here)
Oats used to be one of the cheapest items in the cereal aisle, but ever since their heart healthy attributes made them the most popular kid in the class, the price has sky rocketed. A large tub of name brand rolled oats at my local grocery store runs almost six dollars! And generic is only slightly less. No ma’am. Oats should not cost that much. So, I stock up on my oats at the bulk bins. Not only are they less expensive, but I’m not left with that big bulky cardboard tub afterward. If I had kids, I’m sure that empty tub would come in handy for art projects, but I don’t, so it’s just more packaging.
THIS. This might be my favorite item in the bulk food section. Really high quality spices at really good prices. This is a great way to get that one miscellaneous spice that you need for a recipe without having to buy a whole bottle. Get just a tablespoon if you want! It’s allowed! It’s also a great way to experiment with new spices without committing to a $5+ container of it. And remember, herbs and spices don’t weigh a lot, so don’t be frightened by the high price per pound. Those whole cumin seeds in the photo above were $21.99/lb., but that bag was only 0.05 lbs., so the total price was a whopping $0.68. Not bad. Also, fresh spices = big flavor, so buy in small quantities. (I’m really excited to try that Jerk Seasoning, BTW.)
Dried fruit is another item that is usually very pricy, so I prefer to buy the small amount that I need rather than buying a large package and being forced to find a use for the leftovers. Once again, you’ll usually find more variety in the bulk bins, with options like sulfured vs. non-sulfured, or sweetened vs. unsweetened. Not to mention all the fun dried fruit, like papaya, mango, and pineapple.
I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but sometimes I want just a little treat. I might want one cookie, not a box of cookies. I might want a half handful of chocolate covered almonds, not a whole bag of chocolate covered almonds. The bulk bins allow me to do just that. I’ve been known to buy 5-6 mini chocolate covered pretzels from the bulk bins and leave it at that. Three or four malted milk balls? Sure. Although, I will say that one time I bought such a small quantity of something that the scale at the register couldn’t detect it, but I guess I had to learn the limits some how.
Storing Bulk Food
The only caveat to buying food from the bulk bins is that you need a container to transfer them into later. Sure, you could keep them in the plastic bags used to transport them home from the store, but they’re not air tight so your food will go stale faster. Plus, having 20 different plastic bags in your pantry can become a mess. So, here are some ideas for storage containers.
I have two of these Better Homes & Gardens Flip Tite container sets that I use for my flour, sugar, grains, and other large quantity dry goods. I love them and they’re quite inexpensive. Most home goods stores will have some sort of container that is similar, whether plastic or glass.
For miscellaneous small items, I use the same Ziploc reusable plastic containers that I keep most of my refrigerated and frozen food in. Ziploc bags are another option and the freezer bags have a label area, which is great for noting date of purchase to keep things fresh.
If you don’t like plastic, mason jars are a great option. Or, if you need larger storage, there are a variety of large glass jars and canisters made specifically for food storage. Make sure to get the type with a gasket lid to keep air and moisture out of your food. The great thing about glass storage is that they can last a lifetime and are usually very pretty when displayed in the kitchen. You may even be able to find quality glass storage containers at thrift shops.
A great way to store bulk spices is to simply save your old spice container and refill it with the newly purchased bulk spices. Or, get some really cool brand new glass spice bottles. You can wash and reuse them so they’re a good investment.
What about you?
What are your favorite items to buy from the bulk food bins? How do you like to store your dry goods? Share your tips, tricks, and super good finds with the rest of us in the comments below. We can all learn from each other! :)
I have recently streamlined my bulk storage. I use wide mouth mason jars and buy a quart of beans at a time. I take a quart measure in my bag so I can make sure it fits in one jar. I tend to use beans in 1 cup measurements so that works really well for me and my system. I can also pour half jars into the next smaller size (pint) and wash and reuse the quart jar. I keep a canning funnel around for this. I like that the jars don’t get dusty while sitting there because they are rotated. Wide mouth get cleaned in the dishwasher too.
I love this!
I love storing my bulk/loose foods in glass mason jars. I bought a little tool from Ziploc that basically sits on top of the jar with the flat part of the lid on, pumps out the air from the jar, and creates a pretty decent seal to keep out air and maintain freshness. Obviously, it’s not a substitute for canning, but it works really well. I also use it to meal prep little salads, fruits, veggies, etc. Because sucking out the air keeps things fresher for longer.
I love your blog! The pictures are gorgeous, making the recipes look so good. I can’t wait to try some your recipes.
I like that you said that bulk bins reduce packaging waste. It might be a good idea to learn about the things that you would need and be able to get in a bulk bin. If I was going to get a bulk bin I would want to know that I would be able to get everything that I would be needing specifically.
Hey! I’ve been a longtime “lurker” in that I’ve browsed your website for a long time and have used some of your recipes (with great success at lot of times!).
I don’t know too many grocery stores where you can buy in bulk spices or oats… I’ll have to compare prices when it comes to nuts and dried fruit though.
I noticed you use the OXO pop-up lid containers. I have those as well and love them. However, I must ask if you’ve ever noticed that your lids can “slide” off. A couple of mine which hold flour and sugar do this, and I’m not sure why. I checked if I put them on and/or reassembled correctly, which I have. My sis-in-law has these too and noticed hers do that as well. *shrugs*
Yes, mine definitely do that! I have to remember to lift them from the bottom instead of trying to pick them up by the lid. My containers are actually made by Better Homes and Gardens, but they’re almost exactly like those Oxo containers. :)
I usually go to ethnic markets for bulk, especially spices. I got 2 pounds of every indian spicy I could find for $2.50 a pound at a local Indian market. When you’re looking to buy bulk, get as close to the source as possible. This includes farmers markets.
I normally buy spices in the bulk aisle. I’ll make a spice rub, buying random spices like a tablespoon or two at a time.
If you buy items in small amounts the scales at the checkout counter generally can’t distinguish that low of a weight. I generally get each spice for around a nickle it’s a great bargain.
I just spent a ton of money on bulk foods today (i only go to the places that have bulk bins once every few months)
My favorite thing to get is rice, couscous and other grains – i can get different blends of rice in smaller/cheaper quantities.
For spices, i prefer christmas tree shops (cinnamon sticks for $1 = chai concentrate joy) and world market (best price i’ve seen for cardamom )
Storage – i actually hate mason jars. Love the concept, but i always find them too big or too small for what i need, easy to drop, and the two-part lids annoy me. But i just today decided to try oul the steralized starbucks frappachini bottles i’d been collecting. I think i’ll like them for things i’ll use relatively quickly, even though the lids aren’t air tight,
There are plastic lids sold for mason jars available. I generally find them above eye level on the top shelf over the canning supplies where the jars are sold. Just another option for you.
I have not yet found a bulk bin section in the grocery stores I visit. I’m sad. :(
My grocery doesn’t have bulk items, but here’s another trick for buying spices/herbs: try the ethnic aisle! They have a decent selection of spices in the Hispanic section, and they’re a fraction of the price of the spices in the ‘regular’ section of the same store. (Same for certain teas, too, like chamomile.)
good blog.
I never shop at whole foods, because of the price and the fact that I’ve never lived too close to one. People kept telling me how cheap the bulk bins where, so I got the prices on a ton of different things and compared them at Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, and Whole Foods. I looked at baking staples, nuts, dried fruits, and snack items. I didn’t look into spices, but rolled oats were the only thing that were cheapest at Whole Foods. I think if you really need a small quantity, or want a wider variety, the bulk bins are the right choice. But if you’re just going for cost, and eating organic isn’t all that important to you, it’s best to shop somewhere else and just try to use it all before it goes bad.
Whole wheat flour was 400% more expensive at my WF than the Hodgson Mill bag at Walmart. Not everyone has a Trader Joe’s or Aldi, and nuts can be difficult to find when it isn’t the holiday season, but TJ’s nuts were generally 1/2 the cost of Whole Food’s.
I have OXO containers, which are very similar to your flip top ones. The problem I’ve found is that they are quite fragile. I accidentally dropped one with flour and it shattered all over the floor. Mason jars can handle being dropped, but are annoying for things you need to scoop.
Also, if you have a World Market in your area, they often have a great selection of spices. They usually have great reusable glass jars and then refill bags of spices. They’re great quality. If it’s a less popular spice like Anise or Cardamom, or if you don’t want it pre-ground, World Market is generally cheapest. My normal grocery store wanted $15 for a small thing of cardamom, but I got it there for under $5.
Yes! I love World Market for spices, too. I also scored big on the cardamom there. :)
Thank you for this tutorial, Beth. I needed this.
As always you’re fabulous, Beth. I love this post. I need to go to Whole Foods more often. The closest one is about a 30 minute drive from me. :)
Where can I buy these storage containers? Between I always stock nuts, spices and oats in my kitchen. Thanks for sharing.
There is a link in the text for the large clear clamp top containers that I have (they’re only available at Walmart) and links to the other containers on Amazon, although most of the other containers can be purchased at many different stores.
The local store I use to buy in bulk actually prefers that we bring in whatever containers we use to hold our bulk items. They tare the container (they write the weight on a piece of tape to put on the container) and then you can go fill that container with however much you want. That way you don’t have to gather all those plastic bags and you don’t accidentally wind up with more than the mason jar can hold. We have been buying pasta, spices, oats, and even coffee this way for quite some time.
I love that! I wish more stores would use that method.
Nuts for you Beth!
Haha, I finally have learned to buy some things in bulk bins, however, sometimes I find the nuts are rancid in there, yuck! Plus, I’ve seen people do some disgusting stuff at the bulk bins like manhandle the food in the bins, eat out of the bins with their bare hands and once I even saw a bug infestation in the bin already. Do I complain about seeing people go into the bins to the store manager? I hate being the person to complain, but I want to be able to buy out of the bins because it’s so much cheaper!
Oh no! Ewwww. I’d definitely let an employee know. :P It wouldn’t be much for them to empty out a bin and refill it. A small loss for them.
If you are going to freeze anything (and I do tons of stuff) get a vacuum sealer. I buy at the local farmers market all season and pre-prep veggies then freeze on a sheet pan. Then I vacuum pack them in 1qt or 1pt bags. They keep for rest of year. Great for fast prep of meals. Think diced onions, carrots, peppers of any kind,etc.. If you are into meats – shop @ 7-7:30am on Tue/Wed for great deals on reduced weekend left over stuff like burger, chops, chicken. That’s when a lot of stores put this stuff out. Pre-prep patties, counts, etc, and vacuum pack in meal size pkgs.
No reason this wouldn’t work for any dry item that might get lower in quality over time. I wouldn’t do beans,rice, etc.. this way – not necessary. But I do use the oven 1hr method for cooking dry beans and freeze them instead of cans. It works awesome.
Vacuum seal coffee beans (buy 5-10lbs fresh roasted) then seal up in 1qt bags (about a week worth for me). Did this for Bay Leaves too (bought a pkg on amazon – plenty for a year or so plus all my relatives!). Don’t see why this wouldn’t be good for all spices that you can freeze. You can get 1pt bags. Nuts obviously – I use a lot of different ones in various recipes. Pine Nuts in particular, expensive and if you can get them in bulk or good deal, they deteriorate quickly.. freezing in 1pt vacuum bags for Italian meals, pesto, or just on salads.
Lastly when you use the bag – wash/dry it and reuse it.
Along with all the same items you listed, I also love to buy my dried beans from the bulk bins. I often bring in my own metal measuring cups so I can get just the right amount that my recipe calls for and no storing the little bit left over in my tiny kitchen.
Winco also has bulk pet treats and bird feed which is nice.
Love your site!
Oh…my health food store doesn’t technically have bulk bins, but they do repackage herbs, grains, and spices from bulk. That is less expensive, but I’ve always found that the spices have lost a lot of their flavor.
We don’t have Whole Foods (or WinCo, sobs…), and Meijer got rid of their bulk bins several years ago. I haven’t seen a grocery store in my area that has bulk bins. I agree, it’s a great savings, when you can shop at stores that sell in bulk bins.
Chia seeds at Fresh Time!!!
Darn auto correct!
Chia seeds at Fresh Thyme!
I am big into package free food after reading (and meeting the author of) Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson in San Francisco area. She also has a blog/forum where you can find a TON of information for package free shopping/storage. In the Seattle area we have PCC and in addition to the typical dry foods mentioned in the blog post, there I can find penne and spaghetti, 3 kinds of chocolate chips, cocoa, baking soda (pairs nicely with the package-free kitty litter I buy at Petco), salts, soy sauce, maple syrup, oilve and canola oil, eggs (you load your own into a carton that you can reuse) and personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, soaps, lotions and even sun screen. I’ve worked out a system so that I keep a notepad in a kitchen drawer and write down items that I’m getting low on. Once a month, when I get the 10% off coupon in the mail, I buy most of the items. I usually have to run out a second time for flour and sugar. In her book Johnson suggest cloth reusable bags and using washable crayons to mark the bags. I tried that process and it frustrated me to no end! So what I do is I reuse whatever plastic bags I’ve got around the house. I’ve even used a newspaper or Subway plastic bag wrapper to bring home my flours…. but my best suggestion is this: Don’t waste your time labeling each little twisty tie with the PCU codes. Instead write the number on your grocery list right next to the item. When I go to check out I organize all my little bags and simply read off the code as the check out clerk weighs them… it’s goes so much smoother for the check out line. Trust me, this works… and the clerk will always thank you for it.
I live on the east coast and was wondering what grocery stores have the bulk buying (other than Whole Foods). Help!
i need to remember this even though i don’t do the shopping myself! we tried a recipe with smoked salt in it, and my dad ended up buying a ton. turns out the flavor was WAY too much and now we have a bunch of smoked salt lying around. maybe we could’ve found it in bulk bins.
A new reader here, just want to say I really like your writing style. And also photos.
Great tips!! I store all my nuts (except the ones rattling around in my head) in the freezer in glass jars or Ziploc bags- really helps to keep them fresh and since a drive to the grocery store is an 80 mile one way trip, I buy in bulk!
Thank you for this practical post! I never thought of buying bulk but now I am sold. I need to make the trip across town to Whole Foods. Publix has a limited selection of bulk. No spices, I’m pretty sure.
I buy from the bulk bin aisle whenever I see one! Oats, several kinds of rice, beans, sea salt, organic flour, spices, cornmeal, and nuts are just a few of my most frequent bulk bin purchases. I never throw out an empty spice jar, just wash it well, put on a plain label or strip of masking tape, and fill it up again. Canning jars come in handy for beans, oats, and rice as you can easily see what’s in the jar. And I have a large stash of canning jars – so I’ll probably never run out, but they are economical if I do!
Hey Beth, do you bring measuring cups with you for bulk bins? I’m ok at eyeballing a cup of french lentils (or whatever), but I always go a bit higher than needed, just in case.
As someone who works at a grocery store, I say a heart PLEASE do not bring your own measuring cups! No one is able to verify how clean they are and other customers give a mean side-eye to those using their own utensils from home. If you learn how much the item you’re purchasing weighs for how many cups you need (you can purchase an inexpensive scale for home or approximate how much you purchase the first time, weigh it, bring it home, and measure it), you can measure less than you think you need and weigh it on the store’s scales until you get the correct amount. Hope that helps! :)
You could always filling exactly one of the scoops that the store provides, then measuring it once you get home. One you know how much a scoop is, it makes it much easier to estimate quantities.
No, I don’t. I just eyeball it, too. I’ve gotten pretty good at it!
Great run down! I use a combo of Ikea clamp-top jars, thrift finds, and recently scored a 9-pack of tall, wide mouth Ball mason jars at Target for about $10. Not bad! I store my bulk jars behind glass-paned doors in an old built-in kitchen hutch. Super cute, easy to access and see when I’m almost out of something.
No need to buy reusable bulk food bags. Just reuse the same plastic bags from the store. For bulk stuff that I buy regularly, after I transfer to glass containers, I keep the empty plastic bag with the bin number on it and take that to the store when it’s time to restock. That helps to keep single-use plastic bags out of the waste stream.
Great post & I always look forward to your emails. I mostly use the bulk bins for spices or something I’m experimenting with to see if I like it before buying a larger quantity. I’ve never compared prices to see if it’s a better deal though after I’ve tried the smaller amount. Good info.
I like to buy dried beans, brown rice, quinoa from the bulk bin along with oats, and nuts. I also buy flours that I usually don’t need much of when I’m ready to make a recipe, I buy just the amount I need. It’s cheaper and than I don’t have lots on hand going bad, who knew flour could go bad.
We also buy treats from bulk bins candy and such that we want to try out. Just a small scoop till we know we like it.
Never tried the spices but will from now on.
I love the bulk bins at Sprouts! I usually buy some grains like barley and quinoa that I don’t cook very often (not enough to justify a big container of) or even a new grain that I’m not sure if I’ll like yet. I also buy nuts and dried fruit in the bulk bins, especially if I’m getting stuff for a salad. And my favorite dark chocolate-covered espresso beans. :D
I have also been known to hit up the salad bar at Whole Foods when I just need a small amount of a vegetable. Why buy a whole bag of baby spinach if I just need a cup?
I don’t like in a big country (US/CA/UK) so this doesn’t exist here. I wish it did though! My dad lives in country and when I’m there I love it.
With Sprouts stores having finally moved into our area, I’ve also found the bulk bins to be something of a godsend — especially for the occasional fancy or holiday meal. I wanted to make potatoes with shallot butter for Christmas, but the recipe required whole yellow mustard seeds (which I didn’t have a use for in ANY other recipe); I didn’t want to commit precious shelf space to a whole new spice jar, either. Enter bulk spices. The only problem I had was that their check-out scale had trouble picking up the tiny amount I had bagged. -:P So watch out for that but, at the same time, I wouldn’t let it deter you. It defeats part of the purpose of the bulk spice section. -:)
For containers, I highly recommend the Reditainer Extreme Freeze Deli Food Containers with Lids (which you can find on Amazon.com). I use them for everything from storing/freezing leftover food (especially soup) to storing granola, dried cranberries, nuts, and any other bulk foods. I bought a set of 16 oz. and 32 oz., and I feel pretty set for life. I’ve only had to recycle one or two when they’ve stained from foods containing, oh … red wine or tomatoes, maybe.
Last tip: If your bulk isle has them in stock, a mixture of dried cranberries, unsalted/roasted pepitas, and blanched/slivered almonds? Oh, man! So satisfying and tasty. You can even throw in a little chocolate treat, too, to make it a full-on trail mix. All three make great salad toppings, too.
AM, should you find yourself with needing mustard seeds again there are other places they come in useful, especially if you like Indian food. I have 2 recipes taught to me by Indian acquaintances. One is heat oil (I use peanut, she uses ghee), add mustard seed and stir, they will sizzle and pop, add diced left over cooked potatoes, stir, sprinkle with cayene if you like spicy or lemon-pepper and some salt. Makes a nice side dish. The other recipe is from another woman and she make curried eggs…same, cook the mustard seed till pops ,add spices like cumin, coriander, curry powder, cayenne, stir, then add tomato sauce and make a nice thickness adding water if needed and then add halved or quartered hard cooked eggs. serve over rice.
My sister and I recently moved into our new apartment this weekend, and honestly, these are some really good tips. The biggest pet peeve I have is wasting food, especially if I have to use the same ingredient again in a future recipe. Since I’m determined to use the limited cabinet space in my new apartment, I’ll use these tips to my biggest advantage. :-)
I like to reuse glass jars from foods that I’ve already bought. Those gallon jars of pickles from Costco are great for things like flour and sugar (and keeping large amounts of emergency food stores if you’re into that). I also just learned today that Classico pasta sauce jars fit perfectly with mason jar lids, and they have measurement markings built in, too!
Chocolate covered espresso beans, banana chips, peppercorns, dried fruit, and nuts are my most frequent hauls. I love the OXO Pop containers for my flour, sugar, and coffee.
Store nuts in the freezer. They don’t go rancid and they take no time at all to thaw.
A warning: I had a terrible experience buying bulk coffee beans from a bin. That stuff must have been six years old — I brewed it up and it had NO FLAVOR. And I bought a whole pound. :(
This is why I am a little wary of the bulk bins — sometimes things in there can be stale, and you just don’t know. I do buy bulk rice, cornmeal, dried fruits like raisins and dates.
We just recently got a Whole Foods here and I hadn’t even thought of buying spices in the bulk section! I know what I’m doing soon!
Love, love the bulk bins @ my local HEB. I get most of my spices there, dried fruit and nuts. It’s fun to try out different types of grains without spending $$ for more than you need for a recipe.
Nuts freeze well. I keep pecans and almonds in the freezer and use them as needed. I even snack on them frozen. I haven’t had an issue with them going rancid this way. You could probably buy in bulk and freeze them in a ziploc if you have a reason to keep them on hand.
That’s a good idea! I’ll have to try that!! :-)
Yes, I usually keep nuts in the freezer!
I used to think storing grains and nuts in glass containers was really twee, and then I tried it and realized how much space I saved in my pantry… I’m a dope!
I don’t know of any place in my area that I can buy in bulk. I am a bit jealous.
No Whole Foods? No Sprouts Market? Even our Safeways now have a bulk aisle.
We have Publix, Walmart and WinnDixie. I’ve been to the local ethnic shops and they do not sell anything in bulk, everything is packaged.
Actually, ask around. The best place to buy in bulk in my small town is the local Mennonite store in the next town. I would never have known they sold bulk until a neighbor told me.
Thank you so much for articles like this… I’ve been experimenting with purchasing in bulk, and you have some good tips listed here. I like that this method saves you money, pantry space, and nut rancidity!