Space Saver Ovals with black seals
This is the new colour for Space Savers.
Looking for sets? See my Storage Sets 1 and 2.
Here are size and volume of each one. See the photo for detailed examples of capacities:
- Oval 1 500ml: 18.7 x 9.5cm x 6 cm
- Oval 2 1.1L: 18.7 x 9.5cm x 11.5 xm
- Oval 3 1.7L: 18.7 x 9.5cm x 17 cm
- Oval 4 2.3L: 18.7 x 9.5cm x 23 cm
- Oval 5 2.9L: 18.7 x 9.5cm x 28.5 cm -- the classic cereal containers
Standard seals are deep blue with two openings, one for spooning and one for pouring.
The Ovals range is another product that Tupperware could not stop, even though they tried. They had an ostentatious farewell party a couple of years back, and replaced them with the boxier and frankly superior Space Maker range. But, momentum and demand brought them back, and the Ovals are still a mainstay of the catalogue. I find they are especially popular with my antipodean customers, who I suppose are used to being particularly scrupulous with the air-tight storage of dry food, protecting it from humidity and bugs.
The Oval is as well-designed a piece of Tupperware as any. Maybe more. It comes in four sizes -- five if you include the round spaghetti jar -- which correspond with food packaging sizes. Designed on the skyscraper principle, the Oval has a small "footprint" on your shelf or countertop, storing vertically to maximise space in my hostesses' bijou London kitchens.
Ovals used to be called Space Savers, but only in the UK. In markets where kitchens and living spaces tend to be bigger, like Australia and the US, the name is Modular Mates, emphasising their stacking and tesselating qualities. Because with a selection of the different sizes, you can create stacks all the same height, which is very pleasing. The lip on the seal means they stack securely without toppling. Here's Leanne's stack for a perfect example. Opening your larder to see that, you don't have to be Bree Vanderkamp to feel a frisson of pleasure.
Once you look at it in detail, you realise what a feat of kitchengineering the Oval is. The container is lightly frosted to add to the uniform appearance when many are used, but there is a cutaway polished window, so you can see what's inside. The seal has two separate openings, a small one for pouring and a large one for scooping. The seal opens flush against the side of the product, so there is no clogging or backwash when you pour something like flour. The Oval is slim, and fits comfortably and ergonomically in the hand. At a party, I sometimes make a saucy remark about that, depending on the mood of the crowd.
Food not included... (don't laugh, people have asked)
Also known as Modular Mates in some countries.