The canisters come in 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 5.5 quart sizes with scoops that measure 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup and 2 Tbs. This is where the set has added value, because the matching scoops add efficiency while preserving the look of the set; they measure as well as dispense. The lids are shatter resistant tempered glass. The glass covers allow you to readily view the contents without lifting the lid. The canisters are air tight and help keep food fresh. Their stainless steel rims fit tightly with a silicon gasket seal.

They look incredible on the counter as they preserve your dry goods, offering plenty of room for even large volume food staples. The set would match any decor. A quality set of canisters can extend the life of your food and improve the flavor. Possessing the capacity to hold and protect your food while offering a pleasing appearance is all you can expect from most canisters. This set gives you what you need and more and does so in style.

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But these jars can do more than decorate your countertop. They'd be handy at the office if you interact with a lot of people (e.g. a doctor's office, a classroom, a coffee shop, an insurance office). They can store medical supplies, stickers, biscotti, or candy. If you're throwing a huge party and need to decorate a lot of tables, you could put a jar on each table and fill it with nuts, or mints, or other goodies for folks to eat.

They're also an ideal place for bulk fermentation, especially for breads that do not require folding (e.g. wheat bread, rye). And, if they're good for fermentation, they'd be great for making kombucha.

Who ever thought a simple, 1/2 gallon glass jar could serve so many purposes? While you can certainly see right through the glass, there's far more to these jars than what meets the eye.

Find this Gallon Cookie Jar:

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The unique shape to the jars and lids adds personality to this collection and to your home. They would also make a lovely gift. I think these jars would please any number of potential recipients-- grandma, mother-in-law, newly weds. Or you could divide the set among 4 co-workers or friends.

Or, if you know a young doctor setting up his or her first private office, this could be a useful, thoughtful gift. Remember what I was saying about cotton balls?

You could even gift the jars with items inside. For the doctor-to-be: cotton balls, tongue depressors, disposable thermometers, and sugar-free candies or sparkling stickers to give to well-behaved patients.

For your in-laws, why not fill them with soft mints, home-made cookies, smoked almonds, and chocolate-covered raisins? Potpourri would work, too.

Use your imagination. Add your own personal touch to this classy gift to show not only the depth of your love but also your limitless creativity.

If you need a larger jar, here's one to consider.

Find these Terra Kitchen Apothecary Jars:

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You just might be able to figure that out with this glass and stainless steel cookie jar. No, it's not bewitched. It's made of glass and it holds sweet goodies that could potentially be sticky or chocolatey, which sounds to me like a perfect recipe for fingerprints.

So, before you put this item out on your counter, be sure to fingerprint all your family and friends. Then no one will get away with stealing that last peanut butter chocolate chip cookie you baked.

There are other advantages to this cookie jar as well. It's conveniently see-through which means anyone in the house who can't read can still see what's inside. No one will feel left out of the loop.

Of course, if you're a neat freak you might not like all the smudges that are sure to accumulate on a glass and stainless steel cookie jar. And if you don't speak English at home you might not want a jar that has the word "cookie" emblazoned on it.

Why not biscotti? Or biscuit? Galleta or Kekse? Why not a multi-lingual cookie jar, like those posters you see with 'peace' written on them in dozens of different languages? Just think how much international relations could be improved if the U.N. set out free home-made cookies in stylish multi-lingual jars at all their meetings. After all, it's hard to argue with someone who's just given you a scrumptious cookie.

Find this Kitchen Cookie Jar:

• Click here to find this Cookie Jar at Amazon.com

Apples are a symbol of fall. Reds and greens and golds. The all-American apple pie, apple crisp, apple strudel, apple butter. The possibilities are endless. Baked apples, apple sauce, apple cider, apple brandy.

They're the symbol of health, too, right? An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

And it's a symbol of education as well. Apples are a traditional gift for teachers in the United States, Denmark, and Sweden. This may have originated as a means to thank poorly-paid teachers by giving them food. And an especially healthy food, too.

But no matter what your reason is for loving apples, this two-toned glazed and leaf-trimmed lidded cookie jar is a sweet reminder of all that crispy, juicy goodness. In fact, the cookie jar looks good enough to eat. Talk about a polished apple.

This 8-3/4-inch tall jar with a 7-inch diameter would make a great gift for grandmothers, aunts, teachers, even your doctor or dentist! If you're thinking of giving it as a gift, add a special touch by filling it with home-made goodies first. To stick with the theme, I'd recommend apple ginger scones or spiced applesauce cookies. It would be a great way make a sweet gift even sweeter.

Compare with this un-"bear"-ably cute cookie jar.

Find this Grandmas Giftware Apple Cookie Jar:

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Find this cookie jar on eBay:

Apple Cookie Jar w Lid Plump Red Apples Ceramic Jar US $27.99   Auction Ends: 28d 23h 28m Make it yours...

Apple Design Ceramic Cookie Jar New Decorative US $7.55   0 Bid Auction Ends: 4d 16h 8m Make it yours...

Ceramic Antique Styled Red Country APPLE Cookie Jar NEW US $7.99   Auction Ends: 18d 14h 7m Make it yours...

But bears? In the kitchen?

I suppose it could work... if you live in a log cabin.

If this is the case, or you know someone who does, and who has some extra counter space in their cabin kitchen, and who likes sweets, and who, naturally, likes bears, or especially glossy ceramic caricatures of bears- well, this may be the perfect gift.

At 10.5 x 7.5 inches it's not too big. And it is versatile. It could hold cookies or pennies or bubble gum balls or rubber bands....

But let's face it. It's kitchen kitsch. It's not going to fit well in everyone's kitchen, and it might not sit well in the recipient's mind if you give them this cookie jar when their kitchen is full of geese, or if they're an ardent animal rights activist, or if they or anyone they know has ever been attacked by a black bear.

When it comes down to it, the best advice I can give concerning this honey-slurping bear cookie jar is think before you give. If your friend loves cookies so much that you think the need a cookie jar, they might be happier if you just gave them cookies.

Find this Kitchen Cookie Jar:

• Click here to find this Cookie Jar at Amazon.com

In a very generous gesture, my aunt sent my fiancee and I some hand-painted pottery as an early wedding gift. She obviously spent a lot of money on the pottery (and the shipping). The pottery featured large olive-colored grapevines/leaves against a maroon background with some white and goldenrod highlights. Our dishes were blue and white. I saw a problem. (My botanist fiancee saw a problem too: there were olives growing on the grapevines, not grapes. It all screamed Tuscany, which made sense since my family's Italian and they live in the wine country. But it might have been smart for the artist to check a plant guide before getting started.)

So what did we do?

We redecorated our kitchen to match the pottery from my aunt, including registering for a new set of dishes.

What does this have to do with a 4-quart, hand-embossed copper cookie jar, you might wonder?

Well, it would go perfectly in my new kitchen, but how would it look in yours? With an item like this, it all comes down to aesthetics. If if fits your taste, buy it. If you're considering it for a friend, check out their dishes first.

Find this Antique Cookie Jar:

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COOKIE JAR CANISTER Fleur de Lis ANTIQUE COPPER Tuscan US $26.99   Auction Ends: 7d 15h 9m Make it yours...

MCCOY TEA KETTLE COOKIE JAR HAMMERED COPPER LOOK US $48.99   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 13h 19m Make it yours...

Vintage Copper Cookie Jar Good w Brass Colored Handle US $10.49   2 Bids Auction Ends: 2d 13h 43m Make it yours...