Kmart’s Anko Herb Keep Savers – does it work?

First off, let’s address the name. It’s terrible! Why ‘Keep’ and ‘Savers’ in the name and why plural ‘Savers’? I can see my editor shaking her head in disbelief. The name is Temu-esque, trying to cram in as many words as possible.

Once we get past the awful name, what is a herb storage container and how does it work? Herbs are the kind of greens that start going off as soon as they’re cut from the plant. That’s why it’s great if you can find a way to extend their life in your fridge.

Herb storage containers work by having a well in the bottom that holds water. The idea is that the water helps keep the herbs from drying out in the fridge. But you need to change the water every few days so it doesn’t become stagnant.

Does the Anko Herb Keep Savers work?

I bought chives and thyme to trial with this container – it fits a wide range of herbs. The good news is it worked! It easily extended the life of my herbs by a week, 2 weeks at a stretch (but I started to see deterioration after 1½ weeks). They stayed nice and green well after they would have dried up just left in the fridge.

A big downer is that the container came with no instructions on how to use it. I had to Google similar containers to learn what to do. I needed to refresh the water in the bottom every 2–3 days.

It’s not a small gadget, about the size of a 1.5L soda bottle. However, it fits easily in the taller shelf in my fridge or nicely in the door, next to the milk.

It’s dishwasher safe, which is handy, but it is an awkward shape. That meant some corners didn’t get a complete wash, even when I laid it on its side and used the dishwasher tines to keep it open.

Refreshing the water was easy. I learned to only open it slightly while tipping out the old water so my herbs wouldn’t fall out, too. Similar gadgets have a funnel for emptying the water and refilling, which I imagine makes the process a bit easier.

Now the downsides. The plastic does feel flimsy, and the hinge was wobbly and not well aligned. I can imagine the hinge would be easy to break. Kmart are notorious for not having spare parts. I expect once the hinge breaks, I’ll end up using a rubber band to hold the container together. It’ll still work, but it would be nice if usability and repairability had been more of a consideration in its design.

Verdict

This herb storage container is a cheap option to extend the life of your herbs, and it really does work. But you could achieve similar results by wrapping your herbs in damp paper towels. Plus, the lack of instructions meant it was trial and error to figure out how to use it (hopefully I’ve saved you that trouble now).

However, there was a bonus to this gadget that means it’s not going in my donate-to-the-op-shop pile just yet. I found I’m prone to forgetting my herbs until they’re a sad droopy mess, but this herb keeper sits prominently in my fridge. This means I won’t forget to refresh the water or to use my herbs. And at just $7, it doesn’t break the bank.

Where to buy?

Well, this is a Kmart exclusive product, so your nearest Kmart store. But there are similar products in other stores, so shop around if you think you’ll benefit from this gadget.