This video was pretty convincing to me, and I have written to them to find out if it is available in the U.S.:

I have a feeling that it is not. I also looked at the Stretch-tite dispenser, and while it seemed okay, the few bad reviews were enough to give me pause. Many reviews say that it will only use one brand of plastic wrap, and that will not work for me.

I have room to store a large dispenser, and so the size ofthe one from webrestaurantstore might be the best choice, despite the price. I do have several bowl that I like to use for storing things that do not have lids, and so having plastic wrap easy to use would make it easier for me to use these bowls in the fridge.

I'll give cut-cut a day to respond to my email, and let you know what they say.

Were you aware there is a tab on each side of the box that you need to punch in to the inside of the box, and that tab will aid in keeping the roll inside the box, which is half the battle. Most people aren't aware that's what the tabs are for and never bother to push them in. So try that first before going to a different holder.

-Grainlady

Lars, head to the dollar store and buy some shower caps to use. They can be washed and dried and re-used and NO crumpled plastic. Pyrex makes some very large mixing bowls that have covers too. I use those for dough. http://www.worldkitchen.com/en/pyrex-mixing-bowls/

Like Sooz, I use the Stretch-Tite Wrapmaster too. I've got an older model. It's one of the most used gadgets in my kitchen, and I couldn't do without it. For proofing bread dough, I use a special dough bucket. But sometimes I resort to a bowl and use a giant shower cap as PK suggested. I bought a package of ten each on Amazon a while ago. I also use the shower caps when steaming chili peppers after roasting and for various other things when I want to cover a bowl or container.

I was aware of the tabs in the ends of the box to hold the roll in place - my aluminum foil box has those but the plastic wrap box does not. The cardboard box for the foil still falls apart and the cutter does not cut evenly and is difficult to use. The box for the plastic wrap without the tabs has remained intact.

Shower caps might be a good idea - I will look into that, but they might not work for all situations, and I would be afraid that they would leak air. That would be okay for proofing bread, however, which is what I mainly use plastic wrap for.

I ruled out the Stretch-Tite dispenser because so many people said that it does not work will all brands of plastic wrap.

The Stretch-Tite dispenser was highly recommended in a whole discussion here maybe a year ago. So I got one because I use Stretch-Tite anyway, and it's so annoying that the box disintegrates before the wrap is gone, but I'm still working on the roll I had, so haven't tried it yet. I think the big roll in the dispenser might last the rest of my life. ;)

Edit: Lars, the whole point of the Stretch-Tite dispenser is for using Stretch-Tite! :D

I want to second sooz re the COSTCO stuff. I do see the advantage of the first tool Lars showed above since wrap comes directly out at the bottom, but it is essentially just the same device as on the costco boxes. We are now using the smaller 750 sq ft rolls, but my SIL used to get the Huge COSTCO sized box that had the same cutter. Both size boxes did not deteriorate. I admit that if I am a complete slob, I am capable of tangling the cutter because I don't bother to push the lever completely to one side. However, if I take all of one or perhaps two seconds to be sure the cutter slide IS truly at the side, then the cut is Always perfect and Free.

Over here catering boxes of plastic wrap come with a sliding cutter (inside the box with a sticky backing on it, you pull it out, rip off the protective strip to expose the sticky bit and stick it onto the outside of the box). Easy to use; the cutter is made on a similar principle to the one on the dispenser in the video you posted. Looking at that red dispenser it looks fairly heavy compared to just the catering box with stick-on cutter.

I know you said that you didn't want a cardboard box, but I've been using this one from ChicWrap for a couple of years and it still looks almost brand new. It's hard-coated, rigid cardboard and fits nicely into the drawer with the foil wrap, bags, etc. I don't have the space to keep a large cutter. Cuts neatly and the wrap doesn't fall back into the box. Available on Amazon, King Arthur, etc, so you might want shop around for best price/shipping if you decide to order. http://www.chicwrap.com/cooks-tools-plastic-wrap/

I use the type that Tamara referred to, 1500' rolls, with the cutter. I recently bought the large cardboard box from Costco. I think it's about 3000 ft or maybe it's meters, I forget. I haven't opened it yet. It's substantially larger than my current box, so it will be a struggle to take it out of the cupboard to use.

I always use the shower caps for proofing bread, and also keep one over the bowl of my stand mixer, since I don't use it every day. It keeps the dust out of the bowl.

I might try the ChicWrap, but some people have said that the cutter falls off. I am very hesitant to spend $54 for something I can do without, but I also would not want to spend $13 on something I would discard very quickly.

Thanks for the idea of putting a shower cap on the stand mixer bowl! The one I had before had its own cover, but now I have a glass bowl, and it does not have its own cover. Now I have to shop for shower caps. I think I may already have some plain plastic ones.

Regarding shower caps, whenever we stayed at a hotel, I would take home the packaged shower caps provided. So for a long time, I had quite a stash. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I actually had to buy some. As others have said, they're very useful. They can be washed and reused over and over again. They're disposable, so when the stretch is gone or there's a tear, you don't feel bad about throwing them away.

I got the ones I have from hair dressing supply shops, but I do not have that many. This site has them in leopard print and zebra print, which I think would be nice for my mixer bowl.

I LOVE shower caps for food - use them all the time. But, after a particularly nasty bunch that I bought at the dollar store that smelled like diesel fuel, I decided that I'd pay a couple of extra bucks and get the ones that are food safe. LOL

Lars - I've never had a problem with the cutter falling off and it gets banged around pretty good in the drawer. I just pulled it out and looked at it and the bar sitting on the adhesive strip is secure and the little blue cutter isn't going anywhere.

I use caps. Extra large so they fit even my largest ceramic mixing bowl. I use some vintage odd shaped enamelware for serving outside and the elastic fits all of them snug. I do like that they wash easily...caps

Most of my everyday glass and ceramic food storage have lids. The caps are just handy to have tucked in the front corner of a drawer for a dough rise.

I have a few in the garage as well. They fit over a 5gal bucket, paint trays if you need to walk away for a few hours....I have some bug yard spray fermenting with a cap on it this week, (garlic, hot pepper, etc)

I'd pay a couple of extra bucks and get the ones that are food safe.

Where do you find those, Tamara?

I have had this set (plastic & foil) for years and I have been happy with them. I also use the food grade cover caps.

Wrap Master

Stretch Bowl Covers

Both my foil (Reynolds) and plastic wrap (Saran) boxes have the punch holes for holding the roll, but I've never used them. Also don't have a problem tearing off what I need.

Here, you get a plastic container for the wrap that doesn't have a cutter, you just snap the box closed and it cuts the wrap.

I buy Covermate at Target or Kroger. Under 4 bucks for a package of 10 assorted sizes. They are BPA- and PVC-free and you can safely microwave them. They have little holes along the side so you don't to vent the dish when you zap them.

Store locator here - http://www.covermatecovers.com/locator.html.

I occasionally remember to use one of those 'shower cap' springy cover things, but I don't use them for bread dough. I want the wrap to rest and seal right on the dough. The dough will push the wrap up as it rises. And again, The COSTCO wrap box cutters are just like the ChicWrap cutters. Apparently none of them break and they all cut perfectly. Don't waste your money on a cutter that you don't need. Or: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Cut-cut company in Romania told me that they ship to the U.S., and so I will consider ordering from them, providing shipping is not too expensive.

Evidently the ChicWrap cutters do break for some people, according to the reviews I have read, although that might be rare. Either way, I like the Cut-cut dispenser better, and if I do not order that, I will use shower caps. I have not yet seen Covermate, and I almost never shop at Target or any of the other stores listed in the locator. If Ralphs is the same as Kroger, then they may have them. I go to Big Lots occasionally (much more often when I lived in Venice), but their stock is very unreliable. Kevin used to buy Sodastream carbonators at Target, but he recently found that BB&B is a more reliable source, and so he gets them from there.

Thanks for all the suggestions - this has been very helpful, even if I still have not yet made my mind up!

I just use scissors to cut it.

I went to the Cut-cut site to order the dispenser from Romania, but the shipping would cost $19, making the total cost $38, and I decided that it was not worth it. For that price, I would order one from Web Restaurant Store, and I have not decided that I need it. We got some new mixing bowls last week-end that have lids because the Pyrex mixing bowl that I use the most fell off of the washing machine and broke. So now I have a large bowl with a lid, and that might work. I have not yet bought shower caps. I will need to make more bread by Monday, I think.

I can't find the website but if you post the link, I'll see if I can do it for less and send it on?

Thanks, Islay - that is very generous of you, but I decided to buy the ChicWrap that Tamara suggested. It's only a cardboard box, but it comes with a 250 foot roll of plastic wrap, and so it seems economical enough to try. I would prefer the Romanian cutter, but I will see how this one works first. If the cardboard cutter works, I am that much better off. It seems that there are a lot more options in Europe for plastic wrap dispensers!