Most bread boxes either warp from humidity or steal half your worktop space when the lid swings open. Designed in Germany by metalworking specialists founded in 1867, the spherical Wesco Superball slides open on its own axis without needing a single centimetre of extra counter clearance.
The Wesco Superball is a spherical countertop bread bin and food storage container crafted from powder-coated sheet steel on a chrome-plated tubular steel stand.
Measuring 26 cm in diameter, it uses a telescoping upper hemisphere that rotates inside the lower half, keeping bread, pastries, and fruit ventilated without occupying extra forward counter depth.
If you live in a European apartment with a compact kitchen worktop, a traditional roll-top or drop-door bread bin is surprisingly annoying. Every time you want a slice of rye bread, you have to move the butter dish and coffee mugs out of the way so the door can drop flat on the counter.
The Wesco Superball fixes that clumsy geometry through a very simple piece of mid-century German industrial design. It is one of the smartest storage pieces in our curated list of vintage European kitchen essentials.
Why store bread in ventilated powder-coated steel?
Storing fresh sourdough or crusty loaves is a balancing act between two enemies – dry kitchen air (which turns bread into a rock overnight) and trapped moisture (which turns crusts rubbery and encourages mould). Here is how powder-coated steel compares to standard bread storage materials:
| Storage material | Crust & crumb preservation | Hygiene & cleaning | Countertop footprint |
| Wesco powder-coated steel | Rear ventilation holes balance humidity so crust stays crisp and crumb stays soft | Non-porous steel wipes clean with a damp cloth, never absorbs odours | Elevated chrome base keeps air moving underneath and leaves surface easy to wipe |
| Unfinished wooden box | Absorbs moisture from bread, drying out loaves faster in winter | Porous grain traps crumbs and mould spores over time | Flat rectangular base traps water spills on the worktop |
| Plastic bag or sealed box | Traps 100% of moisture, making crusty European bread chewy within hours | Prone to staining and retaining yeast smells | Looks like supermarket clutter on the counter |
Space-age form meets 1867 Sauerland metalwork
Martin Westermann founded Westermann & Co. (Wesco) in Arnsberg in 1867 as a family plumbing and sheet-metal workshop. By the mid-twentieth century, they had mastered deep-drawing heavy steel sheets into seamless curves.
The Superball borrows its silhouette from the optimistic “Space Age” design movement of the late 1960s, sitting like a quiet sculpture on two looped chrome legs. Because the 26 cm sphere holds a surprising volume, people often buy a second one in muted almond cream, classic red, or matte black to keep onions, apples, or biscuits out of sight.
Quick specifications & sizing cheat sheet
- Origin: Germany (brand founded in 1867 in Arnsberg, Sauerland)
- Dimensions: 26 cm (Height) × 26 cm (Width) × 26 cm (Depth)
- Clearance required to open: 0 cm (top half rotates inside bottom half)
- Materials: High-grade powder-coated sheet steel with chrome-plated steel stand and handle
- Ventilation: Integrated rear airflow perforations to prevent condensation
- Care: Hand-wipe with a warm damp cloth (not dishwasher safe)
Wesco Superball bread bin is also available on Amazon, in cream, white, red, and black.
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