Food storage containers: Airtight receptacles designed for storing food.

Don’t forget, they’re also so beautifully stackable you’ll want to put them out on display. In some kitchens, dry storage containers can also function as decor, either on the counter or on open shelves. Unfortunately, after testing a number of attractive glass and ceramic containers, we’ve found they aren’t as good at keeping foods fresh as the plastic counterparts we’ve tested, and generally aren’t as practical or durable. Most food storage containers are available to purchase in sets, typically including a variety of sizes and sometimes shapes. Depending on what you’re planning to store in your containers, take into consideration how much can fit inside and how much space it will take up in your kitchen. This food storage container set by Better Homes & Gardens stood out from the others in terms of design thanks to its ability to stack nicely in pantries and cabinets as well as close securely with its flip buckle lids. With four sizes ranging from 6.5 cups to 19.4 cups, you’ll be able to store your favorite dry goods inside, such as cereal, pasta, and baking ingredients, and save so much room when you remove all the original bulky packaging.

• The lids of any quality food storage container should be secure and airtight to keep the contents fresh.
• For many foods, especially those in their own individual containers such as canned vegetables, the common container is the corrugated fiberboard box, Corrugated boxes are available in many sizes.
• Their larger size also means they’re not the best choice for limited cabinet space.
• A large spherical or cylindrical tank in which gas to be used as fuel is stored before being supplied to customers.
• Most produce typically lasts just a few days after you’ve washed and cut them up before they go bad.

Consider the type of storage , the food being stored, length of storage, and storage space. The most common materials for food storage containers are glass, plastic, and ceramic. Clear plastic and glass are generally preferred so you can easily see how much food is inside, but ceramic looks beautiful when displayed on countertops. Plastic is a popular choice because not only is it clear, but it’s also not as fragile as glass, so it can survive accidents. Meal prepping and storing leftovers are great ways to save some cash, but without a proper set of food storage containers, all that hard work could very well end up being futile. Lightweight and stackable, the Zoku Nested Food Storage Containers feature snapping lid latches for a leak resistant seal, so you can take your food on the go without worrying about any unexpected spills. This set also comes with color-coded bands to help you quickly find the size you need, so you’ll never be late to work after trying to mix and match containers and lids ever again.

The Best Food Storage Containers

Despite these design issues, we still think its reasonable price makes it a great choice for a dog food container. One that we purchased and tested separately failed both our tip test and sealing test, letting water in at the hinge and soaking the dog food inside. If you’re looking at IRIS Airtight Pet Food Storage Containers, we recommend sticking to the combo package or its individual pieces. Constructed of beautiful white stoneware, these canisters from Crate & Barrel are perfect for displaying on open shelves or kitchen countertops. This set earned a 4.8/5 rating across all categories and was praised for its attractiveness and performance during the stain/smell and splash tests. The containers had zero leaks when shaken with water in them and smelled nice and clean after washing out the sauce and onions.

• Fresh food has different points at which they go bad, so I would defer to the FDA’s guidelines for how long you can expect different produce to last,” she said.
• We filled up all the plastic containers with water and turned them upside down to test how airtight their seals are.
• That way you won’t forget how old a particular item is (since you’ll be losing its packaging) and can use it up before it gets stale.

Since 2016, writers and editors on Wirecutter’s kitchen team—all avid bakers, some previously in professional settings—have tested a range of storage containers in our Wirecutter test kitchen, as well as in their own homes. We’ve also solicited feedback from our staff who have used the picks in this guide for years. We filled up all the plastic containers with water and turned them upside down to test how airtight their seals are. They keep things separate, so the potatoes don’t slide over onto the meat, or the chopped-up fruit doesn’t join the sandwich. You can get containers with two or three dividers, making them perfect to pack a school lunch, especially for picky eaters.

“Fill these baskets with similar items,” Jen Martin, founder of Reset Your Nest, advises. This will keep your pantry looking organized and make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. The combination of thoughtful design elements and substantial durability made the IRIS Airtight Pet Food Storage Container a clear favorite during testing in our labs. The only downside our testers noted was that there is no way to secure the stackable containers to each other, so you have to rely on gravity instead.

The Best Food Storage Containers, Tested And Reviewed

Also, the silicone band along the perimeter of the lids has a lot of nooks and crannies that can be difficult to clean by hand. But we think the advantages of the tight-sealing lids will outweigh this flaw for most people. Our tester took advantage of the higher profile of these containers to store bulkier foods, like a veggie burger on a bun with a side of raw carrot sticks, or a piece of roast chicken on the bone accompanied by sauteed spinach. The drawback of having such tall containers is that they need more vertical space to stack and store, but as a trade-off, their overall footprint in the fridge is minimal. They can be placed or built-in to your walls and save space in your cabinets for kitchen-specific items. For example, our favorite five-piece OXO set is around $50, while a 20-piece set from the same brand, which you might need to outfit your entire pantry, is more than $275. The satisfaction you feel from popping open a tightly sealed, aesthetically pleasing container has to outweigh the eye-popping money you’re spending on them. [newline]But some argue the investment is worth it if you’ll continue to use them for the long term.

Many of the containers we tested run small, and the ceramic containers specifically are significantly heavier than plastic ones, making them harder to pick up and pour from. We also found that, despite their poor seal, removing the lids from these types of containers could sometimes be challenging, as many of their lids don’t have a lip, groove, or handle to help you get a good grip. Wirecutter senior staff writer Kaitlyn Wells also purchased the set to use at home and finds the seal much better than another brand she purchased previously. To test sturdiness, we filled each plastic container with 2 pounds of beans and slid it off a counter onto the kitchen floor so that it landed sideways. We also dropped them all from waist height at other angles—upright, upside down, and on a corner—to see if they cracked or if the lids popped off. This was another test we didn’t replicate on ceramic and glass containers, since it didn’t seem fair; all of those would likely break if dropped on the floor.

After two days of holding tomato sauce and onions, we hand washed some and ran others through the dishwasher, and they were all odor- and stain-free. When testing its design, our product testers said there were zero leaks and that they stayed tightly sealed. We had to tweak the original criteria we used for selecting plastic storage containers as we searched for glass and ceramic containers to test.

If you do not have bottled water, you can make your water safe to drink by following the instructions listed on ourMaking Water Safe in an Emergencypage and using clean containers to collect and store your water. For temporary storage situations on a large scale, cardboard boxes simply can’t be topped. If you’re moving your home or business, you’ll likely require a lot of boxes to pack your stuff and move it from Point A to Point B.

This container has a stainless steel outer shell with BPA-free plastic inner bucket that’s removable for easy filling and quick cleaning. Rather than a screw-on or clip top, it features a large, ergonomic lock-tight handle that activates a silicone gasket and forms an airtight seal that keeps pests out . And as a bonus, it has a magnetic lid with an included measuring scoop that attaches to the lid, so atfeeding times, you never have to go digging into the dog food to find the scoop. The best dog food storage containers have an airtight seal that keeps your dog’s food fresh, locks in odors, and prevents pests like rodents and ants from getting inside and helping themselves.