The 16 Very Best Food-Storage Containers

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Material:Glass containers, silicone lids| Shapes:Mix| Sizes:Mix

Bentgo’s storage-container set is made entirely from glass and silicone. As someone who has been trying to reduce plastics in my kitchen, I very much appreciate this.I discovered them when looking for options with exactly this material makeup (surprisingly, there aren’t a ton on the market) and then testing the several sets I did find. While a few were good (see right below for the others I’d recommend), this one emerged as my favorite.

It’s quite large overall and, given that, quite affordable. The array of sizes gives great flexibility. There are three small containers — a 1.3 cup, and two 1.6 cups — which I like to have on hand for bits and bobs like salad dressing, leftover sauce, toasted nuts, a remaining chunk of fancy cheese, and the like. They go up in small increments from there, with a 2.2 cup, 2.7 cup, 3.4 cup, 4.1 cup, 4.4 cup, and 6.3 cup. In addition to the silicone gasket, they have a small silicone tab that stretches over the top and can be inserted into a small round hole in the glass lids.For normal storage, you simply secure it closed. But if you want to microwave directly in the containers, you open the tab, and this allows steam to escape for even heating. And despite what I worried about initially, this doesn’t prevent them from stacking neatly. They close easily but securely and wash up well in the dishwasher.

Material:Plastic containers, plastic lids| Shapes:Uniform| Sizes:Mix

Even though I’ve made a big effort to use less plastic in the kitchen, I’m having a hard time giving up restaurant-grade deli containers, my longtime choice. I believe they’re still worth keeping around.They come in a mix of 32 ounces, 16 ounces, and 8 ounces. Somehow, one of those three sizes is always perfect for what I need. And perhaps best of all, they each fit the exact same lid so you’re never without one.

Though they won’t last as long as glass containers (eventually, they can start to warp just a bit, or in more dramatic cases, become discolored after a ton of use), I simply recycle as needed. When I notice my stash dwindling, I buy some more. And at such a cheap price, it doesn’t feel like a sting. They’re dishwasher- and freezer-safe (I have the largest ones full of stocks, pasta sauces, stews, and more in my freezer at all times.) They hardly take up any room at all when empty, as they stack super compactly (key for my small cabinet). But they also fit perfectly, one on top of the other, when they’re full so I can always see what I have in my fridge. They’re lightweight, great for bringing to the office or out on a picnic, and cheap enough that I never mind doling out leftovers to friends and saying, “Keep the container” as they leave.

Cookbook authorJulia Turshenagrees. She uses them in many of the same ways I do, with the addition of decanting goods in her pantry. Plus, she has a great tip for using them to make salad dressing: “Animmersion blenderfits directly into one, so I don’t have to worry about dirtying a bowl and then later a container for leftover dressing,” she says.

Material:Plastic containers, plastic lids| Shapes:Uniform| Sizes:Mix

Open a restaurant walk-in and you’ll see a ton of Cambros. Indeed, chef and authorVirginia Willis, who now uses them at home, says that the containers are a remnant of her restaurant days. “They come in different sizes but no matter what, they stack perfectly,” she explains. “And because they’re square, you’re not losing any fridge or cabinet space. They’re also especially durable.” Willis likes the two-quart size, the smallest that Cambro makes. She says it’s large enough to hold all the leftovers after dinner without being crazy-big. But just for reference, that two-quart is twice the volume of the largest deli container — and they go a lot bigger. Strategist contributorSarah Leonhas them in a range of sizes, also for leftovers and for proofing bread dough — but used the 12-quart ones as a dish station filled with water to be able to scrub and rinse when she wasrenovating her kitchenand didn’t have a proper sink for a year. They “are not breakable, and they have handles, so they are easy to carry,” she says. Just note you have tobuy the lids separately.

Material:Glass containers, silicone lids| Shapes:Uniform| Sizes:Uniform

Yang also uses these Comotomo containers. They come in a set of three or six, and each holds four fluid ounces, or a half-cup. They don’t fit much — but that’s the point: “They’re just the right size for storing small amounts of leftovers, sauces, or even half a lemon,” Yang says. “They’re noticeably high quality, with thick, substantial walls, and a pleasingly round shape.” She also likes the lids, which attach on securely and have a built-in pop-up vent. This allows her to place the containers straight into the microwave from the fridge, which she’s done many times for toddler-size portions of rice and lentils. The only drawback, she says, is that while you can stack them on top of each other, they don’t nest or lock, which makes them slightly annoying to store.

Material:Silicone containers, plastic lids| Shapes:Uniform| Sizes:Mix

If you’re low on space or your main priority is commuting with food, consider these nifty Thin Bins that expand when full but squish down when empty (a prime idea if you take your lunch to work and want less bulk at least part of the way). They come recommended by Nikki Ostrower, founder ofNAO Wellness, who found most containers she tried over the years to beimpractical — both tocarry around all day in her backpack andto stow in her small New York kitchen. These solve both issues and can go in themicrowave (without the lids), dishwasher, and freezer, too.

Material:Glass containers, tin-plated steel lids| Shapes:Uniform| Sizes:Mix

Mason jars are best known for preserving and canning, but they work for storing just about any leftovers and decanting dry goods, too (not to mention asdrinking glasses, which is how I primarily use them). Willis has a bunch in addition to her Cambros, and professional organizerFaith Robersonuses them too, including for keepingherbs and vegetables in water, and, when she’s on the go, salad ingredients with dressings inthese handy cupsthat fit snugly inside so the components don’t mix until she’s ready to eat. No matter how many ounces, both Willis and Roberson like the wide-mouth jars best. “I can always add a scoop if I want the jar to hold powders or smaller seeds like flax or chia,” says Roberson. “But if I want to put something bigger inside, like dried lemons, I can do that too. Plus, it’s easier to stick my hand in to clean.” Her favorite thing of all is how multipurpose they are, from the kitchen to the dining room and beyond. “I always find a way to keep them occupied,” she says, “whether it’s for holding flowers on the counter, or as candle votives for tea lights on my dinner table. I even put my makeup brushes and cotton swabs in them. And if I find I’m in desperate need of one to store food, I simply disinfect a used one in the dishwasher.”

Material:Glass containers, glass lids with plastic seals| Shapes:Mix| Sizes:Mix

These OXO containers are made of glass, therefore are very sturdy — but the winning feature is the lids. They have a plastic lining to seal securely and click-down handles on each side that hold tightly. I’ve been using the set for a long time now and pull them out all the time. The set is well-rounded, with a few larger sizes and some smaller ones that hold everything from extra dressing to leftover bits of an ingredient (like half a leftover onion or lemon). The containers wash well: I’ve never seen any bits of leftover grime stuck in the crevices. The gasket is also easy to pull out (and put back in place) for more thorough cleaning.

Food writerCathy Erwayand Turshen, both of whom have been using these containers for several years, like how transportable they are: Thanks to the click-lock lid, there’s no worry about leakage, even if they throw one in a tote bag or take it in the car to commute.Finally, Erway notes, the smallest round container is the perfect shape and size for transporting dog food for her pup (it holds about one cup). She can feed him anywhere with no mess.

Material:Plastic containers, plastic lids with silicone seals| Shapes:Mix| Sizes:Mix

This alternative, also from OXO, features another smart lid design: It has a pop-in, pop-out button on top that creates an airtight seal when you press it and then releases when you press again. (In this case, the body is made of plastic.)The company makes a vast range of sizes, from 0.2 quarts (for spices) up to six quarts, but food writer and recipe developerRebecca Firkserespecially likesthe larger ones for decanting dried goods like granola, oats, flours, and sugars. “Though they don’t stack on top of each other,” she says, “the wide base helps these containers balance easily in places that weren’t necessarily designed for food storage but are often used as such, like the top of the fridge.”

Material:Stainless steel containers, silicone lids| Shapes:Uniform| Sizes:Mix

Yet another favorite of Yang’s is U-Konserve containers, which are stainless steel. She got her first set ofround onesin 2018. At the time, they came with plastic lids, but the brand has since introduced silicone ones. (Yang has replaced all of hers, since you canbuy them separately, but that’s also helpful if you keep yours for a long time, since the lifespan of silicone is less than that of stainless.) U-Konserve makesrectangularcontainers, plusdivided bento-box-style containers. While Yang doesn’t pull them out as much for leftovers, since it’s harder to see what’s inside, her collection gets used routinely for kids’ snacks and lunches, or to take food on hikes. “They’ve gotten dropped many times and undoubtedly get a lot of abuse in the hands of our kids, but they still look as good as the day we got them,”Yang says. “The lids can be a little tricky to wiggle on, but they do go on eventually, and once on, I never worry about them leaking.”

Material:Stainless-steel containers, plastic lids with silicone seals| Shapes:Same| Sizes:Same

One of the downsides of stainless-steel containers is that they’re not usually microwavable. Butthese from Black+Blum, which Strategist writerDominique Parisoranks among her favorites, are an exception. Pariso discovered them when she went on a hunt to find a replacement for her beloved plasticdeli containers. After trying many varieties in different materials, they turned out to be the best. (The lids are in fact made from plastic, but that part doesn’t have to touch your food.) Though you can’t zap them for more than two minutes at a time, and the heating-up process takes a bit longer overall than it does with plastic vessels, “each time I pull a Black+Blum box out of the microwave, it’s a tiny marvel,” Pariso says.

The containers’ attributes go beyond that, too. They’re lightweight and nest together. They have an airtight seal similar to the Caraway containers (meaning not as tight as a proper vacuum seal, but impossible to break open), which makes them truly leakproof, even when commuting. And they’re easy to clean.

Material:Glass containers, plastic bags| Shapes:Mix| Sizes:Mix

The Zwilling Fresh and Save set is a bit different than the others on this list — and I believe truly worth making room for in your cabinet. It’s avacuum-sealing systemthat stores leftovers for longer than a standard container will. It comes with a handheld cylindrical pump, less than a foot tall, that sucks the air out of specific Zwilling glass vessels and plastic bags (which work great for quick marinating as well as storing food) via a valve on each receptacle.

Though it might look a bit more intimidating than your average container, I promise it’s the easiest thing in the world to use (and both recipe developer and cookbook authorJessie Sheehanand recipe developer and food bloggerNicole Modicagree). You simply put your food inside the container, match the circle on the top of the lid to the circle on the bottom of the pump, and press the button. The pump sucks all the air out and automatically stops once it’s done. To release, you gently push the valve to the side.

Food lasts many days longer than it would otherwise. I’ve even found it inspires me to make bigger batches for easy lunches and dinners, like the quinoa salad below. The cucumbers and peppers stayed crunchy and refreshing in there for a full week (could have been longer, but I ate it all before I found out). Sheehan expresses the same sentiment: “It really appeals to the make-ahead girl in me,” she says. “I love that you can prep ingredients — carrots, celery, whatever — and maybe you’re not touching those chopped-up veggies for a week, but they stay fresh.” Modic says she’s amazed how it makes berries, a highly perishable ingredient because of moisture levels, last two weeks in the fridge.

Material:Glass containers, plastic lids| Shapes:Uniform| Sizes:Mix

Figuring outpantry storagecan be a beast because it’s rare to have the same exact amount of dry goods constantly. The best solution I have found for my own cabinets is to keep flexible containers that you can swap out as needed. My personal favorites for larger amounts of food are these from Caraway.

To start, they’re great shapes and sizes, well-designed to make optimal use of space. The smallest is one quart, which I use for ingredients that come in smaller packages like lentils, farro, and quinoa. (It’s also a good size for holding leftovers or packing lunch.) I use the middle two-quart model to store my most frequently bought items: sushi rice and basmati rice. And the biggest four-quart one is good for anything you might buy in bulk, like flour and cereal. All the sizes nest together, too.

They feel substantial but not heavy. They’re made from glass but aren’t delicate. (The lids are plastic, but I don’t find that bothersome, especially to hold dry goods.) They also have a lever on top to create an actually airtight seal. While I don’t think it’s as airtight asvacuum sealing, a little extra insurance never hurts, and I have yet to find anything has gone stale in mine.

Material:Glass containers, silicone lids| Shapes:Uniform| Sizes:Mix

I also like to have a set of smaller containers on hand for pantry goods. The largest size here is similar to the one-quart Caraway above (it holds just over that same volume), the middle size is about two-thirds of a quart, and the smallest is about a third of a quart. The first is as useful for grains as the comparably sized Caraway. I even prefer the cylindrical shape for polenta and couscous, since it’s easier to grip and pour directly out into a measuring cup. I also use the largest quite a bit for coffee, since I tend to grind about a week’s worth at a time. The midsize and smallest-size vessels are great when I have even smaller amounts left of any of those things. Aside from pantry storage, I often end up using the smallest size for dressings and sauces, too.

The containers are all lightweight, but they don’t feel especially delicate, and they seal closed with a silicone lid. And though they don’t nest when not in use, they stack on top of each other when the lids are on.

Material:Silicone| Shapes:Mix| Sizes:Mix

If you’re in the market for storage bags instead of hard-sided containers, Stasher is a Strategist favorite. We’ve written about them many times over the years. ContributorAlison Freer, who wrote about how she couldn’t stop buying reusable storage bags in general, says, “I have every size, shape, and fun color they make, and while they are pricey, I reach for them above all other food storage options I have in my kitchen. They can go in the microwave, freezer, and dishwasher, absolutely never stain or leak, and even though I’ve washed mine in the dishwasher hundreds of times (with the high heat drying cycle on, even), they haven’t fallen apart or degraded in any way.” Multiple sustainability experts told us they swear by Stasher for our story onenvironmentally minded kitchen products. And Gleeson named them, too. “We use them for kids’ lunches,” she says. “The smaller ones fit snacks like pretzels, crackers, and fruit. The bigger ones fit sandwiches. They’re durable. We’ve had them for four years at least.”