‘Ask the Strategist’: How Do I Build a Plastic-Free Pantry?

In my research, Anchor Hocking came up a lot. The company has been around since 1905 and is a classic and reliable option for all kinds of affordable glass goods. I pulled several options from the brand for this list since it has a nice array of styles.

These particular containers are one of a couple of options that are rectangular — ideal, I think, for a tighter pantry since they fit closer together than round ones. Each of the sizes varies in height to hold one quart, 1.5 quarts, and two quarts, respectively (they’re actually listed in ounces, but I converted them for ease of comparison). Still, they all have the same length and width (4.25 inches by 4.25 inches), so you can stack them if you have taller shelving.

They’re all glass, so you can see what’s inside, and have a silicone gasket around the inside of the lid. A warning, however: Some reviews say they’re not completely airtight. But overall, people seem positive about them. If you like them, I would try one or two to start and fill them with foods you move through relatively quickly.

Here’s a similar option that comes in the same three sizes. The only difference is the lid material, which is aluminum instead of glass with a silicone gasket on the inside to help with sealing.

I know you said you prefer rectangular storage, but these, another option from Anchor Hocking, are especially nice-looking. Again, there’s a silicone seal for freshness. The sizes are close to the options above with one even bigger item: 1.5, two, and three quarts.

I also like this three-piece glass set with screw-top metal lids because they have indents on the side that allow you to get a nice grip — both to pull them down from a shelf and to tilt and pour (especially useful for snack items you don’t want to stick your hand into, like salty popcorn, or that would get crushed by a scoop, like Goldfish).

Caraway is dedicated to being completely plastic free with all its products. These are a recent edition to my own pantry — and I’m obsessed. So far, I have found the 2.5-quart to be especially useful. I have two, and they each hold a different type of rice, which I buy a lot of and go through quickly in my house. I’ve used the smaller ones for ingredients I don’t use quite as often, like couscous, and it turns out they’re also a great shape and size for keeping leftovers in the fridge, if they’re not otherwise occupied. I haven’t personally used the largest, four-quart option yet, but I imagine it would be great for ingredients like flour or cereal and even prepackaged kids’ snacks, if that’s something you buy.

The containers feel substantial but not heavy. They are made from glass but aren’t too delicate. They stack. And the lever on top is to create an actually airtight seal (I don’t think it’sasairtight asvacuum sealing, but even a little extra insurance is welcome in my book).

Speaking of rice, my editorWinnie Yangflagged this rice-specific container from one of our favorite online purveyors of Japanese products, JOC Goods. It’s pricey but beautiful and could be a worthwhile treat-yourself item if you eat a lot of rice.

If you like the idea of stainless steel, consider this container recommended bychef Edward Lee, who built an entirely plastic-free restaurant kitchen in Washington, D.C. The smallest size here is about six quarts, which is to say very large. But if you have a larger pantry and buy particular items in bulk, it could definitely work. “Perfect for people who buy the 20-pound bag of rice,” Yang points out.

One note on this and the Paulownia container above: They’re not transparent, making them a little less convenient for keeping tabs on how much is left in the container, so you’ll probably want to label them.

I also have this set. They’re on the smaller side of the options on this list (for reference, the largest is just over a quart; the middle size is about two-thirds of a quart; and the smallest is about a third of a quart). But I think they’re useful ones to have in the mix for when you have not too much of an item left after opening — say, some lentils (which tend to come in smaller packages to begin with) or nuts. I also use the biggest one to storeground coffee, since I grind mine about a bag at a time.

These containers are supremely lightweight but don’t feel fragile, and the silicone lids fit tightly and securely on top. I’ve washed mine in the dishwasher countless times over the past year or so, and they haven’t warped at all. One final bonus: Though the bottoms don’t nest together, the lid sizes are the same for all, so you don’t have to worry about keeping pairs together.

I pulled these simply because they’re a similar look to the Brabantia set but are all glass, including the lids. They’re slightly larger overall, too, at 1.75 quarts, one quart, and a half-quart.

I actually wouldn’t discount Mason jars — or, rather, I wouldn’t discount extra-large Mason jars. These half-gallon ones are made by Ball (probably the best-known manufacturer of the style) and seem good for items you always have on hand in bulk, like granola or cereal. I also think this shape is ideal for keeping flour and sugar since the wide mouth would be easy to scoop directly from.