Best Food Storage Containers of 2023

Best Food Storage Containers of 2023

It’s easy for people to have a love-hate relationship with food storage containers. They can feel cheap and flimsy, the lids are usually impossible to find, and the sets feel like they take up an entire cabinet. But a good food storage container makes a big difference: you can keep prepared foods smartly refrigerated, take healthy lunch leftovers to work and reheat them, or even serve food with some. A good storage container should have a tight seal – and if it’s leak-proof for foods like soup, all the better. We like products that can be easily stored and stacked together with little risk of slipping.

At the official Wayfair website, we test food storage containers to make sure they’re airtight, leak-proof and won’t get dirty from use – ketchup features prominently in our testing. We also test them for durability in refrigerators, microwaves and dishwashers (if they’re designed to be used that way). Over the years, the experts at the Kitchen Appliance and Culinary Innovation Lab have tested more than 80 food storage containers from top brands like Pyrex, Rubbermaid and OXO.

1

Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container

Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container

47.48
Brand:Rubbermaid
Colour:Clear
Material:Plastic Glass
Capacit:757 Milliliters
Product Dimensions ‎20.96 x 13.97 x 16.67 cm
Item weight:816.47 Grams
Pros
  • Easily stackable
  • Transparent
  • BPA-free
Cons
  • Lids are cumbersome to store

Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers: Completely transparent (except for the seal) and easy to stack, these food storage containers are perfect for carrying on the go for a number of reasons, as they are lightweight and sturdy. We tested the stain resistance by microwaving the spaghetti sauce, which left only faint traces compared to other plastic containers we tested.

2

Snapware | Meal Prep and Food Storage Container Set

Snapware | Meal Prep and Food Storage Container Set

43.31
Brand:‎Snapware
Material Type:‎Plastic Glass
Package dimensions :24.61 x 20.29 x 19.61 cm
Item weight:862 Grams
Pros
  • Very affordable
  • Lids lock into place
  • BPA-free
Cons
  • Many lids with clips to store

Software | Meal Prep and Food Storage Container Set: These stackable containers with locking lids from Snapware help keep your refrigerator organized and are a great value at less than $15. We were impressed with its performance in the shake test, losing only a small amount of water. It held up in our microwave test, but we found stains after reheating the spaghetti sauce commonly found in plastic containers.

3

OXO 11236500 New Good Grips 8-Piece POP Container

OXO 11236500 New Good Grips 8-Piece POP Container

117.37
Brand:OXO
Batteries Included:‎No
Material Type:Plastic
Pros
  • Assortment of shapes and sizes
  • Stackable and transparent
Cons
  • Not ideal for taking on the go

OXO 11236500 New Good Grips 8-Piece POP Container: OXO’s famous POP container closes with one hand – a tight seal is created with the push of a button. Lids are thin for easier cleaning and dishwasher safe. Some also come with accessories, such as a half-cup scoop attached to the bottom of the lid, so you always have a dedicated one on hand for measuring dry goods. This baking set comes with containers that fit perfectly into a 5-pound bag of flour and sugar, as well as a 1-pound box of brown sugar. The brown sugar container comes with a terracotta brown sugar protector to keep the sugar from hardening.

4

Anchor Hocking TrueSeal Glass Food Storage Containers

Anchor Hocking TrueSeal Glass Food Storage Containers

41.08
Brand:Anchor Hocking
Colour:Green
Material:Glass
Capacity:10 Liters
Product Dimensions ‎31.83 x 18.42 x 17.55 cm
Item weight:2.95 Kilograms
Pros
  • Lids are easy to put on and take off
  • Oven-safe up to 425ºF without lids
  • BPA-free lids
Cons
  • Not watertight

Anchor Hocking TrueSeal Glass Food Storage Containers: These containers received the highest score in our air-insulation test (which means staying fresh). The bases are made of glass and can be used in ovens up to 425ºF. The lids are clear and have a flexible rim that won’t break over time, and while we did see minor dents after a few high-temperature dishwasher cycles, we were able to pop them back into place.

5

Joseph Joseph Nest Lock Plastic Food Storage Container

Joseph Joseph Nest Lock Plastic Food Storage Container

50.91
Brand:Joseph Joseph
Colour:Sky
Material:Plastic Silicone
Capacity:230 Milliliters
Product Dimensions ‎19.99 x 16.31 x 24.51 cm
Item weight:1.03 Kilograms
Pros
  • Space-saving nesting design
  • BPA-free
Cons
  • Lids can be tricky to lock into place

Joseph Joseph Nest Lock Plastic Food Storage Containers: This series has nested containers and nested lids, so when you put them away, you only have to make room for the largest size container. The lids snap on to the containers to create a tight seal, but we found leaks during testing and don’t recommend them for liquids.

How we test food storage containers

At the official Wayfair website, we test a variety of kitchen appliances, from air fryers to chef’s knives to food storage containers.

Performance: To evaluate performance, we looked at leaks and how tight the seal was. For the leak test, we filled each container with water to its maximum capacity and weighed how much was lost after a minute of vigorous shaking. We then refilled each container with water and turned them upside down for 24 hours to see how much they retained.

Ease of use: We assessed ease of use by observing how each container was supported in the dishwasher and how it behaved in the refrigerator and microwave. For each dishwasher-safe container, we performed more than 10 hours of washing at the highest temperatures and water cycles to assess deformation and document any damage that occurred during each cleaning cycle. For all containers that could not be placed in the dishwasher, we performed multiple hand washes.

How to shop for the best food storage container

When shopping for food storage containers, the below features are important to keep in mind to find the best performing set for your home:

Materials: Glass and plastic are the two most common options for food storage. Glass can usually be used in the oven, while plastic cannot. The trade-off is that glass is heavier and can break, which doesn’t make it ideal for carrying around. Although most plastics are now BPA-free and very safe for food storage, some consumers still prefer glass to avoid any possibility of chemical leaching. Plastic containers also tend to stain when storing highly colored foods; glass does not.

Shape: Look for containers with straight sides rather than flared mouths to avoid taking up unnecessary space in refrigerators and cabinets.

Lids: Lids that don’t seal can be deal breakers. Some close with a simple press, while others have snaps on the side. We tend to prefer lids without snaps because they are thinner and easier to store, but it’s worth noting that snaps provide an additional source of leak protection.

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Wayfair Official Site
Logo
Enable registration in settings - general
Shopping cart