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The containers have an ingenious one-button design that makes it easy to pop the containers open and reseal them when you're done, so your food stays fresh.
Preparing your own meals is a great way to ensure the foods you and your family eat are tasty, healthy, and affordable, but if you want to enjoy a wide variety of home cooked cuisine, you need to stock your fridge, freezer, and pantry with plenty of eats. Almost invariably, the well-stocked kitchen is also one where lots of food is thrown away. According to a 2012 study conducted by the National Resources Defense Council, Americans toss out about $165 billion worth of edible good each year, which amounts to more than $2,000 in annual food waste for the average household in the United States.
In terms of physical volume, the NRDC report estimated that we're throwing away some 35 million tons of food each year, waste that largely putrefies in landfills and adds greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere on top of the economic costs. But before we get any more heavy-handed here, let's look at the bright side. While food waste is a major problem writ large, there's a pretty easy solution available to each and every household: better food storage systems.
With the right food storage containers, you'll be able to preserve foods for longer in the fridge or freezer, save space on shelves, in drawers, and in the pantry, and better plan out your meal prep, too. In our guide, you'll find food storage containers designed especially for fresh fruits and veggies (AKA produce) alongside containers designed to hold anything from soup to pasta to cookies.
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We've got disposable options that are nonetheless microwave and freezer safe and we've got glass containers that are safe for use in those appliances as well as in the dishwasher and oven. With a few of these fine food storage systems added into your kitchen's lineup, your household will waste less food, experience less clutter, and you might just find a reduction in your grocery bill, too.
Here are the best food storage containers you can buy:
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When it comes to food storage containers, an air-tight seal is key. Some containers use multiple latches to lock air in, but it can be a pain to pry four or more open to gain access to whatever is inside the container. OXO's POP Container Set solves that problem with a single button that you push down on to open and close the containers.
The seal is completely airtight and the BPA-free plastic containers are sturdy. They are also stackable to help you make the most of your cupboard space. The rounded corners of the containers make it easy to pour out cereal, sugar, or whatever else is inside, too.
You get one 2.1-quart container, one 1.5-quart container, two 0.9-quart containers, and one 0.3-quart container in the five-piece set. OXO chose these sizes to accommodate common foods like cereal, flour, sugar, pasta, rice, coffee, and nuts, and the sizes work perfectly in most kitchens.
The pasta container makes storing linguine, spaghetti, and other long pasta a breeze. Typically, other containers aren't tall enough to accommodate long pasta, which defeats the purpose. The sugar container is excellent, too. I've tried dozens of containers and methods of preserving sugar without it clumping and drying out, and OXO's POP container is the first one that's worked. I store brown sugar in one and white sugar in another.
My favorite part about the containers is just how easy they are to reseal after use. Pressing one button makes it super simple and intuitive, which is great for people with children and those who have arthritis and struggle to open all the latches on other storage containers.
Buyers rate these storage containers just as highly as I do — 75% of reviews on Amazon are 5 stars — but if you do run into any problems with them, the OXO Better Guarantee means you can get a repair or replacement. — Malarie Gokey
Pros: Easy to use, air-tight seal, many sizes, sturdy, stackable
There are a lot of food storage containers out there made with sturdy, clear plastic and with lids that form a secure, air-tight seal once in place. You probably have several of them in a kitchen cabinet or on a shelf right now, in fact. And if you're like most people, they are probably all of different sizes, each use different tops that are lost half the time anyway, and are basically impossible to stack or line up in an orderly fashion. Does all that sound accurate?
Enter the five-piece Equinox International Royal Storage Container Set. In this set, you will find one container that's tall enough for dry spaghetti, one medium-sized container perfect for crackers or cookies, two smaller ones that would serve well for sugar or storing leftover soup, and one little container good for berries, snacks on the go, or what have you.
All that's good, but here's what makes this system great: All of the containers are the exact same dimensions in width and depth, and all use the exact same lid. That means stacking or lining up these containers is mere child's play, and it means that one lost lid still means four containers that are ready to roll.
Granted, even the tall, slender shape of the larger containers is a bit limiting for some foods (you probably wouldn't use these to store leftover chicken wings or lasagna, for example), but the convenience of the matched sizing makes them perfect for most purposes.
With nearly 700 reviews posted on Amazon at the time of this writing, the Equinox International Royal Storage Container Set has a shining 4.7-star average rating. One satisfied buyer calls the containers "so easy to use" and ideal for getting "everything organized" in her pantry, while another speaks for many when she hails them as "truly air-tight."
A reviewer from Epicurious said the "containers are liquid friendly" and also found them reliably air-tight. And in the interest of disclosure, we use these containers in my house and we love them. My firsthand experience is what I'm more than comfortable recommending them.
Pros: Interchangeable lids, easy to stack or align, reliably air-tight lids
Why you'll love it: The durable containers in the Jalousie Borosilicate Glass Food Container Set are safe for use in the microwave, dishwasher, oven, and in the freezer, so food storage, prep, and cleanup will be easier than ever.
If you're the kind of person who liked to plan ahead when it comes to meals, then you're the kind of person who should consider the Jalousie Borosilicate Glass Food Container Set. In one of these durable, convenient containers, you could store food in the fridge or freezer, then cook it in the oven or microwave, then clean the container out in the dishwasher when done. This set actually comes with 10 containers, two each in sizes ranging from a 35-ounce capacity down to a 12-ounce capacity.
Whether used for foods to be prepped and served at home or for meals you bring along to the office, park, or to a friend's house, these containers seal reliably, preventing spills at home and on the go. The lids feature a vent that makes them easier to open when hot foods have created a vacuum during cooling, a good example of a clever solution to a problem that might not be all that serious but that's often mildly frustrating, so hey, why not address it?
Most buyers love their Jalousie Borosilicate Glass Food Container Set, with a buyer named Steven saying he was "extremely happy" with these durable, versatile containers. A lady named Belinda appreciated how they could be used in the "freezer, microwave, and fridge" and freezer, and found the "various sizes to be very useful."
I do have to mention that a few people have reported lids that don't attach easily or fit properly, so watch out for the potential dud in your own set. At least there are 10 containers per order.
Pros: Safe for use in multiple appliances, BPA-free construction, varied container sizes
Say, do you like food containers that are guaranteed to be 100% leak-proof or your money will be refunded? Do you like containers that easily stack one on top of another? And how about durable, odor- and stain-resistant BPA-free plastic construction? If I haven't got you sold on the five-container Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container Set yet, then it's time to break out the big guns: This set sells for less than sixteen bucks.
And for those of you keeping score, that's less than half the price of the next cheapest food storage set on our list (not counting the disposable options). The largest container in the set has a nearly 10-cup capacity and is ideal for larger leftover portions, like fillets or pasta, while the medium-sized containers are great for soups or salads to take on the go. The smaller two options are good for snacks or for pantry essentials like baking soda, salt, or sugar. All five of the containers are safe for use in the fridge, freezer, microwave, or dishwasher. Also that price, right?
More than 1,100 people have chimed in on the Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container Set, and it enjoys a fine 4.5-star rating on Amazon. A buyer called Darleen appreciated how easily and securely the "lids snap on" and noted how they made it easy to see the foods stored inside. An owner named Beth praised the "tight seal [formed] around the top" that keeps foods fresh and prevents messes.
Apparently, some units are plagued by lids that warp over time with repeated use, especially after lots of trips through the dishwasher, but most people are perfectly happy with their Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container Set.
Pros: Great low price, leak-proof design, odor- and stain-resistant plastic
The food containers in the OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper Set use a multi-pronged approach to keeping your produce fresh for impressive amounts of time. Each container consists of a solid plastic outer shell as well as a perforated colander that rests within the unit. The multiple open slots in this colander promote airflow that prevents rot and maintains freshness and also allows any liquid present on fruits or vegetables to drip down off the food.
Second, much like you'll find in the crisper drawer in your fridge, there is an adjustable vent built into the lid of the OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper containers that helps maintain an ideal level of humidity. Finally, the lids use an enhanced carbon filter that traps ethylene gas that would otherwise speed the spoiling of fresh produce. The set comes with two different containers, which have a 4.3-quart and a 1.6-quart capacity, and with four enhanced carbon packets, each of which will work for about three months.
This is an expensive set, there's no way to avoid the obvious. But as these innovative containers can help preserve produce for multiple days longer than typical food storage systems, over time they'll compensate for their high price tag in reduced food waste.
Amazon buyers have given the OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper Set a 4.1-star cumulative rating, with a customer named Ray said that these container preserved fruits for "twice as long as [other options]." An owner named Kate said the OXO system "pays for itself" in preserved fresh foods.
A writer from Good Housekeeping noted the adjustable "air vent [that] you can open and close depending on how much humidity a particular food may need." A Consumer Reports write up called an OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper ideal "for salad greens" in particular.
Pros: Three-pronged approach to produce freshness, reduces food waste, good capacity
