Airtight Vacume Seal Glass Food Storage Containers Reviews

The enquiry

• Why you should trust united states
• Who should get this
• Choosing between glass and plastic containers
• How we picked and tested
• Our glass selection: Pyrex Simply Store 18-Piece Set
• Our pick: Snapware Total Solution twenty-Slice Food Storage Fix
• Runner-up: Glasslock 18-Slice Container Set
• Budget pick: Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Food Storage Containers
• Care and maintenance
• Notable competition
• The competition
• Sources

Why you should trust us

To find the best food-storage options, we've talked with several experts over the years about materials science and what makes a great container, including Nancy Hopkins, senior deputy food and entertaining editor for Ameliorate Homes & Gardens; Faith Durand, and then executive editor and now editor-in-chief for Kitchn; and Michele Thomas, then executive editor at the International Culinary Centre. Additionally, we reached out to glass experts including Jane Cook, PhD, then chief scientist at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, and William C. LaCourse, PhD, a professor in the Glass Engineering Scientific discipline department at Alfred University in Alfred, New York.

We've updated this guide after years of using these container sets in our examination kitchen and in our own homes, storing leftovers in the fridge or packing lunches for our commutes. Anna Perling, who performed testing for and wrote our latest update, is a kitchen staff author who has spent more than 4 years reviewing food-storage vessels, from travel mugs to food thermoses to dejeuner boxes. Her reporting built on senior staff writer Michael Sullivan's deep dive into the science of glass and thorough immovability testing over the course of several months. Ganda Suthivarakom, who wrote our original guide, spent dozens of hours researching and testing (and filling, shaking, storing, freezing, microwaving, washing, and dropping) nutrient containers.

Who should go this

At that place are a few reasons to upgrade your containers, specially if y'all apply plastic yogurt or takeout tubs. Starting time, you tin't come across through yogurt containers, so once the lid is on, you can easily forget what you take in there (and let information technology rot). Second, they aren't leakproof, which ways that transporting them to work for lunch can be a messy affair. 3rd, such plastic containers are not FDA-approved for repeat nutrient storage or microwaving. By upgrading to more-durable glass or plastic food-storage containers, yous can exist confident that they'll last longer and keep your food fresher (however, considering the lids are usually plastic, you may still need to replace the ones that come with glass containers before the containers themselves give out). And if your electric current containers are chipped or warped, that's some other sign it may be time to replace them. They won't seal properly, and a chip or scissure volition act similar a snag in a pair of stockings—the crevice can run and crusade more than damage down the line.

You may also desire additional containers if you're getting into repast prep (that is, portioning individual meals into split containers to swallow throughout the calendar week). Our plastic recommendations are especially great for repast prep because they're less expensive and light enough to conduct to work. If you already own a drinking glass or plastic container set up just want something you tin bring to potlucks and picnics, you may also want to buy a gear up of cheap plastic containers you won't mind leaving behind.

Choosing between glass and plastic containers

Photo: Michael Murtaugh

Wondering which material to get? Here'due south our breakup.

Choose one of our glass picks if any of the following apply:

• You don't heed heavier containers that can shatter.
• You're using the containers mostly for storage at abode.
• You shop foods that tend to stain or aroma.
• Yous prefer oven-safety containers (though you should still double-check whether a container can become in a preheated or cold oven).

Choose one of our plastic picks if any of the post-obit apply:

• You want something that is less likely to shatter.
• Yous want a cheaper option that yous can go out behind at potlucks or stock up on for meal prep.
• Your family members tend to lose containers.
• You want something lighter to carry around.

Ultimately, the choice between plastic and glass is a personal one that's based on lifestyle. Of the experts we interviewed, some preferred glass, some preferred plastic, and ane even preferred zip-summit plastic bags for leftovers. They chose what worked best for themselves and their families, and you can too.

A annotation on tempered vs. other types of glass

Containers are made from different types of glass, which will affect their durability, price, and how they'll break if you drop them. Most drinking glass food-storage containers, including the Pyrex and Glasslock sets we recommend, are made of tempered glass, a blazon of rut-treated soda-lime glass. Tempered glass is ideal for cooking and storing food considering it'south very durable. It can survive existence dropped on the floor, and it's able to withstand dramatic temperature changes without great. Tempered drinking glass does accept i downside, even so: On rare occasions, information technology tin can shatter unexpectedly (this may seem spontaneous, merely it'south usually a result of thermal shock or repeated stress on the glass). That existence said, tempered drinking glass is often referred to as "safe glass" considering when it does break, it crumbles into cube-shaped pieces that are easy to sweep upward, as opposed to long, thin shards that can more hands cut you lot. (This is why tempered drinking glass is used for side and rear windows in cars and glass shower doors.) To understand more on how and why this seemingly random breakage occurs, you can check out our weblog post on the subject.

Some food-storage containers are made from borosilicate glass because information technology's fifty-fifty more resistant to thermal daze, or sudden changes in temperature, than tempered glass. Even so, it's more expensive, and it's also more brittle than tempered glass—which means it may break more hands if you striking information technology against the counter or drib it on the floor. You may also find containers fabricated from heat-strengthened glass, which is twice as stiff as untreated glass nonetheless not as stiff equally tempered glass. So compared with tempered glass, heat-strengthened glass is not equally resistant to sudden changes of temperature or as durable if you drop it. You're unlikely to find not-heat-treated soda-lime drinking glass containers because they are neither oven- nor freezer-safe.

How nosotros picked and tested

In reporting this guide, we talked with five experts, ranging from cookbook editors to drinking glass scientists: Nancy Hopkins, senior deputy food and entertaining editor for Better Homes & Gardens; Religion Durand, then executive editor and at present editor-in-master for Kitchn; Michele Thomas, and so executive editor at the International Culinary Centre (and now a sommelier, wine educator, and author); Jane Cook, PhD, then principal scientist at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York; and William C. LaCourse, PhD, a professor in the Glass Technology department at Alfred University in Alfred, New York.

We besides consulted reviews from Good Housekeeping, The Strategist, Reviewed, and The Spruce Eats. Finally, we looked for all-time-selling sets from Amazon, Bed Bathroom and Beyond, Wayfair, Target, IKEA, Williams-Sonoma, Food52, and The Container Store. For each of these, we combed through owner reviews. We too polled our staff for long-term-testing feedback and read the comments on this guide.

Afterward years of inquiry and testing, we know that whether y'all're choosing drinking glass or plastic, a good container should run across the following criteria:

• Airtight and leakproof: "You want something that's really closed with a adept seal, if information technology'due south something y'all programme to keep for a bit," Nancy Hopkins, senior deputy food and entertaining editor for Better Homes & Gardens, told us. Not only volition a skilful seal help food last longer, but leakproof construction is also important for transporting liquids. We've found that round containers are usually more leakproof than foursquare or rectangular containers. Many of the models nosotros tested have a gasket seal around the lip and plastic hinges that snap shut, so y'all know the container is sealed properly.
• Stain-resistant: Resistance to stains and odors is key—you don't want to smell or see yesterday's pasta and blood-red sauce on your container. Plastic containers are more probable to stain than drinking glass, only nosotros've constitute that some are more than stain-resistant than others.
• Piece of cake to clean: We wanted containers that could become in the dishwasher. For easier cleanup, nosotros preferred containers that had sealing lids with removable gaskets considering you tin can remove and wash them separately (this also prevents mold buildup). And nosotros avoided lids that had microwave vents; they're just another piece to de-grime, and you're amend off removing the latches and resting the chapeau on top of the container in the microwave (or not using the hat at all, every bit some manufacturers suggest).
• Easy to stack and shop: Containers that can nest or stack neatly volition exist easier to shop and nicer to look at. And the shapes and sizes will affect how easy information technology is to store containers—square or rectangular containers will maximize fridge or freezer space. We tried to selection sets with a skilful range from large to pocket-size, with emphasis on rectangular or square space-saving shapes. We didn't eliminate round shapes, though, because they tin can be adept for liquid foods. Nosotros also preferred glass and plastic sets that had interchangeable lids among containers, so finding the right chapeau volition be a little easier.
• Heat-safe: We wanted containers that could go in the microwave, then that eliminated stainless steel. For glass containers, we also preferred options that were preheated-oven–safety or oven-safe so you can warm food in the same container.
• Translucent: The containers should be articulate or like shooting fish in a barrel to see through, so you know what is within without having to open up them. So we avoided ceramic containers (they can also break hands).
• Affordable: Plastic or glass storage containers range from about $3 to $10 apiece. Containers in a set up are generally less expensive per slice. Although price was a factor when we made our pick, we also considered that drinking glass containers will last a long time. Go on in heed that most manufacturers include both the containers and the lids in the full set count. So if a set is sold as xiv pieces or 16 pieces, you're actually getting just 7 or eight containers.

Our 2021 tests built on our testing from previous years. We tested for leaks past filling containers with h2o and shaking them, before and subsequently they had run through the dishwasher. To examination how the containers would agree onto smells and stains, we filled them with love apple sauce, placed them in the refrigerator for 5 days and the freezer for ii weeks, and reheated the sauce in the microwave for 2 minutes. Before reheating, we besides checked the frozen tomato sauce for freezer-fire patterns, which betoken how tightly a container seals. And we submerged all of the lids in a large bowl of love apple sauce for 48 hours and so ran them through the dishwasher, equally an additional stain and smell test. Usability is important in a container. We considered how piece of cake each set'southward containers were to open and close, how well they stacked, and how well their shapes and sizes would work with different types of foods.

Previously, we froze quarter-pound portions of ground beef for ii weeks to look at freezer-burn patterns. And, nigh fun of all, we conducted a drop test from waist peak for all of the containers (including glass ones) to encounter whether they would break or if the lids would popular off. In an attempt to simulate a not-bouncy kitchen floor, we did these drop tests on a piece of wood placed over cement.

In 2018, nosotros likewise subjected the glass sets to extreme thermal stresses (which is something we strongly do non recommend trying at home): Nosotros pulled the containers from the freezer and filled them with humid water; we took containers that had been in a 350 ºF oven for ten minutes and filled them with water ice water; we used the containers to reheat cold beefiness stew and lycopersicon esculentum sauce in the microwave for three minutes; and, finally, we froze beef stew in the containers and put them directly into a 350 °F oven for 10 minutes. Since most of our picks take remained consequent over the years, we didn't repeat whatever drop or thermal stupor tests in 2021.

Our glass choice: Pyrex Simply Store 18-Slice Fix

Photo: Michael Murtaugh

Our pick

The classic, streamlined Pyrex Simply Store 18-Slice Set is the best drinking glass container set up nosotros've tested. Fabricated from tempered glass, these sturdy containers survived multiple counter-height drops onto wood without breaking. Different other drinking glass containers we tested, the Pyrex containers have a polish rim that's less likely to fleck over fourth dimension, and they await nice enough to use for serving. Though not all of the lids are watertight, they're faster and easier to seal than the lids of our runner-up option, the Glasslock containers (which require more force to clip closed). And considering each shape of Pyrex lid is a different color, they're easy to match to their respective containers. The lids will likely vesture downwards faster than the containers themselves (especially if you lot run them through the dishwasher), but y'all can easily go replacements from Pyrex. This set stacks neatly and is condom to employ in a microwave, freezer, preheated oven, and dishwasher.

Nosotros continue to exist impressed by the durability of the Pyrex prepare: After years of apply in our abode kitchens, our containers oasis't chipped or cracked. We've heard this from a number of Wirecutter staffers. I person told u.s., "They've held up remarkably well over the last two to iii years of regular use." Another said: "I use them all the time, they've held up extremely well for years now. [I] dishwash them, tiptop or bottom rack, wherever they'll fit." And nonetheless another colleague told us, "I'd say I've had about of them for more than 5 years. Never had the glass part break."

These containers were as well impressive in our initial drop tests. They survived drop after drib onto a forest lath placed over a cement floor. At i point, a container missed the board entirely and bounced off the cement without breaking. The containers besides passed our thermal stress tests: They were still intact after we transferred them directly from a 350 °F oven to the freezer and vice versa (we strongly urge you not to effort this experiment at habitation). The Pyrex containers are adequately heavy, but that'south true of all the glass models nosotros tested (for lighter containers, nosotros recommend plastic options).

Instead of locking on with clips, the flexible Pyrex lids press on, and they don't require as much force to put on or accept off. They're easier to seal than the similar Anchor Hocking lids nosotros tested and than Glasslock'due south locking ones. The lids come up in different colors that correlate to differently sized containers, providing a visual cue to help match them together more easily. The lids are airtight, and we didn't run across whatever signs of freezer burn down on our lycopersicon esculentum sauce. Even though the round containers we tested didn't leak in our tests, nosotros would hesitate to throw them into a backpack with a computer. We likewise found that the rectangular containers leaked from the corners. Yet, since you can just choose to shop soups and stews in the round containers, nosotros're willing to forgive this small-scale drawback.

Nosotros recommend storing soupier foods in the round Pyrex containers; the rectangular ones leaked from the corners in our tests. Photo: Michael Murtaugh

In our tomato-sauce tests, we could detect a slight aroma on the Pyrex lids later running them through the dishwasher, but the smell wasn't as potent as the one left behind on some of the other containers we tested, like the silicone-rimmed Pyrex Ultimate containers. Pyrex's plastic lids are plain not oven-safe, and if yous're using a dishwasher to make clean the lids, they should be placed merely on the pinnacle rack.

The Pyrex set includes nine glass containers (with matching lids), and they range in size from 1 to seven cups. The containers nest well, or you can stack the sealed containers on acme of each other. The shine, clean lines of the Pyrex pieces also wait nice on a tabular array, if you're serving direct from the containers after reheating.

If you're looking for fewer containers, the Pyrex Simply Shop line is also bachelor as a 14-slice set (with seven containers and accompanying lids). You lot tin purchase replacement tops on Pyrex's website.

Pyrex offers a ii-twelvemonth warranty on the Simply Shop containers, meaning the company will replace defective pieces from the set as long as they haven't been subjected to misuse or abuse. Also, according to the company, Pyrex volition replace whatever glass product that breaks due to oven oestrus. If this happens, merely be sure to keep the damaged item, since yous may be asked to return it. Contact the Pyrex Customer Care Eye for returns or replacements.

Flaws just non dealbreakers

Like the other glass containers we tested, the Pyrex set we looked at had a number of visible flaws in the glass. These flaws aren't noticeable unless you're looking for them, but they can potentially weaken the glass and make information technology more prone to shattering, so it's something to know before you buy.

Again, non all of the containers in this gear up are leakproof, so we don't recommend using them to transport meals to work or school. Though the round containers didn't leak any water in our tests, we'd still exercise caution if you intend to use them to transport liquids. Our runner-upwards pick, the Glasslock ready, is best if yous're looking for an entirely leakproof glass option.

All tempered glassware runs the run a risk of spontaneously shattering. It's rare, but the Pyrex containers are no exception. Glass is a brittle cloth and needs to exist treated with care.

We've noticed some mixed feedback over how long the Pyrex lids can concluding. Nosotros've plant that the lids tin can crack even when done on the peak rack after many years (about five). Several Amazon reviewers have complained that the lids tin scissure or warp even after just a few uses, merely Wirecutter staffers reported that their Pyrex lids stayed intact fifty-fifty subsequently two to three years. Pyrex does sell replacement lids if you need them. You may exist able to prolong the life of your lids by hand-washing them, although it may be inconvenient to practise and so.

Our pick: Snapware Total Solution 20-Piece Food Storage Ready

Photo: Michael Murtaugh

Our choice

Out of all the plastic sets we tested, nosotros recommend the Snapware Total Solution 20-Piece Nutrient Storage Set. This plastic gear up doesn't offer the same durability every bit the glass Pyrex ready we recommend—we've noticed that plastic containers may scratch, stain, or warp over time, while glass ones do not. But the plastic, locking Snapware set is cheaper, lighter, and more convenient for transporting nutrient than our drinking glass picks. Snapware is endemic by the same company every bit Pyrex, and similarly, it offers replaceable lids and a long warranty. These sets have held up well over time in our home kitchens, too. For those reasons, nosotros think the Snapware set is the best option from our picks if you want to prep your repast ahead and catch your container from the fridge on your way out the door.

The lids in the Snapware Full Solution set are easy to snap airtight (unlike those in the Snapware Airtight set, which were difficult to latch and repeatedly popped open up, or the Rubbermaid Brilliance lids, which sprang close violently, like a mousetrap). With the Snapware containers, there's also a small tab at the edge to leverage when you're pulling the hat off, though you may not need it (these lids didn't suction as much as ones like the Rubbermaid Brilliance). All the same, the Snapware Total Solution containers and lids provided a tight seal, which prevented whatsoever signs of freezer burn and didn't leak (even afterward a run through the dishwasher). With the locking tabs, these containers are more likely to stay close than sets with press-on lids from IKEA or our upkeep pick, the Rubbermaid TakeAlongs.

Like most plastic lids, the Snapware ones retained a faint love apple-sauce scent after we marinated them separately in a large bowl of sauce for 48 hours, but they didn't retain any stains. The containers themselves were too stain-free. In contrast, the Lock & Lock containers retained an oily orange residuum (and when nosotros previously tested the Snapware Airtight set and the Popit containers, nosotros besides found that these sets retained smells and stains). And the Snapware Total Solution set performed admirably in our drop tests: Just a small slice on the corner of the lid broke off, afterward the third drib.

The Snapware ready comes in a diversity of shapes and sizes, with larger containers to shop leftovers and smaller ones for dressings or sauces. Photograph: Michael Murtaugh

We capeesh that the Snapware containers nest, for piece of cake storage, or stack neatly in the fridge and freezer. The set comes with 10 containers and matching lids in a variety of shapes and sizes that we recall will work for most foods—from minor circular containers for storing sauces or dressings to deeper, rounded rectangles for lasagna or curry. You tin can also write on the lids to label what's inside (which is a dainty bear on, even though we prefer to label with removable tape).

The lids also piece of work with drinking glass Snapware containers, which is convenient if you're buying both styles and don't desire to have to comb through diverse lids in your drawer. Nosotros found the Snapware lids slightly easier to lock and popular off than the Glasslock lids (thanks to a pocket-sized protruding tab at the rim). The fundamental divergence between the two containers is that yous can remove the gaskets on the Glasslock lids for cleaning, but the gaskets on the Snapware lids nosotros tested are attached. (The instructions on the Snapware Full Solution product page recommend removing the gasket for cleaning. But a visitor representative confirmed that these are the brand's full general-care recommendations and use to the Closed containers, which do have removable gaskets.) That's a downside, but since the Snapware lids don't have fine ridges, like the spongier gaskets on the OXO or Glasslock lids, we think the Snapware lids won't trap grime equally easily.

These containers are microwave-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe. Snapware offers a lifetime warranty on both the plastic containers and the lids if "damaged during normal household use." Wirecutter staffers who take endemic a set up for several years reported no issues with the containers or lids. Snapware also sells replaceable lids for every shape in the set if you lot need them: round, foursquare, and rectangular. (Like Pyrex, Snapware is a Corelle brand.) If you lot need to make a claim, contact the company's customer-care centre; be sure to go on the container or lid because you may be asked to return it.

Flaws but non dealbreakers

Every bit we mentioned, the gaskets on the lids aren't removable, which makes cleaning more than difficult compared with the Glasslock set. Over the years, we've noticed some stock fluctuation with these containers. If they're sold out, we as well similar the OXO Good Grips 16-piece Smart Seal Plastic Container Set up, which we talk over in our Contest section.

Runner-up: Glasslock 18-Piece Container Gear up

Photograph: Michael Murtaugh

Runner-up

Nosotros recommend the Glasslock eighteen-Piece Container Gear up simply if you want a glass prepare that's leakproof. Like a lot of drinking glass containers we considered, these take a history of chipping over time (although many Wirecutter staffers report no issues afterwards years of use). The Glasslock containers' tight-fitting lids keep food fresher longer. Simply they also put pressure on the edge of the drinking glass, which, according to the glass experts we spoke with, may exist causing stress that results in breakage. (Several reviewers besides mentioned that their containers chipped after they nested them for storage. We were told past Jane Cook, then primary scientist at the Corning Museum of Glass, that stacking glass tin can cause stress over time because the two hard surfaces rub together, and this may eventually atomic number 82 to chipping. You tin can stack the containers on meridian of each other with the lids on instead, or layer a paper towel between containers.) That said, compared with other brands we tested, the Glasslock containers locked more than securely without leaking and didn't break or popular open when dropped. Per piece, the gear up likewise costs less than other glass options nosotros considered.

The plastic lids have a firm silicone gasket that fills the lid groove from edge to border and provides a tight seal that doesn't leak. Though the gaskets are removable, they're harder to pry off than the thicker rings on the OXO containers—we accidentally punctured the gasket on 1 of our Glasslock containers with a butter knife. Our testers found that the plastic flaps on the lids were more than difficult to close than the press-on lids of the Pyrex glass containers, but that's true of near locking containers. Still, the Glasslock containers kept food fresher longer than much of the contest in our initial tests, indicating that they're closed. In our tests, greens remained sprightly, and cut strawberries tasted but a bear upon off after being refrigerated for ii weeks. Lycopersicon esculentum sauce didn't evidence signs of freezer burn, and it didn't impart stains or smells to the glass or to the plastic lid.

Impressively, the Glasslock set bounced in our driblet tests, with no damage to the glass containers. The lids remained perfectly intact and didn't pop off. (For kicks, we fifty-fifty tried dropping a Glasslock container onto cement. It bankrupt on a corner merely afterward 3 other attempts to crack the thing.) The glass Snapware set we tested didn't fare likewise in our drop tests: Some of the flaps opened, and the corner of the lid cracked.

The Glasslock containers are oven-safety and prissy enough to serve from, merely similar the Pyrex containers. Photo: Michael Murtaugh

The Glasslock ready comes with 9 square, rectangular, and round containers ranging from 0.7 cup (165 milliliters) to 6.iii cups (ane.5 liters) in size. Though the containers are clear, yous can choose to get them with clear lids with a sea-dark-green gasket or with translucent cornflower-blue lids. This set has a wider range of shapes than the glass Rubbermaid Luminescence set. The Glasslock walls are thick but perfectly see-through, and same-shape containers of different sizes nest even with the lids on. These containers stack beautifully in the fridge, making it easy to see what leftovers you have.

Like Pyrex and Anchor Hocking, Glasslock makes its containers out of tempered soda-lime glass that'southward oven-, microwave-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe. Though we like the OXO 16 Piece Smart Seal Glass Container Set up (which has a spongier gasket and lids that are easier to accept off and clean), it'due south far more than expensive since the containers are fabricated from borosilicate glass. And nosotros still saw complaints of chipping in the reviews.

Glasslock will supersede whatever worn-out or faulty lids costless of charge (though you'll take to pay a few bucks for shipping). Yous tin society the right-size lid on its website by looking for the product lawmaking etched into the bottom of your container. If you lot buy your prepare directly through Glasslock's website, the company will offer a full refund within 30 days of purchase as long as the containers are unused and in their original packaging.

Like all tempered glassware, the Glasslock containers tin can spontaneously shatter (albeit very rarely) due to surface impairment, manufacturing flaws, or farthermost thermal stresses. Beyond that, several pieces we've long-term tested accept chipped effectually the edge, and we've heard other people complain of the same thing. We've also read reviews that the containers' trunk chips over time. The chipping is probably due to the pressure that the locking lids put on the glass when you lot snap them shut, or from stacking the containers. William LaCourse, a professor in the Glass Technology Science section at Alfred University, told united states of america, "At that place will be stresses as a upshot of the cap and putting the cap on with fairly high pressure … it essentially squeezes the cap onto the glass." He explained that if in that location are whatsoever pocket-sized flaws already present in the glass, the added pressure from the lids could crusade the containers to fleck or intermission. Cook said that yous tin too put stress on glass by rubbing it against a material as hard or harder than itself (which happens when you stack glass containers on top of each other). That stress is besides exacerbated when you lot stack warm containers that have expanded.

If yous're committed to getting the Glasslock containers considering you lot want glass containers that don't leak, we don't think the concern of chipping or breakage should stop yous. But a small number of the containers we've tested have chipped. We besides subjected the Glasslock containers to extreme thermal stresses, and they survived unscathed. And we've previously ordered sets from different retailers to check for any breakage during shipping. But go on an heart out every time you open a container: The only matter you don't want is a piece of glass in your food. And if you're going to cull glass over plastic, keep in mind that all glassware is inherently breakable and needs to exist handled with care.

If you lot don't have a dishwasher, you may need to remove the gaskets from the Glasslock lids to clean them and forestall whatsoever mold buildup. (This seems to happen simply to sets that people hand-launder.) Advisedly dig the gasket out with a butter knife and then y'all don't knick it, wash it with hot water, and let it dry out completely before you reassemble the chapeau.

Some Amazon reviewers have complained that the flaps on the lids of the Glasslock containers make a dissonance when snapped shut. But we don't retrieve this is a dealbreaker considering information technology's just a split 2d of dissonance; other containers, similar the Rubbermaid Brilliance, were louder.

Long-term test notes

Marilyn Ong, supervising editor on our kitchen squad, has owned Glasslock containers for roughly 5 years, and she uses them frequently to store leftovers for her family of v. She hasn't experienced whatsoever glass chipping, though the flaps on the lids for her round containers did first to intermission off afterward about 4 years. She ordered new lids for complimentary from the Glasslock website, paid a few dollars for shipping, and received them less than a calendar week later.

Budget pick: Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Nutrient Storage Containers

Photo: Michael Murtaugh

Upkeep pick

If you need budget-friendly containers that yous'll be less probable to worry about leaving behind at picnics or potlucks, the best of those nosotros tested were the Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Nutrient Storage Containers. We've tested a 40-piece ready as well as a 52-slice gear up, and nosotros constitute they came with a wider range of shapes and sizes than any of the other flimsier sets we tested. (Both the 40- and 52-slice sets are not consistently available, simply the 32-piece prepare nosotros link to has a like combination of many of the pieces we've tested.) Although there can be a lot of pieces to keep runway of, these containers and lids stack well and don't take up every bit much infinite as you lot'd expect.

Different the similar Ziploc and Glad containers, the Rubbermaid TakeAlongs didn't leak before or after nosotros ran them through the dishwasher. And while other budget plastic containers we tested, like those from Reditainer and Glad, shattered immediately when filled with h2o and dropped from waist summit, the Rubbermaid container nosotros dropped remained fully sealed for two drops. Only after the 4th drop did the base of the Rubbermaid cleft.

Compared with other upkeep options nosotros considered, the Rubbermaid TakeAlongs offering a better range of shapes and sizes (the containers from the 52-piece set are pictured hither). Photograph: Michael Murtaugh

Similar all disposable sets, the Rubbermaid TakeAlongs aren't perfect, considering they're not intended for long-term employ. The plastic becomes soft when microwaved, though non every bit soft every bit the Ziploc and Glad containers. The Rubbermaid TakeAlongs likewise stained slightly and retained a faint tomato scent later on dishwashing, which was a problem we encountered with all of the inexpensive plastic sets we tested. Yet, because these containers are so affordable, come up in a variety of sizes, and don't leak easily, we're willing to forgive these drawbacks. We've noticed stock issues with various TakeAlong sets. Simply we've tested a big range of the pieces available in the different sets (including a few smaller containers with screw-peak lids to shop sauces or condiments), and we have found that all the containers and lids are of similar quality, and are fabricated from the same materials.

If you can't find the TakeAlongs, or yous want to consider other options that y'all may be able to pick up easily from a grocery or abode-goods shop, in that location are a couple of other budget-friendly sets that will piece of work, if they're easier for you to get. The nesting IKEA Pruta fix didn't stain or retain smells, and information technology is easy to pick up if you're already shopping at an IKEA. Merely we wouldn't recommend going out of your manner to purchase this set, since it's difficult to order online (our containers took 3 weeks to go far, and the $five shipping fee is about every bit much as the $vi ready), and information technology doesn't include as many shapes as the TakeAlongs gear up. We as well similar deli containers, which stack and are designed to exist dispensable if you want to requite nutrient away or go out your container behind. But these don't hold upward well in the microwave or freezer and don't come up in every bit many different sizes.

Intendance and maintenance

Your containers volition likely outlast your lids, but you lot tin can try and take a lilliputian extra intendance of them to prolong their lifespan. Information technology's tempting to just leave the lids on when you microwave stuff in your containers. Don't. No sealed lid benefits from the vacuum effect that happens when you oestrus your nutrient in the microwave. Abusing the lid in this way tin can cause information technology to warp and lose its seal. When you microwave, if you must keep the chapeau on to prevent splatter, ever make certain to loosen the chapeau completely and fix it slightly ajar beyond the top of the container. An fifty-fifty better choice is to put a vented microwave cover or a newspaper towel over your container when you zap it. Keep in listen that if you lot're using a microwave with sensor reheat, information technology won't piece of work properly unless it can detect the amount of moisture coming off of your food.

If you don't own a dishwasher, or yous desire to prolong the life of your lids, handwashing works just fine for our picks. Merely if the lid has a removable gasket, remove the gasket from time to fourth dimension and clean it separately from the lid to make sure no mold tin can abound. If you're loading these into the dishwasher, plastic pieces should always go on the tiptop rack, while drinking glass pieces tin can get anywhere in the dishwasher.

Later on using these containers for years in our kitchens, we've constitute that when we put the Glasslock lids through the dishwasher, they stay mold-free fifty-fifty without removing the gaskets, which is convenient. Cook told us, yet, that "automatic dishwashers are hell" for plastic (and glass!) due to high, uneven oestrus, humidity, and chemicals from detergent. We noticed a few of our Glasslock lids began to suspension after iv years of putting them through the dishwasher, and our Pyrex lids have croaky over fourth dimension, as well. Manus-washing them with water no hotter than what comes from your tap, or at least avoiding the heated dry cycle (if your dishwasher has one) when you exercise employ the dishwasher, may help extend their lifespan. You lot'll need to weigh the trade-off betwixt convenience and longevity when caring for your containers and lids.

After removing drinking glass food-storage containers from a hot dishwasher, the experts we spoke to recommend letting them cool before stacking them in a cupboard. LaCourse said, "When they're hot and clean, they will scratch easily." Hot drinking glass will also be more prone to sticking. Cook explained that, "When they're warm, they've expanded slightly. As they absurd downwards, if you put a colder glass inside of a warmer glass, they're just going to grab onto each other. So you're more likely to become a glass stuck inside another drinking glass, and it needs to be pounded out or put under running water in lodge to get them autonomously, which all leads to more than surface harm and shorter lifetime." Stacking glass even when it isn't hot can also add stress to containers, and pb to chipping over time.

To store, dry the lids completely before putting away. Nosotros recommend leaving the lids resting on top of the containers, only not snapped close, which helps to protect the longevity of the seal.

Nosotros've read customer reviews on Amazon and feedback from our readers who have occasionally reported that their tempered glassware "spontaneously shattered." Even though tempered glass is more durable than not-estrus-treated soda-lime glass, it'due south yet glass, and can break. Never subject your drinking glass food storage containers to farthermost thermal stresses (such as taking containers from the freezer and placing them straight into a hot oven and vice versa). Ever stay within the recommended temperature threshold indicated in the manufacturer's instructions.

Notable competition

If you prefer borosilicate glass containers—which are even better than tempered glass ones at withstanding temperature changes—nosotros liked the shape and size variation of the OXO 16 Piece Smart Seal Glass Container Set. Because they're made from borosilicate, this makes them far more expensive than our picks—and we still institute reviews lament that they chipped. Merely if you lot plan on using your containers frequently in the oven or freezer, or the Glasslock containers are sold out, we think this is a good option. We as well appreciated the lids on these containers: They have a thicker gasket that's far easier to remove and wedge dorsum in than the gasket on the Glasslock containers. In theory, that extra cushion could help forbid the OXO's rims—which (like the Glasslocks) are slightly raised—from chipping.

If you want containers with every bit picayune plastic as possible, the Pyrex Ultimate 10-Slice Drinking glass Storage Set is likely your best bet. These containers have glass lids trimmed with white silicone that evoke a chichi, minimalist lifestyle that's aspirational but perhaps not realistic for actually storing food. The white lids stained in our tomato sauce tests (of course), and considering the lids are glass, the containers are heavy and not ideal for transport. The lids do suction well, however, and they're still easy to skin off thank you to a protruding tab.

Nosotros appreciate that the lids on the Snapware Total Solution Pyrex Glass Set are interchangeable with those of the plastic Snapware prepare. If you're interested in owning both plastic and drinking glass containers for different purposes, using Snapware for both means you won't have to rummage between multiple mismatched lids to find what you need. This set was our former runner-up pick for glass containers (though information technology used to have xviii pieces and slightly dissimilar shape options). Like those of our current runner-upwardly pick, this set up'due south lids clip closed and may subject area the lip of the containers to stress, which can increment the chances of breakage. Because the silicone-bordered lids are a fiddling harder to clean by hand than those of the Glasslocks containers, we recommend these just if having interchangeable lids between plastic and glass sets is important to you.

We like the lids on the plastic OXO Adept Grips Smart Seal Plastic Container Set up simply as much as the ones on the glass version. These containers are more expensive than our pick, and they don't have any round shapes. That said, nosotros think they're a fine pick if our locking plastic option sells out.

If you desire a lid that'south easy to remove, you lot might like suction lids. The lids on all of our picks (the locking-manner lids on the Glasslocks or Snapware containers and the press-on fashion lids from Pyrex and Rubbermaid) take some effort to get on and off. Suction lids, by contrast, simply sit atop a bowl or container you lot already own to comprehend it. However, they aren't closed and won't prevent leaks or spills (they suction to the container simply when y'all lift upward on them from a knob in the middle; otherwise nothing secures them in place). We've tested suction lids before, and out of all the ones we tried, nosotros preferred the thicker, sturdier, clear Lékué Suction Hat. We also tried the GIR lids, which come in more sizes and colors. These are a piddling floppier and don't create equally strong a seal as the Lékué lids, but they're easy to peel off and rinse clean. (I, Anna Perling, am breaking into the first person here to tell yous that I used the GIR Suction Lids—as well as the Food52 Airtight Lids—for several months while I was recovering from a nerve damage injury and couldn't move my dominant arm or hand. I found them easier to put on, take off, and clean than firmer lids with ridges or tabs; peradventure you volition too.)

The contest

Glass

There are but two shape and size options in the Rubbermaid Brilliance glass fix, and the lids are more difficult to shut and pry off than those of our picks.

The Anchor Hocking Glass Food Storage Set survived our drop tests, but the containers leaked more than than the similarly designed glass Pyrex containers we tested. The flimsy lids in this set also held onto odors more our picks. Anchor Hocking does sell replacement lids, however.

The Zyliss Fresh Glass Food Storage Containers are made of borosilicate glass. Only they don't come up in as many shapes and sizes as the OXO borosilicate gear up, and the lids don't have a removable gasket for like shooting fish in a barrel cleaning.

Anchor Hocking TrueSeal Drinking glass Storage got a B+ from Good Housekeeping. But we dismissed them after reading that Cook's Illustrated (subscription required) does not recommend them because the seal became noticeably looser after going through the dishwasher fifty times and leaked profusely.

Plastic

Although we recommend the Rubbermaid Luminescence Leak-Proof Food Storage Containers line in our guide to the best dry nutrient storage containers, we don't recommend them for daily use for storing leftovers. Nosotros've read reports that they crack in the dishwasher or microwave. And then nosotros prefer them for longer-term dry out storage, since you lot don't need to wash the containers as oft. They also have fewer shape options, and the locking lids require more force to shut than our plastic containers pick.

For a cheap ready of containers with printing-on lids, nosotros like the IKEA Pruta gear up, merely they're difficult to become online due to prolonged shipping times or extra costs (ours took three weeks to arrive; IKEA also charges for aircraft, which in this case costs nearly every bit much every bit the containers themselves). They also don't come up in every bit many shapes equally our budget choice. And, as is true of virtually flimsy plastic sets, nosotros've found that they warp over time.

The Reditainer Deli Nutrient Storage Containers are typically used in professional restaurant kitchens considering they're cheap to buy in bulk, they're uniform, and they store very neatly. They're also inexpensive enough to get out at someone's firm. Although these containers didn't leak and did go on freezer-burn at bay, they stained easily and hung onto food odors. These containers too shattered in our drop exam.

Though it's convenient that the lids in the Rubbermaid Easy Detect Hat 42-Piece Prepare stack, these containers leaked both before and later on going through the dishwasher, and so we dismissed them.

The Rubbermaid Premier set did very well in virtually all of our tests, but information technology was difficult to tell when the chapeau was sealed properly. Nosotros also idea the container sizes were a little too small for belongings leftovers.

Sterilite Ultra-Seal containers, which yous can notice at many retailers, received poor marks from both Cook'due south Illustrated and Good Housekeeping for a seal that wasn't airtight. (These containers also no longer come in a set with varying shapes and sizes, then every piece must be purchased individually.)

The Glad MatchWare colour-coded lids and containers fabricated matching pairs like shooting fish in a barrel. But they leaked, stained, and left ground meat covered with freezer burn. These containers also exploded in our drop tests. (The colors and patterns on this set have inverse since our original review, though the containers are the same.)

Ziploc's containers nest well, but they leaked, and they became extremely soft when microwaved.

Sources

1. Nicole Papantoniou, The Best Nutrient Storage Containers, Good Housekeeping , January 22, 2021

2. Sharon Franke, The All-time Nutrient Storage Containers of 2021, Reviewed , Feb 16, 2021

3. The All-time Food-Storage Containers on Amazon, According to Hyperenthusiastic Reviewers, The Strategist , September eight, 2020

4. Nancy Hopkins, senior deputy food and entertaining editor for Amend Homes & Gardens , phone interview

5. Faith Durand, executive editor for The Kitchn, email interview

6. Michele Thomas, then executive editor at the International Culinary Centre, electronic mail interview , January 28, 2016

7. Jane Melt, PhD, and then primary scientist at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, phone interview, September xv, 2017 and March 16, 2021

8. William C. LaCourse, PhD, a professor in the Glass Engineering Scientific discipline department at Alfred University in Alfred, New York, phone interview , September 12, 2017

9. Heated Glass Comparison, Vitroglazings.com

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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-food-storage-containers/