Glass
The Glasslock 18 Piece Container Set is a previous choice and is similar to our Glass Lid Sets. It is sealed and can be used in the oven, microwave, freezer and dishwasher. But in our most recent testing, we found the hinges on the lids to be stiffer than those on our models, making this set a little harder on the hands to use.
The Anyday 4-Piece Starter Set is primarily designed to be cooked and reheated in the microwave. Containers do a good job of this, but they are very heavy and very expensive (a set of two containers costs $80). And compared to our picks, this set’s relatively large sizes aren’t as good for a variety of food storage situations.
We love the design of the Ello Duraglass meal prep containers, especially their attractive silicone mesh that prevents slipping and protects the glass. The lids snap on and off easily, and the containers are airtight and come with a lifetime warranty. But despite the protective mesh, the glass broke easily during the drop test, and the containers retained odors. We also found the mesh to be awkward to remove for cleaning and then put back on.
Coming in three pieces (actually six pieces – three containers and three lids), Frigoverre’s square food storage containers are extremely heavy, even when empty. They also leaked easily.
There’s plenty to like about Frego containers with their colorful silicone sleeves and silicone lids. They can easily withstand the freezer, microwave, oven and dishwasher. They are sealed. And they come with a solid lifetime warranty. However, you’ll have to remove the silicone case to see what’s inside, and they only come in one small size (2 cup). Additionally, during our tests they absorbed odors and the lids became stained.
We love the super-affordable price of IKEA’s 365+ containers, which come in glass, plastic, and stainless steel (microwave-safe!), all with replaceable plastic locking lids. They fold and nest neatly and have all passed the leak test. But we found the locks to be stiff and difficult to open and close.
The Rubbermaid Brilliance tumbler set only comes in two shapes and sizes, and the lids are harder to close and pry off than the ones we chose.
The Anchor Hocking Glass Food Storage Set passed our drop tests, but the containers leaked more than similarly designed Pyrex glass containers we tested. The flimsy lids in this set also hold in odors better than our options.
We’re intrigued by Caraway’s attractive ceramic-coated glass containers, which come with lots of bells and whistles like magnetic organizers, a stain eraser, and bento-style inserts. However, they are heavy and leaky, and seem more like a fashion trend than viable storage containers.
Plastic
INKA food containers were so difficult to open that the manufacturer recommends using a butter knife.
Although Tupperware is the granddaddy of plastic containers, their Freezer Mate containers are incredibly expensive (over $12 for the container and lid) considering the materials. And despite a lifetime warranty covering chips, cracks, breakage and peeling, we found them to be flimsy—one of the lids cracked during our first use.
We liked that the Zoku 11 Pack Neat Stack containers are dishwasher and freezer safe, and we also liked the color stripes on the lids, the clear capacity labeling on each container, and the convenient freezer bag that attaches to the underside of the lids. However, freezer packaging often fell on food, and while the company claims the containers are airtight, they leaked during our tomato sauce test.
While we recommend the Rubbermaid Brilliance line of airtight food storage containers in our guide to the best dry food storage containers, we don’t recommend them for everyday use for storing leftovers. We’ve read reports of them cracking in the dishwasher or microwave. We prefer them for long-term dry storage since the containers do not need to be washed frequently. They also have fewer shape options and the lids require more force to close than our plastic containers.
For a cheap set of containers with push-on lids, we like the IKEA Pruta set. However, they are difficult to connect to the Internet due to long delivery times or additional costs (ours took three weeks to arrive). They also don’t come in as many shapes as our budget option. And like most fragile plastic sets, they will warp over time.
Reditainer Deli food storage containers are commonly used in professional restaurant kitchens because they are cheap to buy in bulk, consistent, and store very neatly. They’re also cheap enough to leave at someone’s house. While these containers did not leak and prevented freezer burn, they stained easily and retained food odors. These containers also broke during our drop test.
While it’s convenient that the lids on the Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid 42-Piece Set stack, these containers leaked both before and after being put in the dishwasher.
The Popit Little Big Box Plastic Food Container Set did not leak when filled with water, and the removable gaskets made cleaning easy. However, this set did not survive our drop test: the doors opened and one of the doors broke off completely.
The Rubbermaid Premier set performed very well in almost all of our tests, but it was difficult to tell if the lid was sealing properly. We also found the container sizes to be too small for storing leftovers.
Sterilite Ultra-Seal containers, found in many retail stores, received poor ratings from Cook’s Illustrated and Good Housekeeping for leaking seals. (These containers no longer come in sets of different shapes and sizes, so each item must be purchased separately.)
Glad MatchWare color-coded lids and containers make pairing easy. But they leaked, stained, and left the ground meat covered in frost burns. These containers also exploded during our drop tests.
The Ziploc containers fit well, but they leaked and became very soft in the microwave.
Silicone
Unfortunately, the silicone options we tested didn’t come close to matching the versatility of the glass and plastic containers we tested. None of them were airtight, and some were even too leaky to carry through the kitchen. We will continue to look for viable silicone options for future testing.
Lékué’s reusable silicone boxes were flimsy and not particularly clear, and the lids didn’t close properly.
We love that Norwex silicone food containers are collapsible and have locking lids. We didn’t like that they leaked easily.
We had high hopes for the Stojo Nestable Food Storage Set, which at first seemed like the most durable silicone option. The containers were fairly airtight and we liked that they were collapsible with tight-fitting lids. But despite claims that they are dishwasher safe, they are easily warped after being washed in the dishwasher.
The locking lids on Vremi’s silicone food storage containers were nearly impossible to close without destroying the container. When they are full, it can lead to a disastrous mess.
Bamboo
The lids of Forest & Twelfth’s “eco-friendly” containers were flimsy and didn’t stay on.
This article was edited by Marilyn Ong and Marguerite Preston. Michael Sullivan, Anna Perling and Ganda Suthivarakom contributed reporting.
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