Cooking a nice meal is an enjoyable experience, but cleaning up and storing away leftovers usually isn’t. Opening up the kitchen cabinet and having a bunch of mismatched Tupperware fall out isn’t very fun, either. Whether you want to organize your kitchen a bit more, want to cut down on plastic, or stretch the shelf-life of the fruits and veggies in your fridge, proper storage is key. But with so many options available everywhere, how do you choose the best food storage sets?
Scientists continue to report that plastic is found in pretty much everything, and that this can have long-term implications for human health. Researchers from Switzerland recently analyzed plastic food containers and found that they contain chemicals that cause cancer, infertility, and genetic mutations. In fact, they found 388 chemicals of concern that can accumulate in our bodies and burden our organs.
Another recent study found that these chemicals, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” can start seeping into your food and contaminating it within a week enough to cause serious harm to our bodies. Studies like this one frequently urge consumers to move away from using plastic containers, but there currently aren’t any regulations in place that help this effort.
Manufacturers can even add pesticides to containers without any regulation stopping them, increasing exposure even more than from fruits and veggies alone. But this isn’t to say you should put down the fruits and veggies, if anything it means you should get the best food storage containers to cut down unnecessary exposure so that you can to put more of them in your fridge. We all know how important these foods our for just about every part of our health, but a recent study shows that even just one serving a day can boost mental health! Despite some of these potential problems with plastic containers, they are usually the most affordable and convenient, so it’s understandable for people to have them. In light of this, scientists also recommend that if you do use them, to try to avoid using them to heat up your food.
Whether you’re ready to make the switch to glass containers or want to stick with plastic, we have all the options for you. StudyFinds did the research across ten expert sites to bring you the top five best food storage sets recommended by experts. If we missed one you love, let us know in the comments below!
The List: Best Food Storage Sets, According to Experts
1. Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers
Rubbermaid takes the top spot, and they have both plastic and glass versions of this particular set. Loved by many, these containers are stackable, lightweight, and reliable. “This set is 100% leak-proof, featuring airtight containers that are clear so that you can easily see what’s inside. The built-in vents under the latches on the covers make for splatter-resistant microwaving, and the containers are made to stack on top of each other for easy storage,” writes Forbes.
If you opt for the plastic version, there’s no need to worry about Rubbermaid skimping out on quality or avoiding appropriate healthy measures. These containers are BPA, BPS, and BPF-free. “Poor-quality plastic containers usually come with the downsides of staining easily, melting in the microwave or dishwasher, and containing BPA — but this particular set is BPA-free, leakproof and very airtight,” writes Today.
Real Simple loves the variety of sizes: “The extra tall options are great for storing spaghetti, while the tall container is good for cereal or dry beans—or even as a vessel to store fresh asparagus upright in water in the refrigerator. The mid-short container is ideal for leftovers, while the short options work well for dry snacks and homemade salad dressings.”
2. OXO Container Sets
OXO makes aesthetically pleasing containers for baking ingredients and everyday leftovers. Their Good Grips POP containers are extremely popular for storing flours and sugars, and although plastic, they boast BPA-free plastic.
“The POP Containers come in a variety of sizes, making them ideal for storing baking supplies, rice, coffee and even pasta. They have a stackable design to help save space, and each jar has a convenient fill line to show its maximum fill level,” writes Taste of Home.
The Good Grips Smart Seal Containers are made of glass and are high-quality, making them the perfect option for a long-lasting option. “They’re made of glass — and therefore very sturdy — but the winning feature is the lids. They have a silicone lining and click-down handle on each side that holds tightly,” writes New York Magazine.
Real Simple likes their eight-piece option: “The Oxo Good Grips 8-Piece Baking Essentials POP Container Set is specifically designed with bakers in mind, and is made to store a variety of staples like flour, sugar, baking soda, and toppings—preventing them from going bad too quickly. These are all kept fresh thanks to the airtight lids, which, instead of having to use force to pull them off, you can easily pop off thanks to the button located on top of the lid.”
3. PrepWorks Large Cereal Keeper
This large-capacity container keeps cereal fresh and organized. Any cereal lover or big family knows how much easier it is to keep cereal in bulk, and PrepWorks makes that so much easier! “Instead of having multiple boxes take up space in your cabinets or pantry, pour it all into the PrepWorks Large Cereal Keeper, and store your cereals longer. This cereal keeper can store 4.5 quarts, or 18 cups, of cereal,” writes Real Simple.
The convenient design is simplistic and makes things easier to keep you on track organizationally, too. “Embossed measurement markings help you gauge how much is left in the bin, so you can plan your restocking accordingly,” writes Food and Wine.
According to Better Homes and Gardens, “It can be so disappointing when your fresh, crispy box of cereal goes stale within a few days. Keep the crunch going for longer with this large, 4.5-quart container that is specifically made for cereal and other bulk foods.”
4. Pyrex Containers
Pyrex containers are the tried-and-true options for meal-prep storage and reheating. “This Pyrex Simply Store Meal Prep container set comes with 18 pieces for a wide variety of sizes to ensure that everything has a place. Each container has a colorful, airtight lid that makes organization easy. The containers are made of a stain and odor resistant glass that preserves your food’s flavors whether you’re preparing ingredients a day ahead or freezing leftovers. Oven-safe, microwave-safe and freezer-safe, these are versatile and make it easy to heat up food,” writes Forbes.
Pyrex also makes jars that are stackable and perfect if you don’t have much space to put a bunch of large containers in. “These brightly lidded Beyond Jars from Pyrex are no ordinary jars, though they may seem it. Made of strong tempered glass, the containers (and their lids) are safe for the microwave, freezer and dishwasher,” writes Today. “But the biggest advantage of these jars is that when stacked, they take up pretty small real estate in a pantry, fridge shelf or cupboard, so whether you’re storing bulk goods like rice, flour or batch-cooked soup in a freezer, you’ll have a more organized storage space and your items will stay protected and out of the way.”
5. Better Homes and Gardens Food Containers
While these containers aren’t best for storing leftovers, they are a strong airtight option rated high for performance, capacity, and ease of cleaning. “The set of 4 rectangular-shaped plastic containers features a flip-buckle lid that makes it easy to open and shut while keeping the contents protected. It includes canisters ranging from 6.5 cups to 19.4 cups, so there are several sizes to fit your most common pantry items,” writes Better Home and Gardens. “Its food-grade silicone seal prevents the contents from getting stale, and our testers found that this seal wasn’t broken even when shaken vigorously or dropped on the floor.”
“Our tester said that these were their ‘favorite storage containers,’ so much so that they planned to buy the set for themselves after testing,” adds Real Simple.
Spruce Eats reviewers love them, too. Why? “During testing, we loved how completely leakproof these containers were; there was a visibly trapped-in seal, and the brown sugar stored in them didn’t dry out. The containers didn’t shatter when dropped, and aside from a little bit of lingering onion smell before going through the dishwasher, they passed our stain and smell tests beautifully. Other features of this set that we loved were the easy-stacking, nice-looking aesthetics, and spacious capacity.”
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Sources:
- Real Simple
- Better Home and Gardens
- Today
- Forbes
- New York Magazine
- Taste of Home
- Food and Wine
- Spruce Eats
- Serious Eats
- Good Housekeeping
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This post may contain affiliate links.
After reading this article, I was surprised to see that 4 out of 5 of your listed “best” are plastic containers. Are these 4 absent of all the chemicals that cause cancer, infertility, and genetic mutations?