8 Best Reusable Food Containers For Zero Waste Kitchen Storage
Food storage containers are fundamental to keeping your kitchen organized and clean. A proper food storage container is essential for convenience and kitchen organization, whether you are storing snacks, meal preps, or leftovers. However, it is important to find not just any food storage container but one durable enough to withstand harsh temperatures from freezing to microwave heating and dishwashing. It should also be easy to wash them and stack them up in your kitchen cabinet.
We have curated a list of some of the best food storage containers you can use to store anything from leftovers to fruits and vegetables, leftover meals, and dry foods. Perhaps most importantly, every one of the options we have chosen is zero waste, reducing the need for disposable containers and wraps.
What to look out for in food storage containers
Materials
Food storage containers come in different materials, including plastics and glass containers, each with pros and cons. Glass containers are durable and easy to clean up. They are dishwasher safe and can retain temperature well. However, they are heavy and can crack or break when dropped.
Plastic containers are cheap, easy to clean, and long-lasting. Plastic can store foods like flour, sugar, and other pantry ingredients. However, they can easily absorb odors that take multiple washes to get rid of.
You can choose the perfect storage container based on the type of food you want to store. For example, certain types of food like tomato sauces and chillis could stain your plastic containers, making them difficult to clean. For your soups and sauces, you may want to go for glass containers.
Safety
When choosing food storage containers, you’re best to ensure they are safe for your freezers, microwaves, ovens, and dishwashers.
- Microwave-safe: You may want to quickly heat your leftovers while they are still stored in your food containers. While most food storage containers are microwave safe, you want to double-check to avoid any food spillage.
- Freezer-safe: While most glass and plastic containers are safe to use in freezers, some plastics may crack under cold temperatures. Glass containers may also harden and break if they slide off the shelves. If you plan on storing meals in your freezer regularly, you want to look out for food storage containers that are specifically freezer-safe.
- Dishwasher-safe: Most food containers are dishwasher-safe. However, some may come with lids that are fragile and require handwashing. Grab some zero-waste dishwasher detergent to ensure an eco-clean.
- Oven-safe: Some glass storage containers are oven-safe. You can use glass storage containers for baking food or reheating leftovers in the oven. You want to check with the manufacturer to ensure the glass container is safe for oven use.
Lids
Lids come in different shapes and forms. However, when choosing a lid type, you want to look out for lids with extra protection. Lids that seal with pressure are excellent. However, they may pop open when dropped. You can go for other lid types, like lids with flaps on both sides of the food storage container or lids with pull levers, a silicone seal, or buttons. You can also go for screw-on lids like those found in glass jars.
Recycle & reuse old containers first
You don't always have to buy food containers. In practicing sustainable living and the 4rs - refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle have a look around and see if you can reuse what you have. Clean jam jars and ice cream tubs, for example, make excellent reusable containers. We've some other ideas to help you go zero waste in the kitchen and preserve food at home, too, a click away for more inspiration.
8 best reusable food storage containers
Here’s our list of some of the best food containers you can shop for in the market:
1. Pyrex Snapware Meal Prep Mini Kit
Features: BPA-free plastic, leak-resistant, airtight, freezer, microwave, and top-dishwasher safe
Made with BPA-free plastic, these food containers come with colorful, airtight plastic lids to ensure your food stays fresh. These containers are just perfect for storing snacks, salad dressing, dry goods, and condiments. They are great for a small kitchen space as these meal containers come in different sizes of 16 pieces and beautifully nest on each other, helping you save shelf space. They also serve as a microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe.
2. PrepNaturals Glass Storage Containers
Features: Glass, Set of 13 sizes with three different shapes, airtight seal, stackable design, BPA-free, transparent
If you love cooking at home, then this thermo-resistant glass set may be the best food storage container for you. This food storage set of 13 pieces is easy to use and store in your kitchen. They come in three different shapes and can be used for anything from meal preps, food storage and transportation, office lunch, picnics, camping, and the list continues.
Thanks to its airtight lid, you don’t have to worry about spillage while on the go. These glass storage containers are also BPA-free, odorless, and taste-neutral. They are freezer, microwave, and oven safe and can also be used for cooking.
3. Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers
Features: BPA-free, Titan plastic, transparent, stain-proof, leak-proof, easy to stack
Made with Tritan premium plastic, this food storage set comes in a crystal-clear design and leak-proof seal that ensures your food stays locked in freshness. You can store dry goods, snacks like sandwiches, liquids, sauces, and pantry ingredients. They are easy to stack, giving you room to store more in your fridge. They come in different sizes and have removable compartments depending on what you want to store in them.
These food storage containers are safe for your freezer, dishwasher, and microwave. Their built-in vents ensure you have splatter-free microwaving even with the lids on. Plus, they size them to stack together for easy storage.
4. Stasher Platinum Silicone Food Storage Bags
Features: leak-proof seal, reusable bags, eco-friendly, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe, BPA-free
As an alternative to using a zip-lock bag, plastic wrap, or plastic bag, you can go for these eco-friendly reusable storage bags from Stasher. These flexible silicone bags are perfect for storing soup, liquids, and bulk portions of other dry goods like herbs, beans, and grains. Thanks to its innovative Pinch-Loc airtight seal, you can firmly keep your foods leakproof.
These stasher bags are versatile and safe for microwaves, freezers, dishwashers, and ovens up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Because you won't have a problem with them and high temperatures, you can even use them for boiling water, and cooking sous vide. You can get these bags in Stand-Up Mega, Stand-Up Mid, and Stand-Up Mini sizes.
Stasher is committed to reducing single-use plastic and is a member of 1% for the Planet. This means they donate 1% of all their sales to non-profit organizations that protect the ocean.
5. Black + Blum Meal Prep Lunch Box Food Containers
Features: Leak-proof, Three components - glass bowl, stainless steel lids, and protective wood base canister, safe (dishwasher, microwave, freezer)
Thanks to this glass bowl from Black + Blum, you can store food and take it wherever you go. It comes with a modern design perfect for the fast and modern lifestyle. You can pack those sandwiches for breakfast or cook and pack your lunch to work. You can also pack your snacks and other dry goods. Thanks to its stainless steel lids, you can be sure your meals are entirely leak-proof no matter what.
The inner glass bowl comes encased in a wood fiber base canister to insulate and protect your food. In addition, this bowl is safe for your fridge, microwaves, and ovens. You can also put this glass bowl in your dishwasher for easy cleaning.
6. Ball Wide Mouth Mason Jars
Features: BPA-free, strong lids, hard packaging
Are you looking for the perfect glass jars for your canning projects? Well, these Ball Mason jars may be one you would love. Its timeless design makes it ideal for various activities, including drinkware, creative decor for your dinner table, or a gift to a family or friend.
You can preserve your fresh fruits and vegetables for cooking to ensure they stay fresh. This glass jar also has a strong seal that lasts for 18 months, making it perfect for batch cooking and long-term storage. You don’t have to worry about breakage during shipping, as these wide-mouth jars arrive in sturdy packaging material. No wonder customers describe these mason jars as everything you need.
7. Airscape Glass Food Storage Containers
Features: Borosilicate glass, BPA-free, Patented two-way valve, bamboo lids, innovative shape & design, hand-washable lids, washable dish canister
This glass canister comes in an innovative design that is just perfect for storing your food and ingredients. This container set comes in a thick BPA-free borosilicate glass that is both stain and odor resistant. The glass also creates a sturdy base and extra protection to keep your food fresh.
What’s unique about this glass canister is that it releases excess air, preserving your beans, sugar, baking ingredients, and much more for longer. The design of the locking lids is functional and enables you to press the inner lids till it reaches the content and releases excess air. This glass canister comes with a bamboo lid polished with olive oil. You can also get these jars in small and medium sizes, to suit your meal prepping.
This entire glass jar is safe for your dishwasher. However, the inner lids should be washed by hand.
8. Cambro Food Storage Set
Features: Plastic, set of two food containers with lids, freezer and dishwasher safe, square shape, spill-proof
Are you looking for the perfect food container to store your meals in bulk? This food storage set comes with two food containers - one four-quart and one six-quart container sealed with a compatible lid. They are sturdy and perfect for storing anything from pasta sauces to stews and soups at home and in restaurants.
You don’t need to worry about these containers fitting into your shelves as they come in square shapes. What’s more, they are freezer and dishwasher-safe and can withstand temperatures as low as -40 to 160 degrees.
Conclusion
Good food storage containers are key to storing your favorite dishes, ingredients, and leftovers. Storing food in suitable reusable containers will also help you organize your kitchen space and help you ditch single use plastic bags. You can go through our list above for some of the best food storage containers you can shop for today.
Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.
Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.
