The Very Best Food Storage Containers and Tools for 2020
We recently launched our guide to the very best kitchen tools and cookware for 2020; it’s called Kitchn Essentials and you can browse the whole thing here! Of the eight categories on our list, food storage feels especially timely right now. If you’re stocking up, here are our picks for the very best food storage containers and tools to help you store food, avoid waste, and stay organized today and for the rest of the year to come.
The Best Glass Containers: Snapware Total Solution Pyrex Glass Food Storage Container Set
Once you’ve cooked, you need excellent containers to store your food. These are the gold standard. “I have a whole set of these, but I would like at least 18 more, please,” says Faith Duran, Kitchn’s Editor-in-Chief. They’re glass, so they don’t hold onto stains or odors. They’re dishwasher, freezer, and microwave-safe. And the locking tabs keep the lids airtight and won’t let a single drop leak out — no matter what.
Buy: Snapware Total Solution Pyrex Glass Food Storage Container Set, $34
The Best Plastic Containers: Rubbermaid Brilliance 14-Piece Container Set
If you’d like to have a lighter alternative to glass storage containers, these are our top pick. “I never realized how much I questioned the lids on most storage containers until I got a few Rubbermaid Brilliance containers,” says Kelli, Associate Food Editor. Our whole staff is obsessed with these containers and we especially love that the lids come with built-in vents, which you can open before microwaving.
Buy: Rubbermaid Brilliance 14-Piece Container Set, $25
The Best Dry Goods Containers: Prepworks ProKeeper 6-Piece Baker’s Storage Set
For storing your dry goods, these Prepworks containers are simply the best. The cool thing about these containers is that they each have a special feature, depending on what they’re designed to hold. For example, the flour canister has a little bar across the top to help you level your measuring cup. And the brown sugar container comes with a terracotta disk to keep the stuff soft. And the… well, you get the idea.
Buy: Prepworks ProKeeper 6-Piece Baker’s Storage Set, $45
The Best Bowls with Lids: Mepal Microwavable Nested Storage Bowls
We considered a lot of bowls before finally picking these. We like that they’re prettier than your average storage bowl, so you can use them for serving, too. The lids are airtight and allow for stacking in the fridge (or you can nest them all when not in use). And the bowls are safe for the microwave. Let’s just say our staff continues to be bowled over by these!
Buy: Mepal Microwavable Nested Storage Bowls, from $62 at Food52
The Best Masking Tape: Duck Freezer Tape
In case you’ve never thought about tape as a cooking essential, now is the time to. If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: It’s absolutely imperative that you label anything and everything that you put in the freezer! Future You is not going to remember when Today You froze that tomato paste — even though you promised you would. We like this stuff because it’s designed to stay sticky in cold temps but painter’s tape also works, if you have some kicking around.
Buy: Duck Freezer Tape, $5
The Best Kitchen Marker: Sharpie Extreme Permanent Markers
Clearly, you’re going to need something to write with on that masking tape. And this marker was also made for cold (or, rather, extreme!) temperatures. What should you write? The date and the name of whatever you’re freezing. Both. Never just one. Sharpies: Never be without them.
Buy: Sharpie Extreme Permanent Markers, $6 for four markers
The Best Rubber Bands: AmazonBasics Assorted Size and Color Rubber Bands
Surprised to see an office supply on this list? Geraldine Campbell, our Interim Managing Editor, made a strong case for using rubber bands as bag closers… and then we realized we all had a rubber band (or seven) hard at work in our own kitchens. You can also use them as spacers on a rolling pin, to help open a stuck-on jar lid, steady a sliding cutting board, and more.
Buy: AmazonBasics Assorted Size and Color Rubber Bands, $5.50 for 1/2 pound
The Best Silicone Bags: Stasher Silicone Reusable Food Bags
We can all be doing a little bit more to cut back on single-use plastic, and if you’re still using zip-top baggies, these are a great, green alternative. “I use them all the time for things like cut fruit, lemon wedges, energy bites, and bringing snacks to work,” Kelli says. Cleaning them is way easier than you’d think (for the most part, they can just go in the dishwasher!).
Buy: Stasher Silicone Reusable Food Bags, from $10
The Best Reusable Food Wraps: Bee’s Wrap
Instead of plastic wrap, try Bee’s Wrap. This stuff is made of organic cotton, sustainably harvested beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin. And unlike lots of stuff in the world, it actually gets better (read: stickier and more pliable) the more you use it.
Buy: Bee’s Wrap, $18 for a set of three
The Best Food Savers: Food Huggers Reusable Silicone Food Savers
Food Huggers exist for those of us who are never quite sure what to do with those unused halves of onions, lemons, and tomatoes. They’re silicone and simply stretch over the end of your leftover produce to create a tight seal. We even use them to seal up opened cans that are headed for the fridge.
Buy: Food Huggers Reusable Silicone Food Savers, $13 for a set of five
