9 Best Food Storage Containers of 2026, Lab-Tested and Reviewed

The containers at the top of our ratings proved to be leakproof and durable in our tests. Most are versatile, too—they can be used in the fridge and freezer, and they’re dishwasher-safe (though the lids might not be). A few can be microwaved or even put in the oven. Below, you’ll find the top three rated container sets in stainless steel, glass, and silicone, listed in alphabetical order within their materials category.

Stainless steel food storage containers are your best bet if you want a lighter-weight option that’s a bit more portable than glass. They also tend to nest more compactly, so they take up less room on your shelves when you’re not using them. They’re often oven-safe. But, as with other metals, avoid putting them in the microwave.

With these transparent containers, you’ll know at a glance what you’ve got stored in the fridge. Glass also lets you microwave the container and eat food right from it. But not all glass container lids are microwave-safe, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions.

The silicone food storage containers that earned top scores in our tests are collapsible and, unlike other container materials, nonstick. Plus, silicone in general can withstand high temperatures, so the containers can withstand the heat of a microwave or dishwasher, though you should check the product details on packaging or retailers’ sites to be sure.

In our labs, we test food storage containers for their durability, the quality of the seal between the lid and container, and how easy they are to use.

To test durability, we fill each container with dried black beans and subject each model to a drop test using a tumbler. The best-performing containers make it through several rotations (see the video below) without losing their lids or breaking.

To evaluate seal quality, we fill each container with water and slosh it around. Many containers leak, but the best ones keep the water securely inside. Sutton finds that the higher-scoring models often—though not always—feature additional sealing mechanisms, like gaskets and latches.

To judge ease of use, we note which models—along with their lids—can withstand freezer, dishwasher, microwave, and oven use. Containers that nest easily to take up less shelf space earn extra points, too. But these ease-of-use features are weighted far less heavily than durability or a leakproof seal. That’s how, despite not being microwave-safe, many stainless steel containers still end up with high Overall Scores and rise to the top of our ratings.

Plastic containers have long been the obvious way to pack up food, so why don’t any show up among the top models? Given the growing research on the environmental and health risks of plastic, we chose to identify and test products made from alternative materials. Plastics are mostly made from fossil fuels, and some of the chemicals in plastic can transfer to whatever they’re in contact with. In the case of plastic food storage containers, those chemicals can leach into your food, particularly if you’re storing food that is highly fatty, acidic, or alkaline. And exposing a plastic container to heat—say, by microwaving it—can increase the rate at which chemicals leach out.

We also know that certain chemicals in plastics can have adverse health effects. Many plastics, including bisphenols (such as BPA) and phthalates, can act as endocrine disruptors, which can affect how hormones behave throughout your body. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals have been linked to an increased risk of infertility and other reproductive health issues, metabolic diseases, obesity, and some cancers. Even plastic products that are claimed to be BPA-free, for example, may have other ingredients that are equally worrisome or that we just don’t know much about.

If you’re looking to reduce your exposure to plastic, food storage containers are a great place to start. Some of the plastic-alternative models in our tests do have plastic lids or plastic latching mechanisms, but the containers themselves, which come into most contact with food, are not plastic.