Food Storage Container Review

Looking for the best food storage system

When it comes to testing food storage containers, only one publication -- Cook's Illustrated -- covers all the bases. Editors test storage containers for a good seal, stain-resistance, odor protection and ability to keep food fresh. They test the same food containers immediately after purchase and again after 100 dishwasher cycles. No other review is as comprehensive. However, Cook's Illustrated hasn't updated its testing since 2003.

To judge stain resistance, ConsumerReports.org fills food storage containers with pasta sauce and lets them stand overnight before microwaving and washing them. In another set of tests, testers fill storage containers with cold cuts, cheese and produce, then place them in the refrigerator or on a counter for a week. While these are tough tests, there's no evidence that the magazine tested containers for leak resistance -- an important consideration, given that many people transport food in their bags. Good Housekeeping and Real Simple select top food storage containers in various categories (best for cookies, snacks and freezing meat), but they reveal little about their methodology.

We compared professional test results with owner opinions about food storage containers at Viewpoints.com, Amazon.com, Cooking.com, QVC.com and Buzzilions.com. While owner opinions are helpful for determining whether food storage containers crack, chip, or discolor over time, reviewers often focus on brand name rather than specific containers, so it can be difficult to tell which containers are under review. The best owner reviews mention pros as well as cons and compare plastic containers to each other as well as to glass versions.

Given the concerns about bisphenol-A (BPA) in some types of plastic, we were surprised to find so few professional reviews of glass storage containers, which don't contain BPA (though their plastic lids might). Good Housekeeping includes a glass container in its food storage round-up.

Owners say that some food storage containers are flimsy or prone to staining. Sold mainly via infomercial, the Swirl A Round (*Est. $15 for a 48-piece set) is a spinning carousel that's about as wide as a toaster. It holds food storage containers and their lids, which are interchangeable. Owners say that although the concept behind this storage system is sound, the carousel is made of cheap plastic, and it doesn't spin smoothly. We also read reports of stained Swirl A Round containers and warped or broken lids.