Food boxes

Food containers for storage in the kitchen, not for your lunchbox

If you are looking for a food container to pack your lunch in and take to work, this is not the kind you will find here. The food containers in this collection are made for storing food at home: dry goods in the cupboard, leftovers in the refrigerator, and portions in the freezer. They are glass jars and containers with airtight lids that keep your kitchen tidy and give you an overview of what you have.

It is an important distinction to keep in mind before you choose. If you want to transport a hot dish around, you will need something else. If, on the other hand, you want to keep track of flour, oats, pasta, and the leftovers that otherwise end up at the back of the refrigerator, then you are in the right place. Here, it is about having fixed places and being able to see the contents, so you do not end up buying more flour when you already have some at home.

Glass or plastic depends on what you put in

The collection includes two basic types, and they each serve a different purpose. The jars with wooden lids are for things that will sit out or in the cupboard and can look nice. The glass is easy to clean, does not absorb odors or colors from strong spices, and you can see the contents immediately. The square models stand close together and do not waste space in the cupboard, while the round ones are great for loose items like pasta and rice.

The plastic containers are lighter and more durable, making them ideal for the freezer and for larger quantities of dry goods. A lightweight container that will not break if dropped is handy when the children also need to be able to get the oats themselves. If you want to dive into the differences, we have compiled more about this in the guide to plastic storage containers and about glass in storage jars with wooden lids.

How to choose a size from 0.35 to 4.4 liters

Size is what most often causes confusion when buying food containers. A good starting point is to think about what needs to go inside. The small ones at 0.35 and 0.5 liters are suitable for things you do not use very much at a time, such as baking powder, seeds, nuts, or a portion of leftovers for a single day. The medium-sized ones at around 0.8 to 1.65 liters fit most dry goods: oats, rice, sugar, and the kind of things you use regularly.

If you need flour, pasta, or breakfast for the whole family, you should look for the large ones at 1.8 to 4.4 liters. A one-kilogram bag of flour fits nicely in a square container or a large jar, and you can avoid the open bag that spills in the cupboard. A good tip is to measure a single shelf and choose a couple of square jars in the same series, so they stand uniformly and utilize the depth. If you are unsure, start with square storage jars in three sizes and build from there.

Airtight lids that keep dry goods fresh and leftovers in place

An airtight lid is the whole point of a food container for dry goods. Air is what makes flour clumpy and oats stale, so a lid that seals completely keeps the contents fresh longer and keeps insects and moisture out. Both the jars with wooden lids and the plastic containers seal tightly, which is why they are better suited for the cupboard than the open bag the product came in.

For leftovers in the refrigerator, the airtight lid makes another difference: the food does not dry out, and the smell of yesterday's stew stays in the container and not in the rest of the refrigerator. If you want to use them to prepare several days' worth of food at once, check out our tips on meal prep containers, where we go over how to build a system that also holds up in the freezer.

Labels complete the system

Once the food has been moved from the bag to the container, you lose the text that was on the packaging. That is why labels are part of a good system. With a label on the front, you and the rest of the household will know what is wheat flour and what is durum flour without having to open the lid, and the dry goods will stand uniformly and neatly on the shelf. Our dry food labels are made specifically for the jars and containers here, and you can read more about how to use them in the guide to labels for dry goods.

Buy glass and containers together in a package solution

If you are going to tackle the whole cupboard or pantry at once, a package solution is the easiest way. Instead of assembling the sizes yourself, you get a set that matches in style and utilizes the shelves, and it will be cheaper than buying the jars individually. If you want to go big, there are also sets with 20 square jars, so you can handle flour, grains, pasta, and baking ingredients all at once. See the combined sets under storage jar package solutions.

You do not need to overhaul the entire kitchen on the first day. Start with one shelf or one cupboard, move the dry goods you use most into containers with airtight lids, and put a label on. We promise that it is well worth it once the system is created, and if you have questions about sizes or choices, we are always ready to help.