Food storage containers

Glass containers for leftovers and freezer, plastic containers for dry goods

If you need to store dinner leftovers, packed lunches, or meal prep, glass containers are the ideal choice. Our glass food storage containers are square with bamboo lids and come in three sizes: 320 ml for a snack portion or dressing, 520 ml for lunch, and 800 ml for a hot meal. If you want the full range at once, they are available together in a 3-pack with all three sizes.

However, if you need to organize flour, sugar, grains, pasta, and other dry goods in your kitchen cupboard, plastic containers are what you're looking for. Our storage containers for dry goods range from a small 0.35 L to a spacious 3.5 L, so you can match the container to the actual quantity of each item you have. In short: glass for wet items and anything that goes in the fridge and freezer, plastic for dry items in the cupboard. If you choose based on where the food will go, you'll get it right the first time.

Are glass containers freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe?

This is probably the question that most often determines the choice, and for glass containers, the answer is convenient. The glass itself can go directly from the freezer to the microwave and then into the dishwasher, so you can freeze a portion, heat it, and wash the container without transferring the food to anything else along the way. Just remember to remove the bamboo lid before putting the container in the microwave or dishwasher. Wood and bamboo do not tolerate intense heat and prolonged immersion, and the lid will last longest if you rinse it by hand and let it air dry.

It is precisely for the combination of leftovers, packed lunches, and meal prep that glass containers are designed, and if you typically cook in portions and freeze them, it might be worth looking at our meal prep containers, where we delve deeper into how to build a system in your fridge and freezer.

Glass or plastic: what suits your food best?

Glass and plastic are not competitors here; they each serve their own purpose. Glass does not absorb odors or colors, so tomato sauce and curry won't stain it, and you can see the food through the side. This makes glass containers the clean choice for anything with flavor, fat, and color: leftovers, sauces, cooked meat, and vegetables. On the other hand, glass is heavier, and it's rarely what you want standing with five kilos of flour in the cupboard.

This is where plastic containers come in. They are easy to lift from the shelf, weigh nothing when filled, and withstand daily use without breaking if dropped. For dry goods, where the contents don't smell or stain, they are the practical solution. The rule of thumb: if the food is moist, fatty, or needs heating, use glass. If it's dry and stored in the cupboard, use plastic.

Square containers utilize shelf space better than round ones

Both the glass boxes and plastic containers are square or rectangular, and this is not by chance. Round containers leave air between them whenever you place them next to each other, and that air is wasted space on a shelf or in a refrigerator where space is already tight. Square containers stand edge to edge, allowing you to fit significantly more food on the same shelf.

Furthermore, uniform square containers create a calm look when arranged in a row. You get an immediate overview because you can see what you have, and there isn't a messy mix of falling bags and containers of all shapes. If you want to go all the way with your cupboard, you can read more in our guide to storage containers for flour and storage of dry goods.

How to choose the right sizes for your kitchen

The most common mistake is to buy one size and use it for everything. A 3.5 L container is perfect for flour and pasta but becomes unmanageable for the handful of dried mushrooms you use a couple of times a year. Therefore, plastic containers come in several sizes, from 0.35 L to 3.5 L, so you can give each item a container that matches its quantity.

An easy way to get started is to choose a package solution where the sizes are already combined. If you want to fill an entire cupboard at once, there's a large package solution, and if you just want to start with the most important items, there's a smaller package solution with storage containers. This way, you avoid guessing, and you get a matching set from the start.

Label the containers to maintain an overview

A container with white powder could be flour, sugar, icing sugar, or baking powder, and you won't notice the difference until the cake is baked. Therefore, labeling each container provides peace of mind. You can see at a glance what is what, and guests and the rest of the family can find things without asking.

We have a selection of labels that fit kitchen containers and glasses and create the same uniform look across the cupboard. It's a small step, but it's often what makes the system last instead of falling apart again after a few weeks. If you have many spices next to your dry goods, you might want to look at our spice jars and accessories, so the entire kitchen has the same calm aesthetic.