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See why.The Best Glass Storage Containers for Every Need
We found the right sizes for everything from a serving of salad dressing to a big batch of soup.
Top Picks
OXO Good Grips Smart Seal 16 Piece Container Set
OXO Good Grips Smart Seal 12 Piece Container Set
OXO Good Grips Smart Seal 8 Piece Container Set
OXO Good Grips Smart Seal 8 Piece Round Container Set
OXO Good Grips 3.5 Cup Smart Seal Rectangle Container
OXO Good Grips 1 Cup Smart Seal Round Container
What You Need To Know
When we last tested glass food storage containers, we recommended the OXO Good Grips 8 Cup Smart Seal Rectangle Container. But what if you do a lot of meal prep and need glass containers that can securely contain smaller quantities of food? OXO makes smaller sizes of our favorite glass container, so we rounded up the 7-cup round container, the 4-cup round container, the 3.5-cup rectangle container, the 2-cup round container, the 1.6-cup rectangle container, the 1-cup round container, and the 4-ounce rectangle container to see if they would perform as well. And since many meal preppers prefer to buy sets of matching containers, we also tested the 16-piece mixed-shape, the 12-piece mixed-shape, the 8-piece rectangular, and the 8-piece round container sets, all made by OXO.
Our goals were the same as when we tested the winning OXO 8-cup glass container: to find truly airtight, leakproof containers that resist stains and odors and can be used to store food in the refrigerator and freezer and reheat food in both the oven and microwave.
To see if all these containers were airtight and leakproof, we first opened and closed their latches 25 times. Next, we submerged all the containers in water to see if they let any liquid in before filling them and vigorously shaking them to see if they let any liquid escape.
Which Meal Prep Containers Should You Buy?
The good news: We can recommend all the containers we tested. All the latches proved durable, as their seals proved to be airtight and leakproof. In other words, you can be sure that these OXO Smart Seal containers, no matter their size, will keep your food fresh with no mess. And since these containers come in both rectangular and round shapes, we made some notes along the way detailing what we liked about each. We appreciated the rectangular containers for their efficient stackability and liked how deep the larger round containers were, which added to their versatility. Another plus? Since they’re glass, they can function as serveware, going right from the oven to the table.
So, which should you buy? Your choices will depend on your storage needs. If you want multiple containers in different sizes we suggest buying a set; it's cheaper than buying individual containers. If you’re looking for a set of identical containers for meal prep, we suggest buying multiples in one of two sizes: either the 3.5-cup rectangle or the 4-cup round—both are roomy enough to hold a sandwich and a side, a grain bowl, a hearty amount of soup, or generous green salad. We’ve outlined potential uses for all the containers below.
Everything We Tested
Sets
With one 7-cup, one 4-cup, one 2-cup, and one 1-cup round glass containers and one 8-cup, one 3.5-cup, one 1.6-cup, and one 4-ounce rectangular glass container (and their lids), this set has as an array of sizes that accommodates most of your meal prep needs, whether that’s enough grilled chicken or roasted tofu for lunches all week long or the small amount of vinaigrette you need for tomorrow’s salad. The empty containers can be nested, making for easy storage.
Everything Else
This set has two 4-ounce rectangular containers, two 1-cup round containers, one 1.6-cup rectangular container, and one 3.5-cup rectangular container, which means it has a lot of small storage options but nothing that would house an entire baking dish’s worth of mac and cheese or a pot of soup. If you already have a few great large storage containers you love, this set would be a good supplement.
This set has one 8-cup container, one 3.5-cup container, one 1.6-cup container, and one 4-ounce container, all rectangular and with lids. It’s a perfect set for those looking to do a bit of meal prep and lunch packing for one.
This set has one 7-cup container, one 4-cup container, one 2-cup container, and one 1-cup container, all round and with lids. The 7-cup size is good for storage, while the 4-cup, 2-cup, and 1-cup containers are excellent for lunches.
This round container is an excellent size and shape for packing up soup or grain bowls for lunch. It could also accommodate a small salad, but it’s not quite large enough for big servings of leafy greens.
If you have a moderate portion of leftovers, this container is the perfect size. It’s also a great size for a sandwich and a few small sides, and is slim enough to slip easily into a bag or backpack. Of all the containers we tried, this size proved the most versatile.
This container isn’t large enough for a full-size meal or small enough for single servings of snacks. It would be useful for storing extra grains or beans or for that bit of leftovers you’re not quite sure what to do with. It’d also be good for a cup of soup to go along with a sandwich.
You wouldn’t be able to fit a huge amount of roasted carrots or mashed potatoes in this container, but it's a good size for smaller quantities of sides, a portion of cheese and crackers, or that brownie you’d like to pack for dessert.
This is a tiny container, ideal for single-serving amounts of salad dressing, dips, or that bit of leftover avocado.
This size is just a bit larger than the 1-cup size and rectangular instead of round. A handful of almonds or blueberries would fit perfectly in this container. It could also be useful for storing odds and ends of cheese in the fridge or that last bit of sauce you don’t want to waste.
Individual Containers
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Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
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