Tired of Losing Food to Freezer Burn? These Are the Best Freezer Containers

Our Top Pick

W&P Cup Cubes Silicone Freezer Tray

$25 at Amazon

This silicone tray has become a favorite tool for ready-to-use portions that pack efficiently in the freezer. The six 1-cup cubes resemble a giant ice tray and replace a wobbling tower of individual lidded containers.

A fully enclosed metal frame stabilizes the tray as you fill the compartments, clip on the semi-clear plastic lid, and carry the tray to the freezer. All of the cubes attach across the tray’s top without sharing walls on the sides or base. This not only helps cold air circulate around the cubes but also makes each easy to unload. Press upward on a cube’s bottom, and the frozen block pops up.

This tray makes so much sense when freezing homemade stocks and broths. Nine frozen blocks will pack neatly into a gallon zippered freezer-safe bag to be pulled out a cube at a time. It's also ideal for freezing pizza sauce, applesauce, soups, and leftovers you want to portion out before storing. Markings inside the cups make them adaptable to smaller volumes; for larger amounts, W&P Cup Cubes also come in a 2-cup, two-cube tray. They’re not microwave safe but can double as a baking tray in a conventional oven.

The Details: Silicone with steel frame; 10.3 x 7.3 x 3 inches; six 1-cup cubes; dishwasher safe

Best Budget

Bentgo 1-Compartment Meal Prep Containers

$12 at Amazon

If you need enough freezer containers to fill a deep freezer, Bentgo Meal Prep Containers will get you started without busting your budget. The one-compartment trays are broader and flatter than they are tall, perfect for freezing a premade meal, reheating it in a microwave, and then eating directly from the container.

Along with a low cost per container, this set saves storage space when not in use. The 10 containers and their lids stack so tightly together that the full set is only 6.5 inches tall. Once filled, the containers sit fairly stably atop one another in the freezer. The lids snap on securely but aren’t completely leakproof, so keep the containers level until the contents are completely frozen and thaw them on a flat surface.

While the BPA- and PVC-free plastic is reusable and safe for the dishwasher’s top rack, Bentgo does recommend replacing these containers after 10 uses. To prolong their life span, leave the lid loose or off completely when heating food in the container and hand wash both parts. To expand your freezer container collection, the Bentgo meal prep line includes similarly sized two-compartment containers and three-compartment containers, as well as resealable bowls and divided snack boxes.

The Details: Polypropylene; 8.7 x 6.1 x 2.4 inches; ten 4-cup containers; dishwasher safe (top rack only)

Best for Sauce

Tovolo King Cube Ice Tray with Lid

$14 at Amazon

Tovolo’s King Cube Tray doubles as a mold for oversized ice cubes for cocktails and other beverages, as well as a freezer container for sauces and other food. The silicone tray is divided into six sections. Thin shared interior walls give the tray a compact footprint for its capacity, and firmer exterior walls stabilize the shape. The tray rim is just wide enough to clip the plastic see-through lid onto it and keep the contents from spilling on their way to the freezer.

I like this tray’s 0.5-cup cubes for ready-to-use portions of pasta and other sauces. Just flex the sides of the tray to pop out a cube of sauce for a homemade pizza or enchilada dinner, or use the tray to portion out sweet sauces made with pear or rhubarb. Its dark silicone surface hides stains, even from bright acidic foods like tomatoes.

This tray is well-sized for recipes best prepared in a large batch but used in small volumes, like freezer pickles and fresh salsas. I also reach for it to freeze chopped onions and peppers so that they can be dropped right into a sauté pan or soup pot.

The Details: Silicone and nylon; 4.5 x 6.5 x 2 inches; six 0.5-cup cubes; dishwasher safe

Best Bags

(re)zip Flat Reusable Lunch Bags

$35 at Amazon

Reusable freezer-safe bags have advantages over standard plastic ones yet can be an investment. This 10-bag pack from (re)zip is one of the more affordable options available. The thick, food-safe plastic and double seal on the fixed edges should last through hundreds of uses, and the double-zip closure at its opening lets you make it airtight and leak-free.

The 3.5-cup size is great for gathering small cubes of pesto and chipotles in adobo, as well as corn kernels, huckleberries, and other loose items. If you push as much air as possible from the bag, the risk of freezer burn is minimized for many months. The sturdy zipper can be a little harder to open and reseal straight from the freezer, however.

You can safely wash the bags in the dishwasher’s top rack, but they might last longer if washed by hand and then dried on an open rack. The bags won’t withstand high heat from either a dishwasher or any cooking use like microwave or sous vide. Half-gallon and gallon bags are also available, as are mixed-size kits.

The Details: Polyethylene vinyl acetate; 8.5 x 7.75 x 0.16 inches; ten 3.5-cup bags; dishwasher safe (top rack only)

Best Small

W&P Peak Silicone Everyday Ice Tray

$16 at Amazon $32 at Walmart $16 at Sur La Table

Extra minced garlic or grated ginger, spoonfuls of tomato paste, or chopped onions or peppers pack neatly into a cube or two of these W&P Everyday Ice Trays to freeze for later use. I’ve filled the cubes with acidic ingredients like lemon juice and oily ones like sundried tomatoes and had no problems cleaning the silicone. It has stayed bright and flexible through a couple of years of use.

The set of 12 cubes holds enough food that you can prep a full batch of puree or paste and then freeze it in usable portions. When you pop the cubes free, a tray’s worth fits in a quart-size freezer bag. If you don’t mind tying up the tray, you can leave the cubes in it instead. The opaque silicone lid rests on the tray instead of clipping to it, which makes it a little less secure while the contents are soft but easy to remove once frozen.

Like W&P’s Cup Cubes Freezer Tray, pushing up one cube pops it free without disturbing the rest. The company’s tray with six 1-cup cubes stacks well with this 12-cube one, maximizing freezer space.

The Details: Silicone with steel frame; 7.6 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches; 12 approximately 2-tablespoon cubes; dishwasher safe

Best Glass

IKEA 365+ Food Container with Lid

$4 at Ikea

IKEA is known for its à la carte product lines that let you mix and match the elements to suit your needs. The company has extended that concept to its food storage containers. Its 365+ line includes a range of glass containers with plastic lids that lock down on all four sides, stopping leaks and frost damage.

The rectangular 34-ounce container holds a 4-cup portion plus a bit more space, which is key to keeping the glass from breaking as the contents freeze and expand. The 20-ounce rectangular and round containers have the same benefit for 2-cup portions.

Just one container with a lid constitutes a set, but the price remains more affordable than many glass multi-container kits from other companies. What really makes this product line stand out from other glass freezer containers is that you can buy just the container or lid if one part gets lost or damaged. You can also change your mind about how you want to use either piece. The 34-ounce glass container can be paired with a bamboo or silicone lid, and the snap-close plastic lid also fits IKEA’s rectangular stainless steel and plastic containers.

The Details: Glass and plastic; 8.25 x 6 X 3 inches; 4.25 cups; dishwasher safe

Best for Meal Prep

Sistema Klip It Plus Food Storage Containers

$24 at Amazon

Locking lid clips have become popular for container closures, and Sistema makes some of the sturdiest ones we’ve ever used. This affordable six-container pack has a range of sizes that can be used to prep and freeze meal ingredients. Every piece comes out of the company’s New Zealand factory, so this set may be harder to track down locally than other brands.

The containers stack well when filled. When empty, matching sizes nest together, and smaller sizes can be packed inside the larger ones to reduce their storage footprint in a cupboard. When freezing the ingredients for tomato-basil mac and cheese, the smallest containers come in handy for basil pesto and chopped onion and garlic, the midsize ones for grated cheese and tomatoes, and the largest container for al dente pasta. If you want to freeze half of the pasta dish to bake later, the largest container holds the half-batch with headspace for expansion.

Besides being leakproof and freezer safe, you can put these containers in the microwave—just replace the lid with a paper towel to avoid steam buildup and warping. The lids and containers can be cleaned in the dishwasher’s top rack.

The Details: Plastic; 6.93 x 10.08 x 6.22 inches; two 1.75-cup, three 4.25-cup, and one 9.25-cup containers; dishwasher safe (top rack only)