Are food storage containers airtight?

Many food storage containers are airtight, but not all of them, and the difference is the lid rather than the box. Every pick in our two guides has a maker that states a sealing mechanism: a silicone gasket, locking clamps, snap latches or a push-button seal.

What follows is that a container sold without a stated seal should not be assumed airtight. Below we set out what each maker publishes, and where a maker publishes nothing about a figure.

How the seal is made

The Best Airtight Food Storage Containers for Pantry Staples guide collects containers whose makers all describe a seal. The OXO Good Grips POP Container, 4.4 Qt, uses a push-button lid that the maker states creates an airtight seal and doubles as a handle. The Rubbermaid Brilliance 16-Cup container uses snap-tight lids that the maker states help keep food fresh and prevent moisture and humidity.

The Oggi Stainless Steel Kitchen Canister, 152 fl oz, uses silicone gaskets and locking clamps under a clear see-through lid. The DYNAMI 304 Stainless Steel Airtight Canister uses three sealing buckles plus a built-in anti-leakage sealing ring, and the maker states the ring prevents soup from leaking. The Verdeho 304 stainless steel container uses three lock clips with a built-in sealing ring.

Two things follow from these descriptions. First, the seal is a property of the lid and its gasket or clamp, so a replacement lid that is not the maker’s own may not seal the same way. Second, a clamp or latch container seals when the hardware is closed, which means the seal is only as good as the closure being fully engaged.

Everyday kitchen containers

The Best Food Storage Containers for Five Different Kitchens guide covers containers for leftovers, meal prep and dry goods, and most of its picks are also stated as airtight. The Vtopmart set of 24 pieces uses side-locking lids with a silicone gasket, and the maker states the lids make the containers airtight and that all containers share the same lid.

The JSCARES 40-piece set uses four rounded lock mechanisms per lid with food-grade silicone rings, and the maker states a 100 percent leak proof seal. The Rubbermaid Brilliance set of five 3.2-cup containers is stated as 100 percent leak-proof with secure latches. The Sustainable Containables three-pack uses flexible platinum silicone lids that the maker states create an airtight seal.

The CLWVPCOT 10-pack is the exception in that guide: its maker states leak-proof lids with a built-in air vent for steam release, and does not use the word airtight in the published features. A vent that opens is a deliberate gap, so treat that set as leak-resistant rather than sealed.

What the makers publish about size

Capacity figures are published for most picks. The OXO POP container is 4.4 Qt and the maker states it holds around 5 pounds of pasta, flour or sugar. The Rubbermaid Brilliance pantry container is 16 cups. The Oggi canister is 152 fl oz. The DYNAMI canister is 3.2 Gal, and the maker states it holds approximately 13 pounds of flour or 19 pounds of rice. The Verdeho container is 3.17gal.

In the other guide, the Vtopmart set lists four sizes: 2.5 quart tall, 1.8 quart large, 1.5 quart medium and 0.7 quart small. The Rubbermaid Brilliance set is five 3.2-cup containers. The JSCARES set runs from 8 OZ to 51 OZ across its shapes. The CLWVPCOT containers are 34 oz each, with outer dimensions of 7.4 by 5.31 by 2.16 inches.

Exterior dimensions are sparser. The OXO container is 6.5 inches wide, 6.5 inches deep and 9.5 inches tall. The Rubbermaid Brilliance 16-cup container is 5.4 inches wide, 7.9 inches deep and 9.4 inches tall. The Oggi canister is 7.75 inches wide, 7.75 inches deep and 8 inches tall. The Verdeho container is 11.02 inches wide, 11.02 inches deep and 10.24 inches tall. The Sustainable Containables set is 5.46 inches wide, 7.53 inches deep and 2.21 inches tall.

Where the makers publish nothing

Several figures are absent. The Vtopmart maker does not publish width, depth or height for its containers, only the weight of 3.0 lb for the set. The Rubbermaid Brilliance 3.2-cup set has no published dimensions or weight. The CLWVPCOT maker publishes outer and inner dimensions in the text but no width, depth or height field, and states 34 oz per container.

The DYNAMI listing gives 9.84 inches for width, depth and height alike, which is the same figure three times and is almost certainly an unpopulated field rather than a real measurement. The Oggi weight field of 0.25 lb is too light for a canister of that size, so we do not treat it as this product’s weight. Where a maker publishes no figure, we say so rather than estimate.

None of the makers in either guide publishes a claim about how long food stays fresh in a sealed container, and this site has not compared that. Airtight means the lid closes against a gasket or clamp. It does not come with a stated shelf life.

Matching the seal to the job

For dry pantry staples, a clamp or latch container with a wide opening is the practical shape. The Oggi canister and the DYNAMI and Verdeho buckets all open wide enough to scoop from, and all three state a gasket plus clamps or clips. The OXO POP container opens one-handed with a push button, which suits a shelf where you reach in often.

For liquids and leftovers, the latch and lock designs matter more. The JSCARES maker states liquid foods like soups remain contained, and the Rubbermaid Brilliance set is stated as leak-proof with secure latches. The Sustainable Containables lids are flexible silicone, which the maker states creates an airtight seal and prevents leaks.

For a container that vents steam in a microwave, the CLWVPCOT lid has a built-in air vent, and the Rubbermaid Brilliance 3.2-cup containers have built-in vents for heating without removing the lid. Those vents are a feature, not a failure, but they mean the container is not sealed while the vent is open.