Can you put glass food storage containers in the freezer?

Yes, glass food storage containers can go in the freezer, provided the maker states that the container is freezer safe. Several picks in our guide to Best Glass Food Storage Containers for Five Kitchen Jobs carry a freezer safe claim, and one of them publishes a temperature range that covers freezer storage.

The part worth checking before you freeze anything is the lid. Some makers rate the glass base for the freezer and say nothing about the lid, and a few state that the lid is the freezer safe part while the base is rated for the oven. Read the claim for the exact piece you plan to freeze.

What the makers state about freezer use

HOMBERKING publishes the most specific freezer claim of the glass picks. The maker states that its borosilicate glass containers withstand temperatures from -4 degrees F to 752 degrees F and can be used in the oven, microwave, dishwasher and freezer without worrying about them breaking. The maker adds that the lids are not part of the oven, microwave or dishwasher claim, so the lid is the piece to handle with care.

Dealusy states that its glass containers are microwave, oven and freezer safe, and notes that lids should be removed before heating. The freezer claim covers the container. The maker does not publish a temperature range for either the glass or the lid.

Rubbermaid states that the Brilliance Glass containers are freezer safe, and separately that the glass bases are oven safe up to 450 degrees F. Those are two different claims about two different uses, and the freezer claim is not given a temperature limit.

Pexo states that its extra large glass container is ideal for baking in the oven and transitioning directly to refrigerator or freezer storage. The maker does not publish a temperature range for freezer use.

Lids, seals and what the claims cover

Pyrex publishes a freezer claim for the lid rather than the base. The maker states that the BPA-free plastic lid on its Simply Store set is freezer, microwave and top-rack dishwasher safe, and that the lid fits snug over the glass container. The maker does not publish a freezer temperature for the tempered glass base in the features listed for that set.

That distinction matters in practice. A glass base that is freezer safe with a lid the maker has not rated for freezing is a container you can freeze, but the seal is the unknown. Dealusy uses a removable silicone sealing ring with four sided snap locking hinges, and the maker does not publish a separate temperature rating for the ring.

HOMBERKING uses a snap lock with a silicone seal and states the containers are leak proof for refrigerator storage. The maker does not publish a temperature figure for the seal itself, only the range for the glass.

Sizes and shapes in the glass picks

Capacity affects how a container freezes. A wide, shallow container freezes and thaws more evenly than a tall, narrow one, and the glass picks cover both shapes. Dealusy publishes 36 oz and 12 oz containers, with outer dimensions of 6.2 inches by 8 inches by 2.8 inches. HOMBERKING lists rectangular containers at 200 ml, 370 ml, 640 ml and 1040 ml, and square containers at 150 ml, 320 ml, 520 ml and 800 ml, with a note that manual measurements may differ by 0.1 to 0.3 inch.

Pexo publishes the largest single container in the guide, with outer dimensions of 10.1 inches by 12.4 inches by 4.9 inches and a weight of 5.9 lb. A container that size holds a batch portion, and the maker states it can move from the oven directly to the freezer.

Pyrex publishes its set by capacity rather than by outer size: three 4 cup, three 2 cup and three 1 cup round containers with lids, plus three 3 cup rectangular containers with lids. The set weighs 12.25 lb. Rubbermaid lists three 1.3 cup, two 2 cup, two 3.2 cup, one 4.7 cup and one 8 cup glass containers with lids, for 18 pieces total.

Glass is not the only freezer safe option

Our guide to Best Food Storage Containers for Five Different Kitchens covers non glass picks, and several of them carry freezer claims too. Rubbermaid states that its Brilliance Tritan plastic containers are dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe, in a set of five 3.2 cup containers with lids. JSCARES states that its plastic containers are microwave safe without the lid, dishwasher safe and freezer safe.

The stainless steel picks make the same claim in metal. CLWVPCOT states that its 34 oz containers are freezer safe for long term storage and dishwasher safe, with outer dimensions of 7.4 inches by 5.31 inches by 2.16 inches. Sustainable Containables states that its nested three pack is freezer, oven and dishwasher safe, with outer dimensions of 5.46 inches by 7.53 inches by 2.21 inches for the set as listed.

Vtopmart publishes no freezer claim for its 24 piece plastic set. The maker describes the containers as airtight and BPA free for dry goods, and the listed features stop there. If freezing is the job, that set is not the one the maker rates for it.

What follows from the published claims

A freezer safe claim covers the container. It does not tell you how much headspace to leave, and none of these makers publish a fill line for freezing. The safe habit is to leave room for expansion, because liquid expands as it freezes and a full container has nowhere to go.

Temperature swings are the other thing the claims address. HOMBERKING’s published range of -4 degrees F to 752 degrees F is the only figure in the glass guide that spans freezer cold and oven heat in one statement. The other makers state freezer safe without a number, so the claim is a yes or no rather than a limit you can check against your freezer setting.

Lids are where the claims thin out. Pyrex rates the lid for the freezer. HOMBERKING and Dealusy both tell you to remove the lid for heating, which says nothing about freezing either way. If you want certainty about the lid in the freezer, the maker’s published claim is the only place to get it, and where it is silent, this site has not compared that.