How to Organize Food Storage Containers and Lids

Food storage containers are one of those kitchen categories that can look organized immediately after you straighten the cabinet and be completely out of control again two weeks later.

The problem usually isn’t that you need another organizer. It’s that you have too many containers, too many shapes and sizes, and lids that seem to have developed independent lives.

The solution starts with editing what you own before deciding how to store it.

Start by Taking Everything Out and Matching It

Take out every container and every lid.

Yes, all of them.

Match each container with its lid. Check that the lid still seals properly and that the container isn’t cracked, badly stained, warped or otherwise past its useful life.

Then deal with the orphans.

If you have a lid with no container or a container with no lid, ask yourself how likely it is that its missing partner is suddenly going to return home.

This isn’t a lost-and-found department.

Keep the Containers You Actually Use

More food storage containers don’t necessarily make food storage easier.

Think about how your household really uses them. Do you primarily store leftovers? Pack lunches? Meal prep? Freeze food? Send food home with family and friends?

Keep enough containers to handle your normal routine, plus a reasonable extra supply.

You probably don’t need enough containers to store Thanksgiving dinner every Tuesday.

Standardize When You Can

One of the easiest ways to simplify this category is to reduce the number of incompatible systems.

If you’re replacing old containers over time, consider choosing a system with multiple container sizes that share the same lid sizes. Fewer lid sizes mean fewer things to match.

Square and rectangular containers also tend to use cabinet and refrigerator space more efficiently than a large assortment of round containers.

You don’t need to throw out perfectly good containers just to make everything match. But as older pieces wear out, replacing them within one compatible system can gradually make the entire category easier to manage.

• Nest Containers But Don’t Build a Tower
• Nesting containers can save a lot of cabinet or drawer space.
• But there’s a difference between nesting and creating a 14-piece tower that requires removing everything to get the container at the bottom.
• Create small groups of similar sizes:
• Small containers together
• Medium containers together
• Large containers together
• Specialty or meal-prep containers together

That gives you the space-saving benefit of nesting without making every leftover an excavation project.

Keep Containers and Lids Close Together

I recommend storing lids immediately beside their matching containers rather than on another shelf or across the kitchen.

You shouldn’t need directions to reunite the two halves.

If you’re using a drawer, containers can be nested in one section with lids stored vertically beside them. In a cabinet, use the same principle with a lid organizer, divided bin or drawer positioned next to the containers.

The container and the lid should be part of the same storage zone.

That way, you can grab both without moving stacks of other containers or searching another cabinet.

MR. ORGANIZED TIP: Personally, I use two Elfa Mesh Wire Drawers — one for larger food storage containers and one for smaller containers.

I like this setup because the drawers slide out easily and make it very easy to see the different container sizes and grab exactly what I need.

The mesh construction also lets you see what’s inside without digging through a cabinet full of containers.

It’s a simple system, but that’s exactly why it works.

Store Lids Vertically

Rather than stacking lids flat underneath or on top of containers, store them vertically like files whenever your space allows.

A divided bin, adjustable divider or lid organizer can keep them standing upright and separated by size.

Then you can see the lids and pull out the one you need without disturbing the entire stack.

Containers can nest. Lids should be easy to see.

Consider a Deep Drawer

If your kitchen has a deep drawer available, it can be an excellent place for food storage containers.

You can see everything from above, which often makes containers easier to select than when they’re stacked toward the back of a deep cabinet.

Use dividers or smaller bins if necessary to keep categories from migrating, but don’t automatically buy more organizers.

Try arranging the edited collection first. You may discover that the drawer itself provides all the structure you need.

Glass or Plastic?

Both can have a place in an organized kitchen.

Glass containers are useful when you want durability, reheating versatility and a container that doesn’t retain stains or odors as easily.

Plastic containers are generally lighter and can be convenient for lunches, snacks and situations where weight or breakage matters.

You don’t necessarily have to choose one exclusively.

The better question is:

Which containers do you actually use for which jobs?

Then organize accordingly.

What About Takeout Containers?

This category has a remarkable ability to reproduce.

Keeping a few reusable takeout containers can be practical for sending food home with someone or storing something you don’t need returned.

But set a limit.

Choose one small area for them. When that space is full, something has to go before another one gets added.

The goal is a useful supply — not your own takeout-container distribution center.

Don’t Store Every Container With the Lid On

Putting the lid on every empty container sounds wonderfully organized.

It also takes up considerably more space.

For most collections, nesting the containers and storing the lids vertically nearby is more efficient.

There are exceptions. If you have plenty of space and only a small collection, storing containers assembled may work perfectly well.

As always, use the system that fits your space and the amount you own.

Products That Can Help

You don’t need many specialty products for this category.

Useful options include:

• Elfa Mesh Wire Drawers
• Adjustable lid organizers
• Divided bins for vertical lid storage
• Drawer dividers
• Clear handled bins for smaller container sets
• Compatible nesting food storage systems

Pull-out organizers for deep lower cabinets

Give the System a Quick Reset

Food storage containers don’t need a complicated maintenance schedule.

Every so often, when you’re putting containers away, take an extra minute to match anything that has gotten separated.

If you notice an orphan lid hanging around for weeks, it’s probably time for it to go.

And if the cabinet is becoming difficult to close again, don’t immediately look for another storage product.

Look at how many containers have accumulated.

From My Experience

For my own food storage containers, I use two Elfa Mesh Wire Drawers — one for larger containers and another for smaller ones.

They slide out easily, and I can quickly see the different sizes inside and grab what I need. I like this type of uncomplicated storage because it improves access without requiring an elaborate organizing system.

In general, I prefer a reasonable number of good-quality, compatible containers, nested in manageable groups with their lids nearby.

If you can grab the right container and immediately find its lid, the system is working.

You don’t need matching labels, elaborate color coding or a diagram taped inside the cabinet door.

You need the right lid.

A Final Word From Mr. Organized

Start by matching every container with a lid.

Remove the damaged pieces, the orphans and the containers you never use. Group what’s left by size and type. Nest containers in manageable groups and keep the lids visible and close by.

Then give the collection a boundary.

Because when it comes to food storage containers, the best organizer in the world can’t organize an unlimited supply.