Meal prep is a smart way to save money, reduce food waste and ensure you always have something on hand to eat. You just need to find a recipe you love—and the right gear to store it.
To help with that, we’re dishing out our secrets: Below are the kitchen tools we use frequently to store our weekly labors of love, including meal prep containers, refrigerator storage hacks and more.
Editor-Loved Meal Prep Hacks
- OXO Good Grips Prep & Go Silicone Squeeze Bottles, 2-Pack, $18
- Souper Cubes 1-Cup Silicone Soup Freezer Molds with Lids, $40
- Snapware Total Solutions Glass Food Storage Containers Set, 12-Pack, $59 (was $70)
- Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Food Storage Containers, 9-Pack, $80
- Souper Cubes Stoneware Set with Lids, $40
- Pyrex Colors Sculpted Tinted Glass Mixing Bowls with Lids, $33 (was $35)
- Zri 3-Tier Bamboo Expandable Spice Shelf, $21 (was $22)
- OXO Good Grips Adjustable Fridge Shelf Riser, $29
OXO Good Grips Prep & Go Silicone Squeeze Bottles, 2-Pack
Amazon
“I love OXO’s silicone mini squeeze bottles. I bring a lot of salads to work, and these are so great for bringing dressings in,” said Carolyn Malcoun, editorial director. These clever bottles are soft for easy squeezing yet feature a sturdy, airtight lid to keep your flavorful dressings in the bottle, rather than your lunch bag.
Souper Cubes 1-Cup Silicone Soup Freezer Molds with Lids
Amazon
Both Writer Liv Dansky and Assistant General Manager Penelope Wall love the Souper Cubes silicone trays. “Thanks to Souper Cubes’ silicone freezer molds, I’m able to make a huge batch of steel cut oatmeal, divide it among the slots in the tray and freeze it for healthy breakfasts during a busy week,” Dansky said. “All I have to do is pop out a brick of oatmeal and reheat it in the microwave. I also use the molds to store soup and make fancy fruit-filled ice cubes! They’re truly the best.”
Snapware Total Solutions Glass Food Storage Containers Set, 12-Pack
Amazon
Another recommendation from Malcoun, Snapware’s glass containers are an everyday, long-lasting staple for batch cooking. “I do ingredient meal prep every week, and I put it all in Snapware! I’ve had the same set for a decade, and it still looks brand new,” she said. This set comes with 12 different-sized options to suit a variety of needs. Each glass base comes with a snap-on lid for an airtight seal—hence the brand name!
Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Food Storage Containers, 9-Pack
Amazon
We love glass storage containers, and this Rubbermaid set is no exception. “I love these containers so much and use them every week to prep my lunches for the office,” said Food Editor Alex Loh. “They’re easy to clean, since they can go in the dishwasher. I especially like the small 1.3-cup containers—they’re the perfect size for holding dressing, lime wedges, shredded cheese or anything I might want to finish a dish but don’t want to store in the main container.”
Souper Cubes Stoneware Set with Lids
Amazon
In addition to the brand’s silicone molds, Wall loves the Souper Cubes dishes. While you could easily use them to bake individual desserts, meals, sides or snacks, she loves them for reheating food. The stoneware base is microwave-, oven-, refrigerator- and freezer-safe, so it checks every meal prep box. They also come with lids for easy storage.
Pyrex Colors Sculpted Tinted Glass Mixing Bowls with Lids
Amazon
I couldn’t go a day without these Pyrex bowls for meal prepping. They’re great for holding simple things like cooked quinoa, but are also perfect as standard mixing bowls for quiche filling or pancake batter. They nest together for storage, though I pretty much never keep them together for long. I find them easy to wash by hand, though they can go in the dishwasher—a lifesaver for busy days. Plus, they’re stunning, so I have no issues using them as fun serving bowls.
Zri 3-Tier Bamboo Expandable Spice Shelf
Amazon
For me, meal prep requires several different spices. Just last week, I made a batch of spiced scones to store in the freezer. We also batch cook proteins with easy spice blends. I needed a way to store my collection, which is over two dozen jars strong at this point, for very easy access. I have been loving this spice shelf because it’s still compact but makes it easy for me to organize and grab exactly what I need. All of my baking spices are towards the back and in order of what I use most often. Towards the front are our blend and seasoning staples, like za’atar, five-spice and garam masala.
OXO Good Grips Adjustable Fridge Shelf Riser
Amazon
When you have lots of containers and ingredients in the refrigerator, it’s important to organize them strategically. I am a huge fan of OXO’s refrigerator organizers because they have such clever designs that transform the space. The shelf riser is ideal for getting an extra surface for containers and packaged ingredients. I also swear by theunder-the-shelf drawers for storing cheeses, which are key for my weekly meal rotations. Totally genius!
