A good cook should not just know all his/her cooking tools, but how to store food properly as well. There are a lot of food storage containers to choose from, each with a different material and design that will work well for specific food items.

When choosing a food container, there are several factors to consider such as the following:

• Stackability: One purpose of getting food containers is to save space in the kitchen. Most food containers you will find in stores nowadays can be stacked, but it will require you to purchase containers from the same brand.

• Lids: Make sure that the lid fits tightly and will not spill even if you turn the container upside-down. Most food will require an airtight container, so you need to test the seal cover and snap-on types to determine if they stay on.

• Size: Some containers will have measurements to make it easier for you to determine how much you need when you are cooking. If this is your purpose for some of the containers, look for etched measurements instead of printed numbers.

• Shape: The shape could help with the air circulation to maximize the shelf-life of the food. For this, the best shape is round because cooling is quicker. However, if you need a container to hold a large amount of food, the square or rectangular shapes can do the job better.

Here are the different types of food containers and their purposes.

• Acrylic: Some can come with wooden or plastic lids. They are perfect for those who want strong and sturdy container that will not easily break if they fall off the counter.

• Brushed Copper: The material is made up by stainless steel which is copper plated. If you want to have storage containers that will look great on the shelves, you might want to invest in these. They are great for both fresh and processed goods.

• Brushed Stainless Steel: Most of these will have acrylic lids for easier opening. These are sturdy and easy to clean, however, the acrylic lid could easily tear with frequent handling, so pick one that has a matching stainless steel lid instead. You could also find varieties that are clear so you do not have to open the container to check the contents.

• Canister: Most of these come with lids that you can lock on. The material is usually made from hard plastic or acrylic, so you do not have to worry about it breaking.

• Ceramic: The material looks beautiful, so this is great for displaying on your shelves. Although study, ceramic can break easily. This might not be a good option if you have kids at home.

• Glass: Some glass containers come with glass, wooden or aluminum lids. You can easily see what is inside the container and the glass has a classic clean look that can’t be achieved by other materials. However, glass is not safe for microwave oven use and they can be heavy and fragile.