8 Smart Food Storage Solutions to Adopt in 2026

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone, but here it is, 2026, and we’ve all declared ways we want to better ourselves in this new year. As we look back on 2025, Food & Wine editors spent time exploring smarter ways to store food to keep it fresher for longer. We talked with experts, listened to what shoppers had to say, and wrote many articles on the topic. 

If you haven’t already adopted some of our favorite food storage solutions, the beginning of the New Year is an ideal time to start. Below are clever ways to extend the shelf life of your produce, like wire baskets and garlic keepers, plus top-notch, non-toxic containers so you can keep food around longer and save money in the process. 

Smart Food Storage Solutions to Start Using in 2026

Rubbermaid Brilliance 4-Piece Glass Food Storage Container Set

As we’ve all experienced at one time or another, strawberries, blueberries, and other berries ripen quickly and can go moldy before we have a chance to use them. Multiple chefs agree that it’s best not to wash them before storing and to instead house them unwashed in glass storage containers, like this Rubbermaid Brilliance 4-piece set. (Of course, you’ll rinse them before eating.) Each container holds up to 3.2 cups at a time and has hinged clasps that snap tightly shut with a satisfying click.

Cormomu Ceramic Garlic Keeper

When it comes to storing garlic, a ceramic garlic keeper is the way to go, according to several professional chefs. This container offers a cold, dry environment along with holes for the airflow garlic needs. Garlic bulbs can last for “three to five months” in this type of container, stated Chef Josh Gadsden of High Cotton in Charleston, South Carolina. What a way to keep this pungent spice readily available in 2026 to add flavor to tomato sauces, breads, vegetables, stews, and more.

Freshmage 5-Piece Fruit Storage Containers Set

Sure, there’s a produce drawer in the refrigerator, but these clever airtight containers keep fruits and vegetables separated from each other and avoid cross-contamination. Every container in the 6-piece set has a removable colander inside that keeps produce elevated, allowing air to circulate and excess moisture to drain. Plus, you can wash produce in the included colanders. Amazon shoppers report that these containers “keep fruit fresh for three-plus weeks,” making them a great way to save money in the New Year.

Sevenblue 2-Tier Metal Fruit Basket 

When storing produce, such as potatoes, chefs explained to us that a wire basket provides the airflow needed to keep it dry and firm. Sevenblue’s 2-tier metal basket can be stacked together to hold Russet potatoes in one and sweet potatoes in the other, or be used separately. Chef Natalie Marble, recipe developer and longtime food professional, explained to us that potatoes have four enemies: “wrong temperatures, light, storing companions, and lack of ventilation.” Store them in a dark, dry place, such as the pantry or another spot away from sunlight, for optimal freshness. 

Stasher Premium Silicone Reusable 4-Piece Food Storage Bags Set

Stasher’s reusable food storage bags are Food & Wine favorites. These bags “crushed the competition” during our tests for their overall performance and durability. They keep food, like sliced apples and cut avocados, fresher for longer and are microwave- and heat-safe up to 425°F, so you can cook in them — we even boiled fish in one of the bags. Switch from plastic bags to these reusable ones to help reduce microplastics in your kitchen.

Totally Bamboo Banana Holder

Bananas stay fresher for longer when they’re hanging up and get airflow, and this wooden holder by Totally Bamboo allows them to do just that. Since bananas are one of the common fruits that naturally release ethylene gas, storing them in a basket or bowl can actually encourage them to ripen a bit too fast. This handy gadget looks good with any decor and, according to shoppers, can hold as many as “10 bananas” at a time.   

Soopleu Avocado Saver and Tomato Holder, Set of 4

We’ve all been there — we use half of an avocado for a salad or toast, and the remaining half ends up brown and spoiled before we can eat it. This doesn’t just happen with avocados, either; tomatoes, onions, and other produce get caught in the same situation. These four nifty containers have stretchy silicone covers, which reviewers said keeps produce “fresh for a week,” giving you time to use the leftovers rather than tossing them. 

OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper

It can be tough to keep lettuce fresh, but expert Michael Parlapiano, managing director of The Culinary Edge, told us that this OXO produce keeper will keep “greens crisp for days longer” than other storage methods. Thousands of shoppers agree and have given the nifty tool over 7,100 five-star ratings on Amazon. It has an elevated removable colander, an adjustable vent, and a natural carbon filter that absorbs ethylene, helping to keep greens fresher longer.