What’s in Stor(age)?
Leftovers, snacks, lunch, food prep, we need food storage solutions for all this. Today we’re focusing on bags. I worked with the classic sandwich size, trying out both disposable and reusable options. It ended up being more interesting than I thought it would be.
Here’s how it went down.
Testing, Testing
1. I filled the bags with water, sealed them, then squeezed them to see how much pressure they can take before bursting (think knapsacks).
2. I filled the bags with water and dropped them from counter height to see if they burst (all but one did)
3. I put dry oatmeal in the bags, looking for ease of fill.
4. I sealed the oatmeal-filled bags and submerged them in water for 30 minutes to see how well the seal held up.
5. I put the dry oatmeal-filled bags into the freezer for over 24 hours and checked if any moisture and crystals formed.
ReZip
Price: $8.99
Notes: Slim design, cleans easily. Looks like a Ziploc, just thicker material. Did poorly on the squeeze test.
Stars: 3.75
Ziploc
Price: $4.29
Notes: It’s Ziploc, of course it’s half decent. But there are better options.
Stars: 4
Stasher
Price: $12.99
Notes: Cute product, but feels like it’s meant for a knapsack. Its heft and shape are made for a sandwich. Failed the squeeze test miserably. Easy to clean. Pricey.
Stars: 2.75
Up & Up
Price: $2.89
Notes: Total garbage! The seal is terrible. When I filled all the bags with water and sealed them to squeeze it, when I came around to squeeze this bag, all the water had already leaked out.
Stars: 2.5
Up & Up Reusable
Price: $6.99
Notes: Get’s crinkly, and looks used fast, but otherwise performs well. Crushed the competition with the squeeze test. Do you want to wash it is another question, as it has deep corners and crevices.
Stars: 4.75
Amazon Basics
Price: $2.74
Notes: Outperformed all the other bags. This budget underdog killed it. Its only weakness is the bag’s structure when filling; you need to hold it open if you’re pouring something in.
Stars: 4.75
Overall Winner: Amazon Basics
This was a nice surprise, I thought Ziploc would take the cake, but Ziploc utterly failed the squeeze test. And Amazon Basics was the only one that survived the drop off the counter (or into my bathtub, cuz sue me, I didn’t want a wet floor). Also pricewise, it’s light on the pocket.
Tip: Don’t get stuck on the term “food storage.” Baggies can be used for a million things. Use them to organize crafts, cords, games – the only limit is the bag’s dimensions.
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