5 Best Glass Jars for Food Storage (Tested in a Home Kitchen)
Sneak Preview: After more than 14 years of daily use, these are the five wide-mouth Mason jars I trust most for food storage—plus a few popular styles I’ve learned to avoid.
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I’ve used wide-mouth Mason jars daily for more than 14 years. Along the way, I’ve figured out which jar sizes and shapes actually earn their space—and which popular styles look good but don’t work as well in real-life kitchens.
The Five Glass Jars I Use Most for Food Storage
Wide-Mouth Quart Jar (32 oz)
My workhorse jar for vacuum-sealing chopped lettuce and everyday food storage. Easy to fill, easy to clean, and widely available.
Pint-and-a-Half Jar (24 oz)
Straight-sided and great for storing or sipping iced coffee. No ice-catching lip—use with a straw.
Half-Gallon Jar (64 oz)
Best for pantry staples like flour and rice, or for brewing cold-brew concentrate.
Half-Pint Jar (8 oz)
My favorite for homemade yogurt and lunchbox items. Straight-sided Kerr jars are especially easy to clean and eat from.
Wide-Mouth Pint Jar (16 oz)
I use these daily for storing dressing, homemade mayo, and leftover avocado halves. Great all-purpose size.
Before we move on, let’s talk about lids—because the jar is only half the story.
Lids That Actually Work in a Home Kitchen
Two-Part Metal Lids (Flat Lid + Ring)
These are my choice for vacuum-sealing and transporting liquids. They’re reliably leak-proof and can be reused indefinitely as long as you’re not heat-canning.
Basic Plastic Lids
Handy for everyday storage, especially dry goods. They don’t rust, which is a plus—but they aren’t leak-proof, so I skip them for soups, dressings, or anything headed into a lunch bag.
Leak-Proof Plastic Lids by Ball
These finally solved my biggest plastic-lid complaint. They seal tightly and work well for everything from leftover beans to ice tea. I reach for these constantly.
Glass Jars That Didn’t Work for Me (and Why)
Regular-Mouth “Candle” Jars
Pretty, but impractical. The narrow opening makes them hard to clean and awkward to eat from. The metal lids also tend to rust quickly, though regular-mouth plastic lids are an improvement.
Weck Jars
Stylish, but fussy. The glass lids don’t work for vacuum-sealing, and the clips and rubber rings are easy to lose. I only use them—without the seals—for sourdough starter.
Squatty Candle-Style (like the ones from Target)
I used these for yogurt for a while, but the inner rim traps food and makes cleanup annoying. Once I switched to straight-sided jars, I never went back.
Vintage Mason Jars with Glass-Lined Zinc Lids
I love the color and history, but I don’t use the original lids for food. These jars are better as decor or flower vases than everyday storage.
Final Thoughts
The right jar simplifies everyday food storage—and after years of use, these five have proven themselves in my kitchen. If you have a favorite I didn’t mention, I’m always interested in what works for other home cooks.
— Paula, Home Economist
Homemade Food Worth Sharing
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These recipes are so great! I like making things like this as gifts and they were perfect for the holidays!
Classico spaghetti sauce comes in Atlas jars. When your done with the spaghetti sauce the jar can be re-used with a standard lid. The smaller version cannot. If you ask the FDA or whoever they will say it is not approved of course. If you do a search you will find Atlas is owned by Ball. Although Classico is not my favorite sauce the jar is worth it. There is also a company called Bernardin and don’t forget Kerr and Golden Harvest (budget jars found at Dollar General Stores).These used to be Ball competitors but now owned by Ball. Ball pretty much has a monopoly on canning jars. New on the scene is PUR made in China. They are sold in Ace Hardware and Menards. There have been issues with the lids not sealing but the jars are kind of square which is different. Also Anchor Hocking has very nice unadorned jars with a very slight tint reasonably priced only standard though but have had good results. Sorry this is so wordy. Hope this is helpful.
Ooooh Becky,
Your comment is an absolute treasure trove of information. I have used the Classico jar to store vacuum-sealed lettuce and using the jar that comes with it. It would be much better to use a regular two-part Ball lid that I can vacuum-seal. Can’t wait to try it. I didn’t know about the jars at Dollar General. Must check those out, too. I have purchased the PUR lids at Ace Hardware in the past. Didn’t even look at their jars, but squar-ish sounds wonderful. The lids worked great–no issues. The Anchor Hocking jars sound interesting with a tint. Will look for those.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this out. I’m sure it will be helpful to others.
I understand the value of the widemouth jars. However, the standard size fits my blender and I can make things right in the jar without needing to clean the carafe. Do you know if they make blenders that fit the widemouth jar?
Tim,
I have never seen one, myself. Maybe if any other readers have, they will chime in.
To chime in on the Cuppow/Bnto insert, I loved the idea of it but the price was a little ridiculous. It got me thinking tho, and I found that the Del Monte brand fruit cups fit perfectly in a wide mouth jar, the rim rests on top so it doesn’t fall in. (I tried Walmart applesauce cups first but their rims are a teeny bit smaller) I use them inside a pint jar with yogurt in the bottom & granola/seeds in the insert, or celery in pint & a half with hummus in the insert.
I use the white plastic lids on my jars in my lunchbox successfully, but I don’t carry anything liquidy, and my lunchbox stands upright (the jars are always upright). I have tried shaking smoothies in the pint & a halfs with a plastic lid and that does leak a bit :/
Hi Rachel,
Your are very resourceful. Thanks for sharing.
not sure if anyone has mentioned the leak proof plastic lids… they are dark grey. try those instead of the white. the small weck lids fit the oui yogurt jars nicely and make cute presentation. i make a weeks worth of steel cut oats for me and my husband and the old oui jars are a perfect single serving with the weck lids
Hi Peggy,
I’m so glad you wrote. Those dark grey lids are the best! I used one today on a jar of teriyaki sauce that I wanted to shake to mix up before microwaving it. No leaking. Thanks for reminding me of them.
On the other hand, I have Weck lids and several Oui jars and never thought to put them together. (just went and tried it) My Weck lids are too big for the Oui jars. I guess you have smaller Weck jars. Great idea.
I have to agree with you re: mason jars. (I’ve never liked the ‘candle’ jars) I will agree that the cute little jars are tough to clean, they are tough to can in as well. I have a smaller funnel for that and you can get replacement lids at the container store. On the weck jars, you can buy plastic lids for those. I love the ones I have, straight sided are great for toting my home made yogurt to work. P. S. No Betty, you cannot have too many jars. You husband is wrong. : )
Thank you for this post. I have been looking into canning jars for my yogurt and I was wondering if I was able to reuse the lids & rings if I wasn’t actually canning with them.
The half pint will be a perfect size. So you do not recommend those plastic white caps for commuting? They leak?
I have seen metal single lids, they are not in two pieces. Would those be more leakproof?
Kathy,
I’m not sure about the metal single lids. The metal singles I had rusted way too quickly so I tossed them. And yes the plastic white caps leaked for me–when they turned over. I use them a lot at home but just not in my lunch box.
I love the anniversary blue mason jars that came out this year! So festive and pretty to use at dinner parties.
I like the little tiny jars (can’t remember the size) that fit regular mouth lids, but they have straight sides. Great for storing small amounts of things like salad dressing. And when I dry spices or citrus peel in the dehydrator they are stored in these tiny jars.
I knit tubes to cover my jars when I use them to carry lunch to work–it keeps them from clinking together.
Another reason for regular mouth quart jars is that they fit on my blender! I can grind spices and nuts and make smoothies that I drink right out of the jar.
Hi Jan,
You make a good case for regular-mouth jars which is nice because that’s what a lot of people already have in their kitchen.
Love the idea of knitting tubes for your jars. Wish I could knit. Hear that some people sell them on Etsy.
I use those super stretchy fuzzy slipper socks. I have a shiny blue pair that makes my jars look like cooky monster or smurf jars 🙂
The inserts are new – I just recently got Cuppow’s advertising.
I’d use the Cuppow more if I wasn’t afraid of breaking my jars. I’ve heard of some people who have knited ‘socks’ for their jars which protect against burnt fingers and might add some protection in case of dropping.
Deb,
I have broken a couple jars–what a mess! I’ve heard there is a lot of stuff on Etsy to help protect the jars like the socks you mentioned. I’ll have to check it out.
I do can and preserve lots of fruits, veggies, and meats so I have and use a lot of jars. ;>
I’ve been using mason jars for storage for years. I use the antiques for dry goods, and leftovers are stored in the new style ones. I have yet to find a lid I can repurpose to fit the wide mouth jars. ; Their newest item is a 6 oz. insert so you can carry salad dressing with your lettuce (or many other combinations) and keep them separate until you want to mix them. http://www.cuppow.com
Deb, I’ve just become aware of the inserts. Not sure how I would use them personally but I’m considering the possibilities. Do you use them yourself?
Great post! I like the 8oz and 16oz jars. I make my own natural cream for dry skin using bees wax, coconut oil, etc. The recipe is cooked on the stove top, is liquid but dries solid. These jars are perfect for this and for gift-giving too 🙂
Maybe I could use those candle jars for natural cream. Great idea. Are the recipes on your blog?
Love the opening picture.
The wide mouth jars are my favorite too, all except for the “candle jar.” I never have understood those. Hubby thinks I have too many jars, but is that possible? I’ve seen the new blue ones, but haven’t caved- I don’t think they have the character of the original ones. I do love my Weck jars though, especially the smaller ones that I use for jams and jellies. 🙂
Betty, I agree the Weck jars are the best looking of all. Just as I suspected, nice for people who can or do the jam/jellie thing.
Oh, and I love my vintage zinc lids with the milk glass inserts. I tend to use them for dry goods, and thouroghly sterilized them before using them. I also love my bail lid antique mason jars.
Parmesan container lids fit regular mouth canning jars. Once the cheese is gone, the lid gets washed and put on the top of a canning jar for a sprinkle and spoon out lid for my homemade mixes (like ranch dip) I just got some vintage glass inserts. (They would replace the metal disk of modern 2 piece lids and use a rubber gasket) They are only for regular sized jars, but I like that it is glass touching my food rather than BPA coated metal. They should not be used for canning anymore, but work great for food storage. I can post pics of them if you dn’t know what I am talking about.
Katie,
Thanks for these great tips. I have seen some substitutes for the BPA coated metal online but have not used them. Interesting.
Paula, we both have the same favorites! I do love the 2 quart size for storing things in the pantry, but I sure wish they weren’t quite as pricey. I did buy some at a tag sale with the regular mouth, but boy I sure love the wide mouth for just about everything.
You know those nifty lids that fit mason jars and you can put a straw in them? I loved the idea, but I thought I’d try a substitute first. I had some foil cupcake liners (from Wal-Mart). I snugly fit a liner over a regular mouth jar and screwed on a canning ring. Then I made a small “X” in the middle with a knife through the foil. You can then put a straw through the X and take it outside without the bugs going for a swim in your drink. They worked great!
As usual Vicki, you are quite ingeneous. Using a foil cupcake liner is a great idea whenever you want to take your drink outside. Love it!
I just took a second look at the parmesan lid I keep on a jar filled with baking soda beside the sink. These also would work great as a drink cover. On one side there are 3 holes, one of which you could put a straw. It wouldn’t keep all insects out, but I think would deter the flies which normally flock to sweet beverages. If you regularly use parmesan cheese, you could get a few saved in no time.
Vickie,
I don’t buy that kind of Parmesan cheese but thinking I might buy one just to get a lid. :-). Another good idea!
I heartily agree with you about the virtues of the wide mouth and straight sides in any jars! I just wanted to add that I have found that mayo and peanut butter jar LIDS fit the regular jars! I am hoping to find a common product with the correct size lid for the wide mouths! Love to recycle!
Hi Donna,
I very rarely use the regular-mouth jars but it’s good to know about the interchangeable lids. Let me know if you ever do find commercial lids that fit the wide-mouth jars.
You mentioned something about an iced coffee concentrate – do you make that yourself? And if so, would you mind sharing. I’m really into iced coffee now but am having a hard time finding the right combo of ingredients to make it “right” at home. Thanks! Love your blog! I’ve turned numerous friends onto the mason jar salads!
Andrea,
I make iced coffee the way Pioneer Woman does, at least as far as making the coffee concentrate with cold water. It’s so easy and I make enough to last for about 3 weeks.
Did you know that for just a short time Ball is coming out with new blue canning jars? You can get the vintage look but in all new jars.
I wonder if they will have a wide-mouth opening. That would be fabulous and fun!