Rubbermaid Brilliance Pantry 10 Piece Set, Clear and Airtight Food and Pantry Storage Containers

Why it's worth it

You get ten containers in seven sizes, from a 16-cup bin for cereal down to half-cup jars for baking powder. The latching lids pull down evenly all the way around, the Tritan plastic is shatter-resistant, and the whole set goes in the dishwasher when it gets sticky.

This is the set to buy if you want to do the entire pantry in one afternoon. Ten containers covers cereal, flour, rice, pasta, snacks, and the small stuff like baking powder that otherwise lives in a torn paper box. The sizes step down sensibly, so you're not putting a cup of lentils in a giant bin and calling it organized. A half-cup scoop comes along too.

The latch is the reason it seals. Four tabs pull the lid down evenly around the rim instead of leaning on one clip at the front. Consumer Reports points to exactly that, an all-around locking mechanism rather than a single clip, as the more reliable sign of a genuinely airtight seal. You can feel the difference when you close one, and you can hear it when you pop one open.

From our review of 8 airtight pantry storage containers

What we like

• +This is the set to buy if you want to do the entire pantry in one afternoon
• +The latch is the reason it seals
• +Tritan plastic is the quiet advantage here
• +It's the runner-up rather than the top pick for one reason: opening it

What to know

• –The latches are stiff when new, and on any latching lid the tabs are the part most likely to give out after years of hard use
• –The 16-cup bin is tall