A good plastic storage bag is harder to come by than you might think. Just buying the cheapest usually gets you a leaky, easily pierced bag, but brand names aren't usually worth their price either. America's Test Kitchen but a bunch to the test, and came up with some solid winners.


The video above is about five minutes long, and shows off (sometimes in hilarious detail) their testing process. They went to great lengths to make sure the bags were easy to fill, were actually as large as advertised, kept moisture and freezer burn out and away from food, and didn't leak even when dropped or shaken. The whole thing is a fun watch, but they get to the results at about 4:39 if you want to skip right there.

In short, this is one of those cases where a brand name does make a difference—mostly. The Ziploc gallon "double zipper" freezer bags performed the best in all of ATK's tests. It was also the cheapest of the ones they tested, and widely available (we'd say if you can find a similar double-zipper bag in your store's generic variety, try it too—they may be made by the same people), and they appreciated the double zipper and thicker collar around the top of the bag, which added structure for filling or tough handling. If you're buying in bulk or just want another alternative, the LK Plastic Heavyweight Bag was the thickest and sturdiest in the lineup, and also a winner, and it's often available in bulk, which is a nice plus.


You can see the whole testing process and the results above, or hit the link below to see the full review and a complete chart with all of the bags tested on it (login required to see the chart, but you can read the process without logging in.)

Food Storage Bags Review | Cooks Illustrated