My plastic bag drawer was a disaster. Sandwich bags, snack bags, quart bags, gallon bags — all tangled together, half of them with holes, all destined for a landfill after a single use. I was buying a new box every few weeks. That is money going straight into the trash, literally.

I tried three brands of reusable food storage bags over two months. Two were good. One leaked soup into my lunch bag and is now in the bottom of a drawer. Here is what to buy.

The Winner: Stasher Bags

Yes, they are expensive — about ten to twelve dollars per bag. They are also dishwasher safe, microwave safe, oven safe up to 425 degrees, and can go straight into boiling water for sous vide cooking. The seal is a pinch-lock design that actually stays closed. I have dropped one full of marinade on the floor and it did not open.

I bought four: one sandwich size, one snack size, one half gallon, and one stand-up bag for freezer storage. That replaced about ninety percent of my disposable bag usage. At two boxes of Ziplocs per month at about four dollars each, these pay for themselves in under six months.

The Budget Option: Zip Top

Similar material, similar durability. Slightly cheaper — around eight dollars per bag. The seal is a flat press with a rigid rim instead of a pinch-lock. It works fine but is slightly harder to clean because the rim traps food particles. Dishwasher takes care of it. Hand washing requires a bottle brush to get into the corners.

The One That Leaked: (Re)Zip

These use a slider seal like a traditional Ziploc. The slider pops open in a lunch bag if anything presses against it. I lost a container of tomato soup to my backpack. Do not put liquids in these. For dry snacks, they are fine. For anything wet, go with a pinch-seal design.

How to Clean Them

Turn them inside out if your model allows it. Dishwasher top rack. If hand washing, use a bottle brush to scrub the seal channel — that is where mold will grow if you are not thorough. Dry them upside down over a utensil holder or water bottle drying rack. They need airflow to dry completely. Storing them damp is how they develop smells.

Six months in, I have not bought a box of disposable bags. The drawer that used to be a plastic bag graveyard now holds four silicone bags and some measuring cups. It is weirdly satisfying to open.