The Best Overnight Oats Container

Buying Guide

If you don’t have much time for preparing breakfast, overnight oats are a convenient and budget-friendly option you can make ahead of time and even take with you on the go. Whether you prefer to eat the oats cold or warm, you can enjoy a tasty and filling treat with many creative flavor possibilities. You’ll just need to find the right overnight oats container to store and chill your food and make it easier to enjoy later.

Overnight oats containers come in two main styles. The most popular type resembles a mason jar with a wide opening and an airtight lid that either screws on or snaps into place. The jar will often have a ring with a place to hold an included spoon for convenience. A less common type of overnight oats container resembles a drink bottle with a special cap that you can pop up and drink your oats like a smoothie.

You can choose from various overnight oat container sizes, and you’ll want to consider your desired serving size and portability. The smallest ones usually hold eight to 12 ounces of oats while larger containers may hold 16 to 20 ounces. Keep in mind the ingredients you’ll mix in your oats since they’ll take up more room as well as whether you need something to fit in a specific lunch box or bag. 

While an overnight oats container usually has a plastic lid, the jar or bottle itself can be either glass or plastic. Glass containers offer more versatility since you can usually use them to heat your oats up as well as chill them, but their fragility and heavier weight are downsides when taking your oats on the go. These cons aren’t an issue with plastic overnight oats containers. However, some plastic options may not be safe for the microwave, and some plastics have chemicals that can get into your food.

• Most overnight oats containers are transparent so you can see the oats inside, but you can find some containers that are opaque or have writing on them. You can also choose from various lid colors, and you might prefer a color-coding system to identify oats for different people in your household.
• To make it easier to prepare and fill your oats container, consider options that have measurement markings on the side.
• Overnight oats containers often come in sets of two or four so you can prepare multiple breakfasts at a time or share them with others at home.
• Take care when handling a glass oats container so that it doesn’t fall, shatter and potentially cause someone to get hurt. Keep in mind that plastic better suits children who could easily drop or knock over the containers.
• Consider safety when checking the overnight oats container’s material since you want to avoid chemicals that can get in the food. Stay away from containers that contain chemicals like lead or bisphenol A.
• Find a good overnight oats recipe that provides guidance on ingredient ratios so you don’t end up with something too watery or not flavorful enough. 
• Ideally, you’ll let the oats soak for at least eight hours before you enjoy them. If you don’t mind them being less soft, you can get away with just a few hours of soaking if you’re in a hurry.
• Make sure you tightly screw on or lock on the container’s lid so that you don’t have any leaks. If your container has a silicone ring inside the ring, make sure you properly place it. 
• Before enjoying your oats, stir the oats thoroughly to distribute the different ingredients more evenly. You can also add more toppings or heat the oats in the microwave if you don’t want them cold. Just make sure you heat them in a microwave-safe container.
• Overnight oats usually stay good when refrigerated for at least a few days, but consider any ingredients, such as fruit, that could spoil sooner.
• Clean your overnight oats container after you’ve enjoyed your meal. Most of these containers can go in the dishwasher unless the manufacturer says otherwise. After cleaning it, fully dry the container to avoid mold growth while in storage.