I love these Zwilling Fresh and Save vacuum-sealing food containers

Although reviewing products for the home can mean being buried under a pile of Dyson clones, every now and then, someone sends in something unusual. Take, for instance, Fresh And Save. Although this may sound like a 1980s novelty rap duo, Fresh & Save is actually a food storage container from Zwilling. And if a new type of food container doesn't get you excited, frankly what will? I feel sorry for you if you're not given a warm thrill of invigoration at the thought of this.

Zwilling Fresh and Save, as its name suggests, keeps your food 'fresh' so you can 'save' on food waste. I have to admit it's the kind of product that I found completely boring at first glance, but which I have come to love. That's partly for its practicality – there is no denying it is extremely effective – but mainly because it's a fun kitchen ritual that makes me feel like I both a proper chef, and a kind of scientist. 

All food storage containers other than Kilner-style jars use the same approach, and have done since Tupperware popularised the idea of storing food you can't be bothered to eat, back in the 60s. If you're anything like me, you are probably very diligent about scraping leftovers into little plastic boxes and putting them in the fridge. Admittedly sometimes, you may then forget it is there, and find a little plastic box full of foul-smelling mould 6 months later, which you then throw out. But let's not get bogged down in that kind of detail. 

Most such containers have a lid that locks shut but Fresh And Save takes it a huge step further. For a start, the containers aren't plastic, they are transparent, very solid chunks of glass.

You see the big white thing there? That is a pump. Charged via USB, it has a battery that lasts for absolutely ages. This is what makes the magic happen. 

The lids contain a valve and have a sort of concertina 'skirt' that sits on and in the glass Fresh And Save containers. Put the pump on top of the valve and press the button and, in mere seconds, all the air is sucked out of the container. 

The results really do speak for themselves. From uneaten crisps, snacks and crackers to meal leftovers, to marinating meat I've found everything stays fresher in a Fresh And Save than in any other container I've ever tried – and I have tried a lot, let me tell you. Both the glass containers and the lids are dishwasher proof, too.

In fact, I have only ever found one issue with them. That was when I stored some berries in a container with a lemon. This looked very colourful and attractive and all, but the vacuum actually made the flavour of the lemon rind 'print' onto the berries, which was frankly not very nice. So avoid doing that.

As well as the containers, Zwilling also does food bags. These are ideal for freezing ingredients and cooked meals, and could also be handy for sous vide cooking, if you're still into that. In the chiller, the bags optimise space and help prevent freezer burn and they can even be 'easily cleaned by hand' for multiple use. It's certainly an easier and cheaper way to vacuum seal food than buying a full-size shrink wrap pump.

There's also a Vac-U-Vin-style wine bottle sealer available. Since I have never knowingly opened a bottle of wine and then not consumed it all at once, I have not been able to test these, sadly. 

I can't really overstate how much I love Fresh And Save. I never thought I could get this excited about a food container – but then lockdown does funny things to a person, doesn't it? My one concern is that it seems obvious to me that if I ever dropped one of these containers or even banged it on a granite worktop, it would likely shatter into a billion pieces. That is not a problem you will ever face with traditional, plastic food containers. These things are also significantly bigger and heavier than your standard plastic boxes with the same storage capacity, of course.

In every other way, the construction of Fresh And Save is vastly superior to any rival I've tried – as indeed it should be, given the price. They should last a lot longer than plastic rivals, and not end up in the sea, killing fish. That's as long as you you don't smash the glass bit or mangle the intricately engineered lids, of course. 

In conclusion, 'Sealing in the freshness' has become my new kitchen obsession, and I would place Fresh And Save among the most handy things I have ever been sent at T3. Pump it up, baby.

Zwilling Fresh And Save: price and availability

To  board the Fresh and Save train you will need £89 or $125 – currently just  $99! This gets you a starter kit with a suction pump, two containers and four shrink wrap bags. You can then top up your Fresh 'N' Save collection with a plethora of different-sized containers, sealed bags for your freezer, wine sealing devices and even spare pumps.

• Buy from Zwilling UK

• Buy from Zwilling USA – sale now on!