8 Best Tote Bags and Food Carriers for Potlucks and Parties
These are the best food carriers for everything from appetizers to dessert.
Our Top Food Carrier Picks
- Best for Casseroles: Scout Bags Hot Date Casserole Carrier
- Best for Hot Dishes: Artic Zone Expandable Thermal Insulated Food Carrier
- Best for Dutch Ovens and Bowls: Pursetti Slow Cooker Bag
- Best for Pie: Picnic at Ascot Original Pie and Cake Carrier
- Best for Cake and Cupcakes: Nordic Ware Reversable Cake & Cupcake Carrier
- Best for Brownies: Wilton Recipe Right Non-Stick Square Brownie Baking Pan with Lid
- Best for Food + Wine: Sweet July Woven Linen Weekender Bag
- Best for Cans: Zuma 15-Can Cooler Bag
If you’ve just RSVP’ed for a dinner party or holiday celebration and now wonder how you’re going to carry your homemade items to that event, read on. We’ve gathered eight totes and carriers customized for the exact shape of whatever dish you’ve made from scratch. These perfect carriers for your homemade goodies are a small, but important, step to ensure your dish arrives safely and ready-to-eat. We promise you won’t spill a drop or ruin the icing on that delicious cake you’ve baked!
What to Consider Before Buying a Food Carrier
Size: The size of the dish you’re bringing to the party is the number one decider of what type of carrier you’ll need for it. Opt for one that’s large enough to hold your dish, but not so big that it’ll move around inside during transport.
Insulation: Whether you’re bringing a hot or cold dish, you’ll want to ensure it stays a food-safe temperature until you get to the event. If you’re planning to travel a longer distance to a party (say, more than 30 minutes), we recommend an insulated carrier.
Material: Look for BPA-free linings and materials for all carriers. Our picks are all safe for carrying food without worry. If you’re planning on bringing anything hot to the potluck, make sure you use a carrier that’s temperature resistant.
The Hot Date Casserole Carrier holds a 9-by-13 casserole dish with ease, so it’s the perfect size to carry that homemade lasagna to your BFF’s house. Best of all, it’s insulated and claims to keep dishes warm for two to three hours (or chilled for three to four hours).
You can transfer a roast, casserole and veggies straight from the oven (don’t forget to use oven mitts!) right into the Artic Zone Expandable Thermal Insulated Food Carrier. Bonus: The expandable carrier comes with two storage compartments, which makes it easier to transfer more than one dish.
With the stylish Slow Cooker Bag, you can carry a small Dutch oven, bowl or pan up to 6 quarts. The 1.5-inch wide webbing means it can withstand bigger, heavier pots you might use for game-day chili or slow-cooker queso. We love the comfortable shoulder strap and cute bag designs, too.
When you’re on the guest list to BYOP (bring your own pie), the last thing you want is to stress out about making sure it doesn’t get ruined on your journey. And, thanks to the zippers on the top and bottom of this round navy carrier, which accommodates up to a 12-inch diameter pie plate, you’ll find it super easy to load and unload your sweet treat when you get to your destination.
This multi-functional carrier serves as a cake carrier on the flat side, and, if cupcakes are more your speed, a carrier for a dozen cupcakes on the flip side. Made in the USA and BPA- and melamine-free, this carrier also features snap-up locking handles, making it easy to unload your baked goods at the dessert table.
When you’ve made a batch of brownies, it’s usually best to wait ‘til they cool to remove them from the pan. But, if you’re rushing to get to a potluck, don’t worry: This nine-by-nine nonstick baking pan has a convenient cover to snap on to keep your brownies or bars warm — and unbroken — during the walk or ride to your potluck gathering.
If you’re like us, you may be toting several items to the potluck event you’ve been invited to. If that’s the case, consider this stylish quilted woven linen bag with space for all of the treats you’re bringing as well as two snug pockets for full-sized bottles of wine.
The thing we love most about the Zuma 15-Can Cooler Bag is that it has freezable gel built-into the walls of the cooler, so you’ll never need an ice pack to keep your beverages cool. There’s room for up to 15 12-ounce cans of your go-to seltzers, beer or canned wine, as well as extra space for a few plastic containers for apps, too. Bonus: The bag is made of reusable non-toxic poly canvas and collapses flat when you’re not using it. (Just keep it in the freezer like an ice pack until it’s party time).
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