Raw Meat, Heat and Washing: The Best Beeswax Wraps

Every Mexican kitchen ends the day with leftovers that are not quite leftovers: half an onion, a cut lime, a block of queso fresco with a corner gone, a bowl of salsa that did not get finished. They need covering, and most of them are the right shape for a wrap you press around with your hands. That is the job a beeswax wrap is made for.

The best beeswax wraps depend on what you cover most: small sheets for citrus and onion halves, large ones for bowls, a bag for bread. This guide covers seven wraps and sets from Bee’s Wrap, Honeybee Wrap, Akeeko and BeePure, with the wax blend, sizes, care and lifespan each maker states, and, just as important, what each maker says they should not touch.

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Quick verdict: which beeswax wraps to buy

Below, five standouts side by side, then all seven reviewed in full.

Five beeswax wrap sets compared

One pick for each kind of kitchen, with the sizes and lifespan each maker states. All seven are reviewed below.

Product images from Amazon. Sizes, lifespans and food limits are as stated by each maker or listing; check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best beeswax wraps

These seven cover the ways a kitchen uses wraps: mixed sets for everyday covering, a big set for a crowded fridge, a roll you cut to size, a sandwich wrap and bags for bread. Before you buy, think about what you cover most often. A kitchen that cuts limes and onions all day needs small sheets; one that covers bowls of salsa and beans needs large ones.

How to choose beeswax wraps for a Mexican kitchen

What they can and cannot cover. This matters more than the print. Bee’s Wrap says to avoid raw meat or fish, and Honeybee Wrap says to avoid raw meat and seafood. The University of California’s San Joaquin Master Food Preservers write that beeswax wraps are not recommended for raw meat or hot items, because heat can melt the wax. Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) adds that reusable cloths should not touch raw food from animals, since germs can pass to other foods if the cloth is not cleaned properly. So marinating carne asada, raw chicken and shrimp go in a sealed container, not a wrap.

Heat. A wrap cannot go on hot food, in the microwave or in hot water. Bee’s Wrap says heat melts the wax and to let food cool completely first. Tortillas straight off the comal, a pot of beans still steaming, a bowl of rice just made: let them cool, then cover them.

Sizes. Small wraps do the most work in a Mexican kitchen. Bee’s Wrap suggests its small size for citrus, onions and avocados, and its medium for cheese, which covers queso fresco and cotija. Count how many cut limes and onion halves you keep on a busy day, and buy a set with enough small sheets. Add a large or extra-large one for bowls of salsa or beans.

What is in the wax. All the wraps here combine beeswax with a resin and an oil. The BfR does not recommend jojoba oil in beeswax cloths until the studies needed for a health risk assessment are available, and it notes that dyed fabrics could pass dye constituents to food. Bee’s Wrap lists organic plant oils without naming jojoba; Honeybee Wrap, Akeeko and BeePure list jojoba oil. The UC Master Food Preservers suggest checking with the maker that the materials meet food-contact standards; Akeeko is the only maker here that names one, the European LFGB.

Care and lifespan. Every maker here says cool water and mild soap, then air dry. Bee’s Wrap says a wrap lasts up to a year, and Honeybee Wrap says up to 12 months; a wrap is worn out, according to Bee’s Wrap, when it no longer sticks to itself. If you would rather not use beeswax, Bee’s Wrap says it makes vegan wraps with candelilla wax, but we could not find them in stock on Amazon, so they are not reviewed here.

How we chose these seven beeswax wraps

We looked at what a Mexican kitchen actually covers, from cut limes and onions to queso fresco and bowls of salsa, and chose real, branded wraps sold on Amazon in the United States in the sizes those jobs need. We checked that each was in stock when we wrote this, took the materials, sizes, care, lifespan and food limits from each maker’s listing or website, and wrote “not stated” where a maker gives no detail. Food-safety limits come from the makers, the University of California’s Master Food Preservers and Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. Etee, Abeego, Z Wraps and Bee’s Wrap’s vegan wraps were not available on Amazon when we checked, and we passed over unbranded multi-packs and a soy-wax set whose listing contradicted itself. We have not used these products ourselves.

Beeswax wrap questions, answered

What is the best beeswax wrap brand?

Bee’s Wrap is our pick for most kitchens: wraps made in Vermont, with clear guidance from the maker on care, lifespan and the foods to avoid. Honeybee Wrap is the alternative if you want stated sizes and an extra-large sheet.

Can beeswax wraps be used for raw meat?

No. Bee’s Wrap and Honeybee Wrap both say to avoid raw meat and fish or seafood, and the University of California’s Master Food Preservers say beeswax wraps are not recommended for raw meat. Use a sealed container instead.

Can you wrap cheese in beeswax wraps?

Yes. Bee’s Wrap suggests its medium wrap for cheese, and several other makers list cheese as a use. A block of queso fresco or cotija is a good fit.

How do you wash beeswax wraps?

In cool water with mild dish soap, then air dry. Never use hot water, the dishwasher or the microwave, which every maker here says will damage the wax.

What is the best beeswax for making your own wraps?

We have not covered making wraps here. If you do, the UC Master Food Preservers advise beeswax free from additives and food-grade resin, and the BfR advises beeswax that meets food-additive requirements.

The wraps we would reach for first

Start with the Bee’s Wrap three-pack for daily cuts and cheese, and add the Honeybee four-pack if you cover big bowls. For leftovers that need a hard lid or the freezer, see our best food storage containers, and for warm tortillas at the table, the best tortilla warmer rather than a wrap. Dry staples belong in a sealed canister; see our guide to the best canister set. To make the most of the cilantro and epazote you are wrapping, read Mexican herbs explained.

More storage guides: meal-prep containers, flour containers, spice jars, bag clips.

Related guide: Beeswax wrap vs plastic wrap.

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