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Tupperware That’ll Get You NoticedSleek storage containers for leftovers |
Tupperware (we all still use the name, even when the brand is different) is essential to the home cook. You may be content just reusing clear plastic deli containers, like the kind your Trader Joe’s hummus comes in. (They’re the containers of choice at Alinea, new and bought in bulk.) But if you’re buying containers, you’ll want to consider the following: Will the thing melt in the microwave? Will it stain when you put spaghetti in it, and always smell of garlic forever after? Will it drip salad dressing into your bag? Is it respectable enough to bring your leftovers to work for lunch?
All of the containers recommended below hold at least three cups, because that’s the container industry’s standard size for a main dish. They also seal tightly to securely survive mass transit. They’re freezer, microwave, and top-rack dishwasher safe as well as stain, scratch, crack, and odor resistant. Note: The lids must be vented when microwaving unless otherwise indicated.
The most stylish among them will transport and transform your déjeuner beautifully.
Heat ’N Serve Round Container (3 Cup)
By Tupperware, $14.50
Heat ’N Serves are as sexy and gadgety as small food storage containers can get. If 007 packed his lunch, he’d use these.
The translucent black bases and matching opaque lids cloak even cold pizza in an air of mystery. The bases have slightly raised centers that Tupperware says promote even heating, by reducing the center mass of chili, for example, and spreading it out around the edges. The lids have unique automatic self-adjusting steam valves so you never have to remember to vent them for microwaving. All of the pieces are made of heavy-duty polycarbonate, the same material used in bulletproof glass—though, really, don’t test that at home.
The one drawback: Now that we’re used to the low (free!) prices of disposable containers, the Heat ’N Serves do induce slight sticker shock, but these elegant LBTs (Little Black Tupperwares) will last a long, long time.
Premier Food Storage Container (3 Cup)
By Rubbermaid, $5.99
Minimalist modern design meets the ridiculously mundane. The crystal-clear bases and black-rimmed lids with see-through top windows strip away everything you don’t need and leave behind a clean frame for your food.
The lids have flexible rubbery edges, and each fits at least two base sizes, which means half as many lids to deal with in your cabinet. They also snap together and to the bottoms of the bases for neat storage. An entire set nests and stacks securely in the biggest container.
The deep grooves under the lids, which snugly grip the edges of the bases to create leakproof seals, can be difficult to wash thoroughly by hand. Also, while the bases resist tomato staining, turmeric can still yellow the clear material.
Twist ’n Loc Containers (4 Cup)
By Ziploc, $3.29 (two-pack)
Ziploc is synonymous with zip-top plastic bags, but it’s also one of the two major makers of the disposable containers that changed our lives. The Twist ’n Locs do as their name says, with lids that twist on to lock in the contents. They’re sold for liquid use but of course can hold everything from sugar to pencils.
The round-sided jars have handy measuring lines, as well as finger grips on the bases and ridges on the lids that make them easier to handle when opening and closing.
GladWare Containers with Interlocking Lids (3 1/8 Cup)
By Glad, $5.49 (Variety Pack)
GladWare introduced the first disposable containers way back in 1998, ending our vigilant watch at potluck parties.
This new incarnation keeps the same bases but changes the lids. They now have big center buttons that lock them together so they won’t slip and slide in drawers or cabinets. Both tops and bottoms are made from durable polypropylene.
These containers work well and are amazingly long lasting, so don’t dispose of them.
A potential stress point seems to be the corner tabs, so take care when peeling back the lids or you risk cracking them.
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If you care about the environment at all, you will not buy disposable plastic containers! It's true that real tupperware is a little expensive..but you only have to buy it once! And I am pretty sure real tupperware has a lifetime guarantee anyway. Please, these disposable containers are such a waste and the epitome of laziness!
not so much if you reuse them, though
Plastic in general is not a great idea. Heat and chemicals can break down the plastic and release plastic estrogens into your food. The effects of these unnatural estrogens and other chemicals on the human body is not a good thing. This is just another example of modern convenience with hidden consequences that no one is aware of, nor do we discuss.
I put all my leftovers in Mason jars sealed with a Foodsaver, or in Pyrex food storage containers.
Perhaps this plastic estrogen is responsible for my man tits and love handles, not over consumption, as I had first thought.
Cheers
IKEA for the win on food storage containers. The four smaller size containers all share the same lid, the lids and bases fit together like Legos, and they'll handle a lot more abuse than the cheapie disposable ones. Better still, the price is a fraction of Tupperware, ranging from 2 to 5 dollars depending on the container size.
the problem with the glad interlocking, and the reason i regret buying them (also the reason i will never buy them again) is that the greedy S.O.B.'s made the lids unable to fit on the old containers that are almost exactly the same. so, when i throw my lids in the lid drawer, i have to pay attention to the subtle curve of the old vs. new containers rather than dirtying up two lids trying to fit the base.
greedy, i tell you!
actually, i think bad design. but when i tell people that, they say it's all about profit. bastards.
Try the Lock & Lock brand of containers- much stouter than the Biokips locking ones that Costco carries, and you''ll be astounded at how well food keeps in those containers. I'm talking weeks.
Has anyone else tried SnapWare?
Durable plastic, stackable, and the tops for different depth containers fit amongst the different sizes. Handy and very long-lived. I despise plastic for reasons stated clearly above-- this product is my capitulation for food storage, though.
I'll second EWSflash's rec of Lock & Lock containers- the lids have rubber seals, the locking levers keep them on no matter what, and they keep food fresh indefinitely. The new Glass & Lock series have glass bases, which is nice if you want to use the base to reheat oily foods that might stain or burn plastic.
I use several of them to carry lunch to work- they go in the backpack while I bike to work without a hint of worry about spillage- the clasp mechanism is quite ingenious.
You can find all them at Asian markets, mainly- and they're cheap as chips.
I whole-heartedly second the vote for the Lock & Lock storage containers, and was somewhat surprised they weren't already on the list! They are advertised as being "...100% air- and water-tight food containers made of high grade, durable polypropylene plastic and feature a special silicone sealing ring that works to keep your items fresh and secure... Stackable, multi-use containers meeting FDA standards for food storage and are completely odor proof and stain resistant... Dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe." Mine personally have held up to all the above claims in the many months I've owned them, and they get used frequently! I use them for storing leftovers, packing lunches and keeping my baking/ pantry ingredients fresh - we even use them in our lab to keep items from picking up ambient moisture! They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and smaller units nest inside larger units or easy, space saving storage. The full range is available online at www.amazon.com, www.organize.com, www.starfrit.com (for Canadians), and many discount department stores stock a decent selection, as well!
Vintage tupperware anyone? It does last forever & you can pick it up for next to nothing.
Actually I still have my Mum's 1964 vintage pancake mixing jug/tumbler thingy. Sling everything in using the attached measure, which doubles as a lid & shake - perfect batter every time!
So please DON"T buy new plastic! It's not right for the environment and we all know it.