Food storage containers- what do you use?

[Brandi]

I use large glass ball jars with either plastic lids (they make them for ball jars) or the metal ones. I also use chinese take out box's I get at smart and final. Those are really great. And you can easily give them to people with left over's and not care about getting back. They also make great last minute gift box's. (god I sound like Martha Stewart)

[Brandi]

The box's are like 100 for 14.00

[Becky]

This is all good stuff- thanks!

This morning, I tried to pin DH down on his preferences. I find myself leaning towards glass, due to it being both non-plastic and nuke-able. However, DH has concerns about breakage, particularly when he's in the field (see OP). Can anyone comment about durability for the Pyrex/Glasslock/Rubbermaid options? I'm considering stainless steel for field days....it's not like we have a microwave out there!

I'm definitely getting some of those Lunchskins! Hopefully, I can find them locally....

[OakLeaf]

I have a lot of the Pyrex bowls in various sizes. If you keep the lids on, they can be stacked. I've never broken one, but they don't strike me as particularly non-fragile. Sturdier than Mason jars for sure, about the same weight as a glass measuring cup. I don't know if the lids are supposed to be microwaveable or not, but they will distort when heated, so we use the flat silicone lids to heat those too.

I *have* broken a Corningware bowl, but that was by dropping it on a tile floor. I think a tennis ball would have shattered. Hate hate hate tile.

[Becky]

I have a lot of the Pyrex bowls in various sizes. If you keep the lids on, they can be stacked. I've never broken one, but they don't strike me as particularly non-fragile.

Do they "nest" with the lids off? I used the word "stackable" in my OP, but "nest-able" is a better word....I'm concerned about storing the empty ones in the smallest possible space.

I'm coming to the conclusion that there's not going to be one perfect solution for packing lunches....and that's ok. Just have to amend my thinking a little.

[alexis_the_tiny]

I swear by Lock&Lock containers. They're by far the best and most reasonably priced containers I've found and they come in all kinda of sizes. Unfortunately, they're not nestable, just stackable. I've seen my colleagues use glass containers that are similar to the Lock&Lock types so you can try those if you're concerned about BPA. I just don't use them because I'm a klutz.

[Brandi]

I really like the lunch skins idea!

[Melalvai]

I've never broken a pyrex, and I break most of my dishes.

They do nest.

[OakLeaf]

These are the kind of Pyrex dishes I have. They're available in sets in a lot of the big box stores. They do not nest, except insofar as you can put a smaller sized dish inside a larger one ... I prefer to keep the sizes together and stack them with the lids on, so I can only get two or three high in the cabinet ... but I can get the size I'm looking for without having to take a mixed stack apart.

[deeaimond]

Lock&Lock also. They come in all shapes and sizes, I bring hot coffee, soups salads, rice meals to work and microwave them. As long as its not oily there wont be damage to the container. They don't drip or leak and I only had to replace the coffeecup after a year (almost daily use) because the rubber seal snapped. When used for food storage they also keep food fresh because of the airtight nature. I think they are available on amazon.