Food storage containers- what do you use?

[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.

[DebSP]

I use canning jars (like Ball) with both plastic and metal screw lids. I make my own soups and chili in big batches and put them in the jars and then freeze them. I can take them out of the freezer at home and microwave them at work. I have lots of one cup size and some odd wide mouth two cup size. They don't really stack so storage could be a problem. I have 30 to 40 and I store them in the basement in boxes. We have 6 Tupperware cereal bowls because I take cold cereal some days. We also have an assortment of plastic food containers such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, margarine etc. I choose ones that stack inside each other from the largest on the bottom to the smallest at the top. And I store the lids standing on their side inside a big margarine container so I can pick them out easily. I use them for salad, fruit, cottage cheese etc. anything I am not microwaving. I can use them a few times before I toss them in the blue bin. I replace them when I empty a new new container. I like those re-usable bags. That is the only item I don't have a real solution for. We wrap sandwiches in plastic bags or wax paper.

[OakLeaf]

At least a third and probably closer to two thirds of the glass jars in which I've frozen liquids have broken from the expansion. Doesn't matter how much headroom I leave, it expands around the middle. Any more I freeze in plastic and transfer for reheating.