Ask anyone around me, and they will tell you that I cram too much into a day. But I love everything I do! As someone on the go, I appreciate whatever time-saving conveniences come my way. Enter Hefty Serve’n Store Everyday Disposable Tableware, a product that fills the gap between disposable paper plates/bowls and reusable plasticware.


Description

I have the white plates, which are 8.875" (22.5 cm) diameter. There are 24 plates in a package. The plates also come in a 10" size.

I also have the white bowls, which come 20 to the package and hold 24 ounces (709.7 ml) and are also 8.875" in diameter. The bowls also come in an 18 ounce size.

When I first opened the packages, I could not tell what this tableware was constructed from. It felt like plastic but looked like is was made from pressed paper. The dishes are smooth but slightly textured along the bottom and sides. I tried to tear a plate and bowl, and they won’t rip. This material is very sturdy.

A unique feature of these dishes is the rim construction. The rims are ridged so that two pieces can fit together to form a sealed container. For example, set a plate on the counter. Turn another plate upside-down and set it rim-to-rim on the other plate. Using your fingers, press the two rims together so that they snap together and “lock”.

Red, White and Blue. These plates and bowls come in all three colors – each solid color packaged separately.


My Experiences

Since I crunch everything possible into my morning before I leave for work, I am often time challenged when it comes to preparing something to take for lunch. I was especially pleased to see these interlocking dishes since where I work has stopped furnishing paper plates for employees to use at meal time.

My first lunch with these dishes was to stack two pieces of pizza on a plate. Then I took another plate and pressed the rims together to seal the pizza between the two dishes. Not quite trusting the “lock” feature, I picked up the top plate by the rim. Imagine my amazement when the two plates held together! Now I not only had something to transport the pizza in, but I could also microwave the pizza slices on the plate. To microwave the pizza, I removed the top plate, placed a drop of water in with the pizza, then loosely set the top plate over the pizza and zapped it in the microwave. This worked so well, that I brought pizza to work the following week using these plates.

The next day I brought leftover chilli to work using the bowl. I placed the chilli in the bowl, and used a second bowl to place atop it, pressing the bowl rims together so that they locked. I could have used a plate instead of the second bowl as a cover, but I wanted to experiment with the two bowls. The bowls worked great. The chilli did not leak through the bowl or ooze between the two rims. I removed the top bowl and set is loosely atop the bowl containing the chilli and microwaved my meal. Delicious! So far, the chilli is the only food that has stained the tableware. By the time I finished eating, the inside of the bowl was dyed orange.

I also brought a mixed salad to work: lettuce, broccoli, carrots and cabbage. Okay, I admit it, the broccoli, carrots and cabbage came in a plastic bag at the grocery store. It made a nice addition to the lettuce for a bit of crunch. Before removing the “bowl” lid, I shook the salad well to make sure the ingredients were well mixed. Then I removed the lid and added salad dressing to the salad in the bowl. Yum.

Another time I made a fluffy egg salad sandwich. The depth of the sandwich was too deep for me to use two plates, so I placed the sandwich on a plate and used a bowl as a cover. The bowl gave me the added depth I needed. I was curious to see if the bread dried out during the day since my sandwich was not in my usual plastic Tupperware sandwich container. As always, I placed my sandwich in the refrigerator when I arrived at work. At lunch, the bread was perfect (no drying), and the sandwich remained in place on the plate with no shifting.

Now for dessert. The other day my brother brought a heavenly Boston Cream Cake to the house ... and he’s such a good brother, he insisted we keep the leftovers. In case you are not familiar with Boston Cream Cake, it is composed of yellow cake with a vanilla custard cream filling sandwiched between the cake layers and topped with a layer of chocolate frosting. I prefer eating calorie laden desserts in the middle of the day so that I have time to work off any extra inches that might decide to make themselves at home. So I placed a slice of the cake in one of these Hefty bowls and topped that bowl with another one, locking the rims together. The cake slice did tip over in the bowl, but I had expected that to happen. The bowl worked great. With the custard filling in this cake, the bowl contained the inevitable mess of custard and chocolate frosting.

I have found this tableware resistant to scratches such as a fork or knife might make when cutting. Even a metal serrated steak knife blade left no indentations on the surface.


Do the Interlocking Rims Stay Closed?

Yes and no. I would estimate they stayed closed 95% of the time. Once when I fit pizza into the plates and tried to lock the plate rims together, the rims did not want to stay closed. I made sure no part of the pizza interfered with the plate rims meeting. Still the rims would not completely lock shut, showing a slight gap where none should have been.

Another time a friend inquired how the plates and bowls worked. I pulled two plates randomly from the package, and demonstrated. The rims would not completely lock together.

Every time I have used the bowls, the rims have always fit together like puzzle pieces and have locked shut.

Do I trust these plates and bowls to stay locked? I admit that I am a cautious person. When I have the plates or bowls locked together, I place them in a plastic grocery bag and carry them that way. I have never had this tableware separate once I have sealed it closed.


Care & Cleaning

You are probably saying, “But these dishes are disposable. Why do they need cleaning?”

Amazingly enough, these dishes can be hand washed and reused a limited number of times. Once I am finished eating, I swish the dishes under the faucet with a bit of liquid soap. They clean like a dream, and I let them air dry. I have yet to have one of these dishes warp.

As I stated earlier, the only dish that stained was the bowl that had the chilli in it. No amount of cleaning rid the bowl of the orange stain or the slight “crust” that formed during microwave cooking.

I store these plates and bowls in their original packaging when they are new. Once used, I keep the plates stacked and also stack the bowls on a shelf. That way I know which dishes are new and which ones I have used before.


A Variety of Uses!

I primarily use these plates and bowls to take lunch to work. However, I can already see the potential of these dishes and ways to use their interlocking capabilities. I like the fact that these can either be disposable dishes or reusable depending upon the circumstances involved.

* Parties – I can bring a dish of cookies to meetings and not worry about losing the dish. If I attend a meeting where I know there will be leftovers that others bring and share, I can keep a set of these plates and bowls in the car. “I can take some of those brownies? ... oh don’t worry ... I have a dish in the car. Be right back!”

* Car Trips – No more fighting over whose sandwich is in which container. I can write names on these plates and bowls. A black Sharpie permanent marker does not bleed through the dishes. It’s also great to be able to eat on a plate rather than from a plastic bag. The plate catches crumbs!

* Leftovers – When people come to dinner, I can share the leftovers and tell them not worry about returning dishes.

* Crafts – Not just for food. I do embroidery and beadwork and like to keep my projects away from the household animals. With these interlocking dishes, I can place small projects away from prying paws.

* Plants – When I feel these plates and bowls have served their purpose in life as food dishes, I am recycling them for my plants. The plates will make excellent saucers beneath plant pots, and I can fill the bowls with dirt to start seeds indoors for later outdoor planting.

* Frisbees – Don’t laugh. One of the women at work suggested the idea. We had fun playing toss the dish!


Will These Hefty Dishes Replace My Plasticware?

These Hefty Serve’n Store dishes come in handy. They are easy to use and reuse. I like the fact that the dishes can hold a food product that I know will stain ... such as chilli or a tomato-based dish like spaghetti. I don’t have to worry about what I place in the Hefty dishes or whether the dish will be ruined.

Will I use these Hefty dishes in place of my Rubbermaid and Tupperware plasticware? No. These Hefty dishes are not designed to hold liquid without leaking and are not air-tight. Also, the Hefty dishes have a limited life. They are not designed to last forever.


Warnings & Precautions

The packages have the customary warnings and precautions. Here is how they read:

“Recommended food be heated for no longer than 4 minutes in total based on a 1000 watt microwave. Let plates or bowls stand for at least 30 seconds in the microwave before removing.”

“Caution: Do not use Hefty Serve’n Store Everyday plates and bowls in conventional or other direction ovens or toasters or on open cooking surfaces. Microwave only in accordance with manufacturers instructions. Misuse of the product may cause a fire or the product to warp or distort. To avoid burns, always use caution when handling hot items.”

Note that these plates and bowls are not meant to provide a liquid-tight or air-tight seal.


Purchasing

These Hefty plates and bowls retail for about $2.49 - $3.49 a package. They were introduced in early Spring of this year so are not yet available in all locations.

Hass MS&L, a public relations firm, sent these plates and bowls to me as part of a pre-launch event for Hefty. In exchange for the product, I promised to give an honest no-holds-barred review of this product.


Summary

I like the Hefty Serve’n Store Everyday Disposable Tableware. Now I don’t have to worry about microwaving my meal and then finding a dish to eat the food. I also don’t have to worry about staining a good dish or losing one. I can place the food in a Hefty Serve’n Store dish, refrigerate it, then when ready microwave in the Hefty dish and eat from it. If I wish, I can even wash and reuse the plate or bowl when finished. Being a person who recycles, I will definitely reuse these dishes and then find a life for them when their food service is done.


I hope you found this review useful.

Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com


Additional Information

Manufactured by:
Pactiv Corporation
1900 W. Field Court
P.O. Box 5032
Lake Forest, IL 60045

Hefty Toll-free Phone: 888-828-2850
(Press Option # 2 and then Option # 1)


Please read my other reviews.

Ziploc Containers with Snap ‘n Seal Lids

Ziploc Freezer Bags

Rubbermaid Stain Shield Round 1.1 Quart Container

Rubbermaid Servin Saver Rectangular Container

Pyrex 14-piece Storage Container Set

Sterilite Ultra Storage Drawer

Sterilite Hinged-Lid Storage Boxes

Sterilite 12 Quart Storage Boxes

Rubbermaid 50 Gallon Jumbo Rough Tote

Pyrex Digital Timer

Broan Allure III Range Hood

Maytag Gemini Double Oven Range



Copyright 2005 Dawn L. Stewart

Recommended: Yes