Hefty Serve 'n Store: A Disposable Plate You Won't Want To Dispose of !
Written: May 13 '05 (Updated May 13 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: innovative product..Many uses, strong yet lightweight, can be used again and again
Cons: None that I can think of
The Bottom Line: These bowls and plates can be used for many things. They are microwavable straight from the refrigerator, stackable and wash very well..
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| ifif1938's Full Review: Hefty Serve 'n Store Everyday Disposable Tableware |
At first I am startled when I hear a loud knock on my door but when I peer out of the window and see a delivery truck pull away my emotion switches to excitement to find a package on my welcome mat. Last week I was pleasantly surprised to find a very nifty product in that package. Well, actually two packages which contained the new Hefty Serve ‘n Store Disposable Bowls and Plates sent to me by the Hass MSL Co. in exchange for an unbiased review about these new products they have recently put on the market.
It has been my extreme pleasure to have experimented with these plates and bowls for the last few days and I have come to the conclusion they are going to be an intricate part of my daily use for many different storage and cooking needs both in the kitchen and out.
First of all, what came in the box?..You might ask
There were two packages as I said...One contained the Hefty Serve ‘n Store everyday plates, 24 of them in the 8.875 in size, this is what they call the 9 inch size. The other box contained the Hefty Serve ‘n Store everyday bowls, 24 of those in a 24 oz size. These plates come in another size, a 10 inch plate, perfect for a dinner plate I suppose though this 9 inch size is a good size for that as well.
What do these plates and bowls do ?
Well, for starters they are interchangeable and interlock with each other to prevent spilling or leaking so the uses are endless. But first I had to see just what that interlocking feature was all about which makes these plates so unique. There are 48 little notches on each rim, each one designed to fit in another plate or bowl with the same matching rim...I proceeded to test these out, snapping them together, creating mini self-contained units resembling the flying saucers Pogomom. mentioned in her review.
I then brought them into the kitchen to see just what uses I could find for them in the preliminary tests I would put them through... All-important is the water test..I put some aqua in one of the bowls then pressed the rims together to see if any leakage occurred. At first there was a little bit in a few places but when I checked I really hadn’t pressed a few spots hard enough to create a tight seal. After that they did very well in not dripping much though I did see a few drops escape. But holding water is not what these plates were created for anyway.
The next test was easier and more important...I had some Quesadillas in the refrigerator leftover from my mini Cinco de Mayo celebration last week so I put one on the plate and microwaved it for 1 minute. Not only was the food cooked evenly, but the plate wasn’t hot to the touch...Then, when nothing was left on the plate except for some of the melted cheese, I decided to do what I had never done with a disposable plate before, I soaked it then washed it and was amazed that the cheese was removed and there wasn’t an after smell on the dish.
Onward to trickier testing. Mothers day brought my daughter, her husband and the kiddies to my house with a big bag of food for a Sunday Brunch. We had bagels, lox, cream cheese and all the accoutrements; a few of them were sliced tomatoes, onions and lettuce. After we had stuffed ourselves with all this deli I had some of those sliced salad ingredients leftover...We put the tomatoes and onions on one plate, the lettuce in another then covered them with the other plates. I then stacked them in the refrigerator, one on top of the other, and loved the way they lay flat on each other for storing like that. Two days later, the tomatoes were nice and fresh as were the onions. The smell from the onions did Not permeate the refrigerator either, an all important feature I would think...Then, the other day, a full 3 days afterwards, I used some of the cut up lettuce and was amazed that the lettuce hadn’t turned colors as it normally would under different circumstances.
Then, the other night when my hubby complained of a scratchy throat, I made his all time favorite cold cure, Chicken soup. Now this is not your everyday soup, it is thick and hearty since I use a whole chicken, lots of noodles, vegetables , green split peas and a soup stock I always keep in the freezer for flavor..This makes at least 4 quarts so there is quite a lot left over. Usually I store most of those leftovers in the glass jars I keep handy for that purpose which I did do, but I reserved some of the soup to experiment with so I filled one of these handy dandy bowls about 3/4 's full, then covered it with one of the plates and refrigerated it until the following night. Then, the next night, at dinner time, I removed it and held it over the sink to see if it would spill when opened which, I’m happy to say, did not happen…After removing the lid, I microwaved it for 2 minutes. Since the box says not to microwave for more then 4 minutes I figured it would be safe using that amount of time...I also let the dish sit in the microwave oven, at their recommendation, for 30 seconds before removing it. I was very pleased with the results and again, cleaning the plates was quick and easy with no residue.
The next night I reheated some buttered noodles I had leftover in the frig and again I was impressed with the fact that the noodles weren’t hard from being stored for a few days and that they reheated so well...This plate I did dispose of thinking the butter would be too greasy to wash off the plate...But, then on second thought, just to see the results, I removed the plate from the trash, let it soak in soap and hot water and again I was pleasantly surprised at the results. No, I didn't reuse those plates!
Hint:
Do mark each plate somehow with a marker or some sort of note to let you know just what is in each plate so you don’t have to open every one if more then one is stored together.
Speaking of which, one of the features I like the most is the fact that they stack so well due to the sturdiness and uniform design of each plate and bowl.
How can such a disposable plate be so washable is beyond me. I figure it must be the heavy duty materials and construction which feels sturdy but not heavy and like a cross between lightweight cardboard and plastic but without the plastic feel and smell. Another thing I really like is the fact that the materials used are all recyclable...Another point in favor of this product! One our planet will appreciate.
Out of the kitchen I have found two uses so far.. I have many odd types of batteries around the house for one reason or another and when I need a particular kind I always have to search for them...Last night I gathered up all the loose batteries that are out of their packages and put them in one of the bowls, then put them away with my hurricane supplies..(Yes, that season will be upon us soon). Now, when I need to find one or more of those usually hard to find power sources I know just where to look. I used another bowl to put all my cat toys after I rounded them up from under the couch and chairs, so later when I want to play with my little feline friends I will have them all in one place..That is, until, they manage to hide them again.
The other day, when I was in the supermarket, I looked for these products and found the other colorful red and blue party plates displayed on the box. Those come in 3 sizes though I only saw two, a dinner plate and the bowl..I imagine these will be great for parties and would be perfect to send home food with your guests. The price I saw them selling for was 2 packages for $5.00, that was a featured price and seemed very reasonable to me especially since the cost is comparable to all the other products on the market, products that really don’t seem to have as many useful features or designed as well..All in all, I am very happy with these Hefty Serve ‘n Store bowls and plates and know they will be on my shopping list in the future.
Many thanks to the powers that be at Hass.MSL Co. for sending me these plates and bowls to use and review..I’ve tried to be as impartial as I can be in writing about them.
Recommended:
Yes
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