Rubbermaid Take-Alongs - The New Breed of Food Storage Containers
Written: Mar 18 '03 (Updated Aug 04 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Microwave and freezer safe, won't warp when reheating food, inexpensive.
Cons: After about ten to fifteen rounds in the microwave, they look pretty nasty.
The Bottom Line: Priced right, these food storage containers are a great way to pack a childs lunch, send out leftovers or freeze / microwave bulk foods.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Rubbermaid Take-Alongs Deep Square |
In the world of food storage, one has many choices. Disposable, fancy design verses plain models, size, shape, price, brand name and colored bodies and lids are just a few of the many choices you have. I’ve tried them all – literally – and have been left with one heck of a disorganized “plastics” drawer. I’d lose one, a couple were never returned, some got thrown out, the lids would crack – you name it and it probably happened. Needless to say, storing all the odd pieces is tough since it takes up a lot of space and none of them stack within each other. If you are going to purchase any type of food storage set, do yourself a favor and stick with one manufacturer and then buy only those sets so you don’t have to rumble through the drawer looking for a lid to match a container.
Rubbermaid Take-Alongs
I first spotted these at Wal-Mart and when I saw the price on the shelf – about $1.99 I figured why not and tossed them in the cart. They seemed a bit thicker than the Ziploc ones I was using at the time and for the price, I couldn’t resist. Getting them home I ripped open the cardboard overpacking to check them out. They were deep, were “almost see through” [not completely clear but you can still easily see the contents] and had cool looking lids. Some people might not wash their containers out after they purchase them but I do. You never know how long they have been sitting somewhere and what they have been exposed to. Besides that, I hate the smell of ‘new’ plastic.
The size is what really mattered to me. I needed something that was deep enough for spaghetti, cereal, oatmeal, rice and small salads. There is nothing worse than packing a lunch or snack then realizing that there isn’t enough room inside the bowl – spaghetti is the worst because there isn’t any room to stir it after heating it up. This container is three inches deep [internal measurement], which might not sound, like a lot but trust me, it is. According to the bottom of the container is will hold 5.39 cups of liquid / solid material [1276 ml] which makes it great for large containers of Jell-O [the large boxes] and leaves just enough room at the top so you don’t spill it all over the place when it is setting up before you put it in the refrigerator.
Since this is a square piece it takes up a little less space than the rectangular ones and saves some space in the refrigerator as well as when storing them. The 5.5 x 5.5 size makes it large enough for most entrées, snack foods and leftovers. I don’t just use these for food either. They are great for storing foods for baking [almonds, brown sugar, cranberries, raisins etc] that I purchase in bulk at Henry’s Marketplace. Since these stack perfectly it’s easy to find exactly what I am looking for in the closet and remove the item I am looking for without having all the containers fall over. If these have seen their share of use in the kitchen you can use them in the garage for storing nails, screws, bolts and other small items.
The Rubbermaid Take-Alongs are microwave safe, top rack dishwasher safe and freezer safe. Now, this is where it gets strange. After about ten to fifteen trips to the microwave these will start to show some signs of wear. With mine I’ve noticed that anything that is high in starch [pasta, mashed potatoes] will eventually leave a mysterious white funk on the inside. I’ve asked several people about this and they were just as clueless as I in the situation. I emailed Rubbermaid and never received a reply. I doubt that this is dangerous but it doesn’t exactly look all that appealing. The white funk isn’t like the calcium build up that you get in freezer trays but rather an actual change in the plastic. You can’t scrape it or scrub it off so you are pretty much stuck with it. I can’t comment on the dishwasher safe claim since I rarely use the dishwasher and prefer to hand wash things.
In the freezer these are superb. We go through a lot of ice cream and there were always three or four cardboard containers sitting in there with one or two scoops left in each. With the Rubbermaid Take-Alongs I could scoop out what was left, pop it into the container and toss it back in the freezer. It took up less space, kept odors from mixing with the ice cream and made it easier to pick out a frozen treat in the middle of the night. If you do any type of bulk cooking, this is the perfect size to freeze the food in individual portions. I use these mostly for freezing meatballs that have been cooked and cooled, marinated chicken breasts [you can fit about three nice sized breasts in this one] and flavored ice cubes [frozen Kool-Aid].
The lids are made of a different type of plastic than the containers. The lids are flexible and have scalloped edges to them which makes them look a little nice than the plain ones you get with Ziploc and other brands. The lid is tick and sturdy and will hold up to a lot of use – in fact – a lot more use than the containers themselves which explains why I have seven containers and ten lids. So far I haven’t had any of them break or crack on me and since the lids are soft and flexible, they stand up to a lot of wear. The lids seal tightly but there is always the chance of a leak when you are packing straight liquids [soup, broth, sauce etc] so make sure you give the lid a firm push in the middle so a little excess air is released – this will help create a great bond between the container and the lid and reduce the chances of a spill or leak. The large tab on the corner makes getting the lid of easy – no more fumbling with prying off a lid or having to break a nail doing so. These would be great for people with hand problems that can’t grasp small items. Inside the rim of the lid there is a small lip – you have to stick your finger inside the groove to feel it – this helps keep foods [and smells] from escaping from the container and is a real plus when freezing food so you don’t end up with freezer burn or odd smells.
These are sold in packs of five and can be found at most retail stores that sell plastic storage items. Grocery stores don’t seem to stock these as much as Target and Wal-Mart however I have seen them at Ralph’s from time to time. As I said, I first spotted these at Wal-Mart and so far, they have had the best price. Look for these in the kitchen accessory section or where plasticware is sold. These come in several different shapes and sizes so if this one doesn’t seem like it would work for you, there are other options within the series.
The Bottom Line
If you have a ton of the ‘take and toss’ type containers but are looking for something a bit more sturdy, give the Rubbermaid Take-Alongs series a try. Barring the issue with the mystery white funk after heavy microwave use, these are inexpensive yet very nice looking storage containers. If you are going to try and hunt these down, the Rubbermaid product number is 8323 however on the bottom of the container it is stamped "832E 7" with the 8323 number appearing on the bottom of the outer cardboard package.
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Other Rubbermaid product reviews…
• Rubbermaid Laundry Basket • Rubbermaid Blue Ice Mini Freezer Pack • Rubbermaid Take-Alongs 9 Ounce Sip Cup • Rubbermaid Servin’ Saver Egg Keeper • Rubbermaid Take-Alongs Rectangle • Rubbermaid Ice Cube Bin • Rubbermaid Take-Alongs Chug Bottle 17 Ounce • Rubbermaid Take-Alongs Deep Square • Rubbermaid Snap Case Series •
Recommended:
Yes
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