Who knew I could get so excited about Pyrex?
Written: Aug 25 '08 (Updated Aug 25 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Convenient, durable, attractive and safe way to store food.
Cons: A bit heavy to carry leftovers in.
The Bottom Line: If there's a better way to store leftovers, I'd like to see it!
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| lucidlemur's Full Review: Pyrex Storage Deluxe 8-Piece Set with Lids 1032338 |
In my young and carefree days, I would buy a tub of margarine, use it up, then save the tub and store (and reheat) leftovers in it. Simple and cheap. Then I started reading more and more about the dangers of chemicals from plastics leaching into food. Plus, I got a real grown-up kitchen and started thinking about my kitchenwares' appearance. Things got more complicated. Fortunately, my grandmother gave me this 8-piece Pyrex storage set for my birthday, which sounds like a boring gift. In reality, it's one of the most useful gifts I've received, and I appreciate it almost every day. Who knew I could get so excited about Pyrex?
The Set
The whole set is microwave-, oven- and dishwasher-safe, and comes with a 2-year warranty. This set consists of:
- One 3-quart oval dish with pearl blue vented plastic cover
- Two 3-2/3-cup oval dishes with pearl blue vented plastic covers
- One 1-2/3-cup round bowl with pearl blue vented plastic cover
"Wait," you may be thinking, "that's only four pieces." Yes, the name of this product is actually a little deceptive, or at least counterintuitive: each lid counts as a "piece."
Are plastic storage containers really dangerous?
(This is part of the reason I prefer Pyrex storage over plastic in general, but it's not central to the review of this specific product. It's still interesting information, though!)
I'm an environmental engineering student, and one of my professors has studied how chemicals from plastics can leach into food and water. So I've seen the data and leaching definitely occurs. Nobody knows for certain what levels are dangerous, though, and there are many different types of plastics out there.
The one plastic that's been in the news a lot lately is #7 polycarbonate, which contains the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A, or BPA. This is the plastic that a lot of Nalgene products and baby bottles were made of, at least until Canada announced it was going to ban its use in baby bottles. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration insists that it's safe, but the federal National Toxicology Program has found "some concern" about its safety.
Most plastic food containers are made of either #2 (High-Density Polyethylene) or #5 (Polypropylene) plastic. #2 is designed more for cold storage (for things like margarine) and is more susceptible to melting than #5, so my previous practice of reheating food in margarine tubs wasn't very smart. Although #5 is sturdier, it's probably not tested for prolonged microwaving (unless it has some indication that it's microwave-safe). Also, heating it may release the preservative butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).
I try not to buy into all the hype and bad science from both sides of the "chemicals are dangerous" debate, but it's hard when there's so much conflicting information out there. In a case like this, it's very easy to play it safe and use glass containers, so that's what I do.
My experience
I am not a cook. It's a good day for me if I manage to toast a bagel in the morning, let alone butter it. So as you may imagine, I'm not big on elaborate food preparation and storage. Pretty much all I can handle is putting a lid on a container! That's why this set is so great: you can store and reheat the food in the same container. The little button on the top pops up to release steam in the microwave, and the fact that these are made of clear glass means you can see at a glance what's in them. Their design is very simple, so they even work for serving food in.
But the absolute best thing about these containers is the way they store and stack. Usually there's a compromise involved with containers like this: you can put the lids on, which is more convenient and looks neater, but takes up more space. Or you can nest the containers inside each other with the lids off to the side, which saves space but looks messy (and the lids inevitably wander off). Pyrex gets around this by making the lids so they attach onto the bottoms of their respective bowls, which then fit perfectly into the next largest bowl. In this manner, three of the four bowls can be nested AND have their lids with them. So clever!
There are only a couple of tiny drawbacks to this set that I can think of: rectangular containers are a more efficient use of fridge storage space (since they can fit against each other with less wasted space), and Pyrex is a bit heavy to carry leftovers for lunch in. That's it.
Those little quibbles are far outweighed by the positives I listed, and I want to end on an up note so I'll give some more: I've been using these for over 2 years now, and have dropped them several times. Not only did they not break, the covers stayed on and no food spilled! They're easy to clean, too (especially compared with margarine tubs, which tend to have grooves in the bottom that you have to scrub out). I'm particularly impressed by how well these containers seal. When I first got them I thought they were a bit difficult to open and close because the lids were quite stiff. They either got more flexible over time or I got used to them, though, since I have no problems now. I would have put up with a little stiffness for the good seal these offer, anyway.
Price, Availability and Recommendations
I see that this set is now selling for $15 online, which is a great value considering all the use you'll get out of them. Pyrex makes many other similar sets, and if my experience with these is any indication, they should be a welcome addition to any kitchen. In addition to food storage, they have other uses: the big bowl is good for mixing, and all of them work for serving food.
I'm going to be ordering more of these soon, since my husband (fortunately I found someone who likes to cook!) has had a weird work schedule lately and has decided to do more advance food preparation. He likes to cook a big batch of something and then freeze portions to reheat later, and these storage containers are perfect for that. I'll probably order rectangular containers this time to really maximize freezer space; this would be my recommendation to anyone considering purchasing these. While I'm thinking about it, I'll probably pick up a set for my cousin's baby shower, too. These can come in handy in so many ways in the kitchen you really can't go wrong!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lucidlemur
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Member: Mic
Location: Pacific Northwest
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 3 members
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