No Solo Mia!
Written: Mar 16 '07 (Updated Mar 17 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Convenient. No clean up. No worry about lost containers.
Cons: Those lids. Feeds the landfills. Lack of color choices.
No potatoes included.
The Bottom Line: Because of my environmental concerns, I recommend this product lukewarmly for occasional use only. Good for those who value convenience and expediency.
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| nagels's Full Review: Solo To Go Microwaveable Deep Dish Plates and Lids |
BREAKING UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF REVIEW!
Startled by the ringing doorbell, Evie and Piper filled the house with a cacophony of barks and howls. Peeking out the window to investigate, he saw a rather large Fed-Ex box measuring 12 x 18 x 3 lying on the front porch bench.
He brought it inside wondering what she had bought now, more quilting fabric?
She saw him carry the box inside and wondered if he’d bought yet more Mr. Potato Heads.
A quick opening of the box calmed their wonders and itching rash judgments. Inside the box was a package of New Solo To Go Deep Dish Plates and Lids equipped with the patented Solo Grips, those “Easy to Hold Handgrips for less spills, less mess.” These were sent to me for trial, evaluation and unbiased review.
Whatcha Get
The Solo To Go package contains five grip plates and lids measuring 8.94 inches by 10.18 inches or for metric fans 22.7 cm. by 25.86 centimeters. The actual plate storage cavity measures about 7 by 7 inches and about 1.5 inches deep. Using the official Spudman Laboratories measuring cup, I found that one plate holds five cups of water filled to the brim.
Each plastic plate has a wide rim around it for gripping and for attaching the clear plastic lid. Inside the arrowed triangle on the black plate’s bottom we see a barely legible number five and the letters PP below it to indicate the grade of resin used in its manufacture.
Whatta You Do With ‘Em
These DISPOSABLE containers are multi-functional. Use them to store foods, microwave leftovers, eat from, or carry with you when on the go. They are not recommended for use in the freezer and are not dishwasher safe. The intention is clearly to use and toss.
The consumer is advised to loosen lid to vent before microwaving, and to use caution when contents are hot. It is recommended that food be microwaved for no longer than four minutes in total.
These plates are labeled “Microwave Safe” on the packaging. This means the FDA has tested the product for unsafe migration of substances into food and found it safe for its intended use. Remember these containers are not intended for multiple uses.
Our Experience
By firsthand observation I noticed that the Solo To Go plates are slightly heavier and less pliable than the disposable containers that held our Quizno flatbread salads. Both are one-use plastic products.
Mrs. Spudman packed a lunch of leftovers for me in a Solo To Go Plate. It held enough to fill my tummy and could have held even more. After she filled the plate concavity, I volunteered to attach the lid and found it problematic. She had no problems.
The packaging directions indicate that the user should first line up the lid grips to the grips on the plate. After snapping the left lid grips together, one should then press down the outer rim in a clockwise fashion until hearing a loud pop. When you hear it, you’ll know! At work my beautiful blonde boss also had no problems snapping on the lid when I asked her to try it. I think it’s easier to do once the plate has been heated in the microwave, but at that point it’s too late.
There were no problems heating my leftovers in the microwave with the Solo To Go's lid vented. Even though the container was full, it remained sturdy, and there was no spillage or even any almost spillage except when I missed my mouth with the fork a few times.
I must say that this product is convenient. It holds an adequate amount of food and saves one the chore of lugging containers home and washing them. When the lid is secured, the contents can reliably be carried without too much danger of leakage. (It’s leak RESISTANT.)
This is a perfect container for someone who always loses food containers or is slow to bring them back home.
My Concerns
The Zero Waste America site tells us that 3,091 landfills are active in the United States, and that 409,029,000 tons of waste were created in 2001, 32% of it recycled.
The Clean Air Council site states that we each produce 56 tons of waste annually per person, and the EPA says our country produces about 200,000,000 tons of waste per year.
The numbers may not jive, but the point is that many tons of waste are going into the landfills. Do we need yet another product to compound the problem?
The number 5 inside the recycling symbol on the plate means it’s made of polypropylene. The American Chemistry Council informs us on its site that polypropylene has good chemical resistance, is strong, and has a high melting point – good for storing hot liquids.
It can be recycled into battery cases, battery cables, brushes, bicycle racks, rakes, sheeting, and trays. Unfortunately my county of residence doesn’t accept this type of material for curbside recycling. Thus my Solo to Go dinner container is now in the trashcan destined for the land fill. The Fed-Ex delivery box, however, goes out on the curb for recycling.
I would recommend this product only for very occasional use, especially at approximately fifty cents a pop!
I received this product at no cost from SCC Grossman in return for my unbiased opinion.
I did my best, but can an opinion ever REALLY be unbiased?
UPDATE
Ever the iconoclast and rule breaker, I wanted to see how the Solo would fare after a run through the dishwasher. The bottom emerged unchanged while the lid seemed a little more ripply but retained its original shape and integrity.
Again I had difficulty securing a pop until I accidentally discovered the SECRET OF THE LID. Examine the lid closely, and you'll notice a ridge under the handle. Line up the handles, and place the lid on the dish at an angle while sliding the top's ridge under the dish's mating ridge.
Think of the top as the male and the dish as the female.
With experimentation I've found this technique works successfully every time. I achieved the desired pop on 10 out of ten attempts.
Is a dishwashed Solo To Go still microwave safe? I don't know, but it can always be used to store cold salads, sandwiches, or even potato chips.
Recommended:
Yes
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