Kitchen

[Daysdee]

I have (too) many sets.  I stared when clear was the only option.  Later I got a round set in pink and a set with turquoiose lids.  Now I only buy the different shades of purple/plum -- any close to purple.  I love them.  I also do not use them in the microwave and not too often in the freezer.  I use them for flour, sugar, powdered sugar, veggies in the fridge either uncooked or cooked, dry dog food, etc.  I do like the nestables, but have others.  I keep excess items in a plastic bin (covered) in the garage.  My kitchen is small.   They do not leak and keep items fresher longer.  Also, keep pasta, rice, etc. in them.  

[EatWell]

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@RedTop wrote:

@EatWell,

My advice is to keep Lock & Lock out of the microwave, if you want the bowls to continue looking nice.  

Lock & Lock is sturdy enough to take the heat of a microwave, but heating will leave visible “scars” on the interior of the bowl.  Starting with the first time, you will easily see where the plastic has blistered and etched from the heat, and this gets worse every time food is heated in that bowl.   

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@RedTop

Thank you for your advice.

Do the containers or tops melt and deform after using in a microwave?

They will then leak, correct?

[EatWell]

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@Daysdee wrote:

I have (too) many sets.  I stared when clear was the only option.  Later I got a round set in pink and a set with turquoiose lids.  Now I only buy the different shades of purple/plum -- any close to purple.  I love them.  I also do not use them in the microwave and not too often in the freezer.  I use them for flour, sugar, powdered sugar, veggies in the fridge either uncooked or cooked, dry dog food, etc.  I do like the nestables, but have others.  I keep excess items in a plastic bin (covered) in the garage.  My kitchen is small.   They do not leak and keep items fresher longer.  Also, keep pasta, rice, etc. in them.  

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@Daysdee

THANK YOU!

[froggy]

@EatWell

Well, if you do use them in the microwave you would not leave the top on, ar least not sealed. If I do use them in the microwave I might just lay the lid loosely across the top. As others have said I prefer not to use them for this purpose since the inner surface get rough and or stained with any kind of red sauce. Nevertheless I have not found that my lids get warped or the seal losing it's effectiveness.

There is a set of handled bowls that have lids with a steam vent that can be opened. These are fine for the MW. I use them to heat frozen or canned veggies or soup.

[Mominohio]

I love my Lock and Lock, and I probably have hundreds of pieces in total.

I will say, the bowls leak. Every one I've ever had, if really put to the test, will leak. The square and rectangles I don't have that problem with. 

My suggestion would be to really consider what you want them for. 

I love the cereal keepers (probably have 20 of those alone). I use them for cold cereal, hot cereals, dry pasta, rice, flour, sugar, instant mashed potatoes, dry noodles, and even sleeves of crackers or granola bars taken out of the boxes. 

I have come to the place where I prefer to buy sets that all nest inside each other, with their lids on, when I'm not buying specialty larger pieces like the 9x13s, the cereal keepers, the egg containers, the pitchers etc. 

They definitely do keep bugs out, they do keep food much fresher, much longer.

If you get into having them, you will find yourself taking almost everything you buy out of the grocery store packing, and putting it in Lock and Lock. You can see what you have, organize the cupboards, and keep things fresher longer. 

I never use mine in the microwave. I don't like the results of pitting and staining that happens when heating in them, but many people do heat in them, and they are supposed to be chemical free and safe to do so.

@EatWell

[Eileen in Virginia]

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@EatWell wrote:

@Eileen in Virginia

@froggy

@TX-starlight

Thank you all.

I have put together a shopping list based on the Look & Lock you own, 

If I heat up foods in the microwave  like curry, red spaghetti sauce, or chili will those permanently stain the containers or lids?  

And after reheating  in  the microwave and washing,, does Lock & Lock containers and lids retain the smelll of what I had cooked.?

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When you put them in the microwave, just put the lid on top of the piece upside down and you won’t have a problem. They do get stained if you microwave tomato sauce in them, but they don’t retain the smell. Some of ours have gotten pockmarked from use in the microwave and others haven’t. I don’t worry about the pockmarks because the pieces still work fine. 

[RedTop]

@EatWell,

I think you would have to heat a Lock & Lock bowl for a very extended time in the microwave to experience actual melting.   A quick 2-3 minutes is usually all it takes to heat soup or something, so there is no actual melting, but again the heat blisters and etches the inner plastic which is permanent damage.   

My adult daughters ruined several cereal size bowls days after I received them, based solely on the fact they are well advertised as microwaveable.  Once damaged, those bowls are the only ones they continue to use in the microwave.   To my knowledge, none of our lids have ever been microwaved.   

[Free2be]

Today I sorted out the too-many containers, mostly Lock n Lock, some Snap Wear, Rubbermaid and the glass-like containers similar to Lock n Lock.  It's too easy to have "too much" of this product.

Buy the least amount you think you'll need for refrigerator or freezer storage, unless you're going to revamp all of your dry goods into bug-proof containers -- then consider a storage brand that gives you better visual clarity for what is in the containers such as Oxo GoodGrips.   Forget about putting lids into the microwave and also, forget about microwaving anything in Lock n Lock.  If you must, use the glass-ware type containers in the microwave because they won't stain or hold oders or transfer what is in the Lock n Lock into stoneware or somethig that will tolerate the heat.

[brcala]

I also have too many but love them all. I get a different color Everytime. It keeps everything fresh longer.  When I open cookies, chips, crackers, cereal, I put it in L&L to keep it longer. Recently I put left over salad and it kept for a few days. Love it.

[qualitygal]

Oh and the largest wide ones, great for flour, sugar, etc., but I love to pour the dry dog food in and keep it there.  I put the scoop in the holder too.