I like vintage stuff, so my favorite is pyrex. I don't know if they have current versions of this stuff, but I'll bet they do. These are glass, stacking, different sizes and rectangle in shape. Goes from freezer or fridge to oven or microwave. At least, that's how I use it, although I don't put it in the microwave much. You can get them all white without the colored sides. Ebay is my favorite purchasing space. Do a search for vintage pyrex refridgerator.

Here is a link that might be useful: example of pyrex refridgerator containers.

Quiltglo,
Thanks for the great link. I confess I didn't know what a vast gold mine of stuff lay out there in eBay land. Now I know what to do with my extra time! I checked Pyrex's website and they don't seem to make the vintage style, though they do have pyrex food storage containers with plastic lids.
The only thing I wonder about is whether the vintage pyrex is ok in the microwave. I read somewhere you could do a test by heating an empty container for 1 minute. If the pyrex is warm you shouldn't use it for microwaving. If it's lukewarm, it's probably ok for reheating. And if it's cool, then you could even cook in it.
Any chance you could run a mini-test for me? I would hate to buy a bunch of vintage pyrex and find out I can't use it in the microwave!
Thanks so much!

pchow,

IKEA's 365+ series has glass containers with a glass lid that are suitable for microwave, freezer and dishwasher and, also in the same series, porcelain containers with glass lids that you can put in the oven with the lid off. They come in different sizes and the price range is 1,99 (3oz) to 9,99 (2qt). Have a look at the link below.

With 8 stores in California, perhaps one is not too far from you...

Maria in Athens, Greece

Here is a link that might be useful: IKEA's 365+ series

As long as you are transitioning away from plastic you should do the same with the microwave.It changes the molecular structure of food.I believe there is info on this at mercola.com.
I'm in the same boat as you,trying to do the next best thing.
Marte

I have started using the canning jars which (without the lids) I have reheated foods in the microwave. The jars I purchased are suitable for freezing foods as well. I have a vacuum sealer that I purchased that vacuum seals these jars.

I put an empty one in the microwave with a cup of water for a min. and it did get warm. I have heated stuff in the microwave, but since it had food in it, of course it was warm then. I just don't use my microwave much and have a couple of pans from Pampered Chef that I transfer food into. So, I tried it with the Pampered Chef set-no heat. I tried it the corelle ware I use daily--the bowl got hotter than the old pyrex.

I pretty much just put things in the oven, or transfer them to a pan for stove top heating.

Gloria

I was given a few pieces of this Anchor-Hocking glassware. It's supposedly microwave-safe; I don't know as I've ever tried it. Tough stuff, though -- and a little heavy. But it seems to be what you're looking for.

(Disclaimer: I have no experience with the vendor)

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooking.com Anchor-Hocking containers

Thanks for all the great ideas. I would never have thought of them. I had completely forgotten about IKEA which is just 10 minutes away from us!
Quiltglo, thanks for running the test. Sounds like the pyrex does ok for reheating.

I am trying to convert to all glass storeage containers from plastic. I would suggest getting CLEAR glass storage so that you can see what is in the contaners. With the opaque glass ones I'm always forgetting what is in them, and I am always peeking in them to see what it was that I stashed so that it doesn't sit and go bad, or I have to check 5 or 6 containers to find an onion when I cook.

I'm going to be tossing my opaque glass ones that I just bought and get all clear glass ones.

I have my grandmothers old rectangular Pyrex refrigerator dishes with the glass lids. Since they're 50+ years old, I doubt they are microwave safe. They have happy memories, but I don't use them in the kitchen. The lids don't "seal" and they don't "lock" on. I'm not convinced food would stay fresh and I'm not convinced the guys here wouldn't knock the lids off.

Vintage dishes are beautiful but I'm always over-worried about things like lead-based paint and such. Grandma lived a long life, but she didn't cook much and she WAS a little crazy at the end! LOL

Crate and Barrel has all sorts of great stuff. Check out the link below.

They also have glass dishes with plastic lids, if you would consider that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crate and Barrel repro fridge dish

For the Ikea items...I got a few of them for cereal. The ones I got are plastic (they're all grouped together on the website) and they don't actually keep stuff from getting stale. They're such a great shape though. Still, worth looking into, especially for short term storage.

I just checked the C&B link. I love these pint glass dishes with plastic lids.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=670&f=204
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=850&f=3227&q=polycarbonate+storage&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1

For those of you who don't want to store food in plastic, what do you think of polycarbonate? It's supposed to be as inert as glass and is much lighter. I got a set of those repro Pyrex dishes and they are just too heavy for me to use real often. I tried a set of stainless canisters, but they don't seal as well as I would like. I think I need some plastic or rubber or something soft in order to get a tight seal. I'd love to toss all my plastic food storage containers, but need something to replace them with. If the polycarbonate is as much of a problem, I don't want to buy those.

This is the polycarbonate pasta storer that I have, though I paid less at Kohl's than shown here.

Here is a link that might be useful: polycarbonate pasta storer

Just a word of warning. I have some vintage Pyrex just like the seller on Ebay. I used them and put them in the dishwasher, some of the paint came off. So they don't look so nice anynmore. If I had known,I would have hand-washed.

jannie, I've been having problems with items in the dishwasher. Not just my vintage things, but even my regular pots and pans. I have an inexpensive set which was previously black and now it's a washed out chalky gray on the outside. I am really tired of glasses being etched. I've tried Cascade, Kirkland, Amway and several store brands.

I finally decided to follow some suggestions I'd seen other places and use baking soda in place of the detergent. It really depends on your water as to how well it works, but it seems to be doing fine so far.

I really want a set of Moderntone dishes like this Hazel Atlas set, but I'm concerned about them losing color in the dishwasher. These were made in response to Fiestaware being so popular, but I like this style better.

Gloria

Here is a link that might be useful: moderntone dishes

Kmart carries glass storage containers in all different shapes and sizes. I bought a bunch of Martha Stewart ones to use, but they have pastic lids. I figure if the food isn't touching the lid than its okay. The plastic lid keeps the weight down...my husdand often takes leftovers to work with him in these containers.

I have also used glass canning jars or glass peanut butter jars to store food in the fridge and reheat in the microwave, just don't put the metal lid in the microwave ofcourse!

I strongly agree that clear containers are a must so you can see what you have stored inside.

Martha sells them at Kmart. But I seel bellagoss beat me to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Martha's glass containers.

I've got a few of the crate and barrel ribbed dishes t xantippe posts a link to above. I've been using them in the microwave and I only wish they were available in a wide range of sizes. I started buying a few of these after a friend told me that I should not be reheating leftovers in the microwave (or even using the plastic "plate topper" to prevent splatters when reheating). I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I am wondering if others have heard that it is not safe to reheat in plastic in the microwave (my friend mentioned something about dioxin, I think)?

Here's an article I found about microwaving plastic. It's a link from the site below.

Microwaveable Plastics

Concerned consumers may wish to avoid using plastic containers and plastic wrap in the microwave. Manufacturers advertise the plastic containers as "microwave safe," but this in no way guarantees the food is safe when heated in plastic. Dr. Carlos Sonnenschien of the Tufts University School of Medicine has been studying the problem of chemical migration from plastics for over two decades and strongly recommends substituting glass or ceramic ware for microwave use.

Below is a link explaining why one shouldn't store foods in plastic containers.

CHEMICALS IN FOOD FROM PLASTIC STORAGE CONTAINERS & FOOD STORAGE SOLUTIONS

"LEFTOVERS AGAIN?" SAID THE REFRIGERATOR
Food Storage Solutions for Better Health and to Save Money
It's been a rite of passage for anyone growing up in the last three decades to learn how to burp a Tupperware storage container. Tupperware and other brands of plastic storage containers are ubiquitous these days. Sometimes you even see large plastic containers to store your smaller plastic containers in. But there are some potential health downsides to using all this plastic to store our food. We have some solutions for you, and they'll also save you money in the long run.

A WORLD OF PLASTIC PEOPLE?
Several research studies have found that when plastic comes in contact with certain foods, molecules of the chemicals in the plastic can leach into the food or beverage. Certain characteristics of the food item can make it more likely pick up plastic molecules:

The more liquid a food is, the more it touches the plastic, so the more opportunity it has to pick up plastic molecules. Acid foods, such as tomato sauce, appear to be particularly interactive with plastic. If you heat a food item in a plastic containereven if the container is microwave safeÂthe transference of plastic from the container to the food is even more likely. When molecules of plasticÂor more properly, molecules of the chemicals that get added to plastics during manufacturingÂget into our bodies, it's not a good thing. They can cause unwanted effects in the human body; for instance, some of the chemicals mimic estrogen. Estrogen, of course, is a normal, essential human hormone; but having too much of it (or the molecules that mimic estrogen) has been associated with breast cancer and other health problems. In general, chemicals that fool the body into thinking they are estrogen or other hormones are called endocrine disruptors.

BETTER FOOD STORAGE SOLUTIONS
So, what would a better food-storage solution look like? The primary characteristic you want in a container material is inertnessÂthat is, you want a material that holds tightly to its own molecules and does not let them go floating off into the food or drink touching it. On this score, glass and porcelain are the best choices.

Companies do make some storage containers with glass or porcelain bottoms and plastic tops. Some of them are oven-safe and large enough to cook in; in those cases, you can simply store the leftovers in the same thing you cooked in. Although these "combo containers" are designed to be air- and liquid-tight, they often don't seal quite as tightly as the best all-plastic wares. But given the health advantages of food-on-glass storage vs. food-on-plastic storage, the tradeoff seems more than acceptable. The glass and porcelain containers are usually microwave-safe, too, though it's usually best to microwave the dish covered with a plate or paper towel rather than the plastic lid.

Stainless steel cookware is also a good choice. If you cook something in a small or medium pot on the stove and have leftovers, why not just put the lid on, let it cool, and then put the pot right in the fridge? It will mean one less thing to wash, too.

Marie,

Great article. Thanks for the link.

Liz

This is the kind of thread that makes me want to go buy lots of containers. I may still do so! However, I find storing food on a plate in the frig with plastic wrap works best for us. When I reheat the food, I remove the plastic and top with another plate.
Of course, I don't have huge amounts of leftovers. If I do, I freeze some.

Martha Stewart containers are advertised in the K-Mart circular this week for 25% off for a 14-piece storage set or a 5-piece bakeware set, each now selling for $14.99.

The Anchor-Hocking and the Crate and Barrel pieces are the same product. They all go into the oven, freezer, broiler, and mircowave. I just love mine, use them constantly, and wish they had more sizes.

Thanks so much Marie for posting the article on plastic food storage. I consider myself educated, and I will start replacing my plastic container with glass ones.

I have started using the regular glass pie plates for leftovers. I do cover with plastic for storage and remove for the microwave sometimes using a paper towel if I think it is needed. The thing I really like about the pie plates is they stack well even with food in them and save space in the fridge.They also heat faster in the microwave because the food is not so thick to heat through.

I also love the correll side kicks and grab them when I see them in thrift stores and yard sales. No lids with them. They are perfect for one serving or the little dribs and drabs left over making a nice little hot lunch.

Chris

I've started using wax paper between food and its plastic container. Obviously this won't work for everything. I have a few large Gladware containers full of fudge with waxed paper between the layers and between the fudge and the container. I recently froze tamales wrapped in wax paper, then vacuum sealed in a plastic bag. Probably overkill in the case of the tamales, since they're wrapped in corn husks already!

Btw, I couldn't remember the name of the Gladware containers, so this gave me a nice excuse to get a piece of fudge!

liz, I think the coating on waxed paper is petroleum based now, so I'm not sure it is any different than wrapping directly in the plastic. I know that freezer paper has a plastic coating rather than the old fashioned wax. Maybe the stuff we buy for home is different.

Maybe we have someone here who has a better link.

Gloria

I have two of the Anchor Hocking - used one in the micro, and the cover melted! I emailed them, and they sent me a new one, said they were having trouble with their supplier, and not to use theirs in the micro. So, I just cover with a small plate.

Thanks Gloria. At this point I feel totally harassed by the world! (not by your post - I appreciate being told, just not that my nice solution isn't so nice.) I sort of thought wax paper was paraffin wax, which for all I know is petroleum based anyway...

I know what you mean, liz. My pet irritation right now is car fumes. People have their garages full of crap and let their cars idle for 30 minutes in the morning. They can't let the little darlings walk two blocks from school, so they line up with huge trucks just spewing stuff so you can't breathe around the school. Any time it's below 20 here, the fumes just hang to the ground. Heaven help people to turn off the vehicle for a few minutes. I hate it.

Gkirua

I have been saving salsa jars (DH and I have been on a binge) and they are perfect for freezing individual servings of soup, chili, etc. Just leave enough space for expansion.

Also use spaghetti sauce jars to store sugar, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, etc. and re-freeze unused spag. sauce or larger amounts of soup, etc. They are free, have measure markings, and look good :-)

Carol