You cook on Sunday so you don't have to think on Wednesday. Then the container shouldn't become the thing you think about: a lid that no longer closes, a rim that stays orange from the curry.
Which size per meal
- 400 ml: a side, a snack, dressing, overnight oats.
- 800 ml: lunch for one.
- 1200–1400 ml: a hot meal, a big salad, or batch cooking for two days.
Don't buy ten of the same size. A week of food isn't ten equal portions.
What actually fits, we measured ourselves, with the lid closed: the 1400 holds about 1,420 ml, the 1200 about 1,190 ml, the 800 about 780 ml and the round 400 about 405 ml.
Rectangular stacks, round doesn't
Five days of food has to fit an ordinary fridge. Rectangular containers stack flat and take noticeably less shelf space. Our rectangular 1400 ml has a removable divider: rice on one side, curry on the other, nothing runs together. Our chili meal prep for three days is built around it.
Steel, plastic or glass
| Steel | Plastic | Glass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| If you drop it | Dents | Cracks over time | Breaks |
| Colour and smell | Takes on neither | Takes on both | Takes on neither |
| Weight | Light | Very light | Heavy |
| Microwave | No | Usually | Usually |
| See-through | No | Yes | Yes |
Glass is the right choice if you want to reheat in the same container. We explain that honestly. For food that travels to work or the gym, steel wins: it gets dropped, thrown in a bag, and comes back in one piece.
Freezer and dishwasher
Our containers can go in the freezer. Leave a finger's width of space at the top, because food expands as it freezes. Cooked food keeps about two days in the fridge, so freeze what you'll eat later in the week. All containers and lids are dishwasher safe; take the silicone seal out now and then and let it dry separately. More on batch cooking and freezing.
The honest trade-off
No microwave. At work, tip your food onto a plate first. It takes ten seconds, and a steel container never melts or warps. Or make lunches you eat cold, like this rice bowl. And it is not see-through: write the day or the dish on a strip of masking tape on the lid.
The seal
Every lid has one silicone seal. Two materials, both named: 304 food-grade stainless steel and that seal. That is the entire list. When the seal wears out, you buy a new one, not a new container.
See the stainless steel meal prep containers → For a whole week: Stack Set 3 or Stack Set 6, three or six rectangular 1400 ml containers, each with a divider.
Food should be stored without doubt.