Expert-Reviewed Tools & Tips for Easier Meal Prep | Gear Heads

To meal prep successfully, you need the right gear. Hannah and Lisa dive into their top recommended tools and tips to make meal prepping easy.
Order Our Book: “Kitchen Gear: The Ultimate Owner's Manual: Boost Your Equipment IQ with 500+ Expert Tips, Optimize Your Kitchen with 400+ Recommended Tools”: bit.ly/4bxkKaW
Hannah’s Picks:
Instant Pot 6QT Pro Pressure Cooker: bit.ly/3yGDPck
Nordicware Baker's Half Sheet: bit.ly/4507zgk
Oxo Salad Dressing Shaker: bit.ly/4e2DD7e
Tablecraft Widemouth Squeeze Bottle: bit.ly/3R7uPmW
Lisa’s Picks:
Oxo Smart Seal Glass containers: bit.ly/3V3oHwT
Rubbermaid Plastic containers: bit.ly/4dWXGnJ
Oxo 11lb Digital scale: bit.ly/3UZ7rsY
Ozeri Pronto Digital Scale: bit.ly/3Kn0IE2
Follow Lisa on Instagram: / lisam_atk
Follow Hannah on Instagram: / hannah_crowley8
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
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[@janemartin229]

If you buy Duke's mayo, save the lids. They fit mason jars perfectly!

[@JosiahMcCarthy]

Most 1lb plastic peanut butter jars as well.

[@jaycarver4886]

So does my store brand mayo and Hellmans.

[@ms.n4878]

Thanks!

[@dorothyyoung8231]

And the green shaker lids from Parmesan cheese. Do I use the pre-grated stuff? Yes. Yes, I do.

[@Thommadura]

Save the jars too - they survive the Dishwasher very well and I have used them to store other things for years. (I use Hellmans but most are the same size)

[@user-tf6rf5ch9i]

Every Saturday morning I chop up deli containers of red onions, white onions, celery, carrots and one or two other things such as leeks of fennel. I juice some lemons and limes & make a stir fry sauce. I find that these things last for a week, although it's also necessary to rinse the onions. For most of my week night meals such as soups, stews and stir fries it saves a lot of time. I typically just have to prep one other ingredient.

[@user-tf6rf5ch9i]

I use the Dorit brand flash frozen garlic and ginger.

[@johnnyoxyrhynchus5216]

That's my approach as well. I think it provides for more variety - I can get a different meal every night for 30 minutes or so. OTOH, I have a small family

[@johndavis5654]

Use squeeze bottle mayo, mustards, etc. this saves cleanup time. Also, rinse and drain some good Kalamata olives and capers. Frozen peas in the freezer.

[@elaineyakatan2310]

Wow

[@joconnell]

I’m using frozen diced onion for similar things and it helps a lot!

[@s0mas91]

Ikea 365 has amazing food storage containers. They are modular in EVERY WAY. The same lid can fit on 5 different containers. There are two main sizes, the large and small ones. There are two main materials for both sizes, plastic and glass. The plastic can store slightly more. There is also a metal small container. And the lids. THE LIDS! There are different options. There is a square silicone one, which i use to microwave food, a plastic snap, and a bamboo one with a gasket. The best part is that you can buy the lids separately, so if something does happen, you can simply replace the container or lid without having to buy a complete new set, and for me, I love having just one lid for them all. They also don't leak.

[@gennybernard5877]

Oven safe parchment paper covering a cookie sheet is a real cleanup time saver too.

[@josephgaviota]

I was thinking that during the vid.

[@CantankerousDave]

I use a silpat sheet.

[@dorothyyoung8231]

If you’re a frequent user, you can buy pre-cut sheets of parchment paper!

[@CoreyTyson]

Same. Similarly, I always put a piece of plastic wrap over my meal prep container before attaching the lid so the lid never needs to be washed.

[@Ben-kv7wr]

It can go right in the compost too

[@tkozikow]

Hard to believe how much of a game changer the plastic Ball jar lids are. Use these all the time now.

[@Adonna2424]

They didn't link them in the description. Do you know what brand they are? Thanks!

[@Adonna2424]

Oh ok thanks!@@ZombiedustXXX

[@kerry8461]

Beware there are some cheap lame ones on Amazon. I made that mistake. They didn’t seal and we’re not well aligned to the ball jar top

[@pamelaspooner7183]

Or just re-use empty mayo jars.

[@dorothyyoung8231]

@@Adonna2424and there are numerous companies that offer them - solid lids, pump lids, shaker lids, etc. Cupow is one of many brands.

[@solarmus923]

If you want markings on your squeeze bottle, just add known amounts of water to an empty on and mark the side with a sharpie (use a ruler for wider lines). If the markings have issues rubbing off, just cover them in clear tape.

[@girlgreenivy]

Clear tape will not stay on after you wash the container

[@shewmonohoto]

@@girlgreenivy Clear Flex Tape will survive quite a few washings. Or mark the lines with good quality Electrical tape, it will survive at least a few gentile hand washings.

[@lamemechose7072]

A line of gorilla glue will stay on for a long time. Mine survives the dishwasher on a monthly basis. I don’t use the heated dry, but that’s more about the bottle than the glue.

[@solarmus923]

​@@girlgreenivy For a dishwasher, it won't but if you hand wash it will last quite a while. Alternately, you can apply clear nail polish over the lines (but if you ever want to change them it'll be difficult)

[@CommanderBalok]

@@solarmus923 Acetone will remove nail polish, but - I must emphasize this - test it on an inconspicuous area first! It will haze and soften many plastics. Any home center will sell you a quart bottle for a few dollars.

[@cherrybearylemondrop]

The best part about making your own dressing is customizing the flavor! Yum! I'd beware about "can't pronounce it = shouldn't consume it" because it doesn't go far. Dihydrogen monoxide may be hard to pronounce the first time you see it, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't drink water. Yes, it's picky, but I hold ATK to a high standard

[@sarahmcdonough7713]

agreed! was really surprised to hear that on the atk channel. thought they were better than that tbh since i usually only hear it from snake oil salesmen. my chem nomenclature was pretty good, does that mean i can eat anything i come across? 😂

[@sidneyfisher2444]

As a retired widow living alone, I use the Rubbermaid Brilliance line all the time. It's very valuable for making a complete meal, then serving the divided boxes as I serve myself dinner, to let them cool and put in the refrigerator after dinner. I always take one of these in my tote bag when I go out to eat so I can bring home leftovers without everything ending up in a mess in the middle of a big box, plus reusing them instead of using lots of take-out boxes cuts the trash I produce. These are the only divided boxes I've found that will nest for storage, and they do so beautifully. I mostly microwave leftovers or pull them out to saute for frittatas, etc. I might get some of the OXO glass boxes now, though, to have a few that I can bake in. Thanks for the reviews!

[@frankenberry9670]

When you were talking about salad dressing containers my first thought was "use a scale and weigh everything". I convert recipes so that I can weigh things as much as possible. It minimizes the number of prep containers and makes things so much easier. Another thing that the Oxo scale does that is nice is it will display the weight of something less than the tared weight. There are times when you can't weigh the container you are putting stuff into. Weigh the thing you are taking it out of, tare it to zero then take stuff out until you have negative what ever you want. About the only things I don't weigh are small amounts such as a teaspoon amount of yeast.

[@pamcadd8658]

A couple of years ago, I started using the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers on your recommendation. They are fantastic! They are easier to close than containers that snap down on all four sides. Brilliance comes in both plastic and glass. I have one in glass, but I prefer the lighter weight plastic. I use them constantly in the freezer, microwave and dishwasher, and they still look like new - crystal clear - after years of use. I gradually built up my collection of Brilliance containers and got rid of the clutter of miscellaneous other containers. Now it's so easy to keep my drawer of containers neat. Your extensive testing convinced me, and my experience backs up your findings.

[@pholliez]

Thanks for this Pam. Do they stack well together? I have limited space and need my containers to be able to nest for storage. I was surprised Lisa didn’t cover this as she’s usually so thorough.

[@m1sh474]

they don't stack with the lids on but you can put the smaller pieces inside the big ones @@pholliez Anyway, I barely have a kitchen and 0 space, yet I have several of these because they're worth the investment. I have bought several over the years and the worst part of these Rubbermaid is how in a couple of months you will realize you don't have them anymore because they'll disappear out of thin air...

[@adoptsalot]

For those of you asking if Brilliance stacks, Yes. Do they nest for storage - yes with the lids off. Dishwasher safe, microwave safe (vent or flip the lid). Every now and then Wal-Mart and Amazon have them on sweeeeet sales.

[@claranumberone]

It is just me that I am so addicted to these type of videos?

[@sandyv2195]

😂 I think all of us who enjoy these videos are some level of kitchen gear head!

[@Isolden11]

i am too

[@fayolympia5855]

Same here.😂

[@uniworkhorse]

Who knew I'd enjoy meal prep equipment reviews so much, would be stoked for a part 2!

[@tripletlyblessed]

I love when some of my tools end up as your picks. I have had that Ozeri scale for a decade and it’s still going strong being used multiple times a week.

[@Omnis2]

Yep. Literally the cheapest one on Amazon back when they first rolled out Prime. One of the best ten bucks I’ve ever spent.

[@Lizzy43645]

Haha same! I’ve had that Ozeri scale for almost 20 years and it works amazing

[@josephgaviota]

💯agree! That little Ozeri takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

[@OverlordMaggie]

One thing I'll say for multicookers: In between the containment of the heat and the short cook time, making stock in one heats up our apartment tons less than onnthe gas stovetop. I also like how you can go from searing in the pot to pressure boiling, and keep the fond! One thing I'll say is buy spare gaskets if you can, they can sometimes pick up a smell.

[@KenS1267]

Making chicken stock was something I'd do only in cool weather and I never made beef stock before I got an instant pot. It was just too long to keep a pot on the stove. But I can pick up a rotisserie chicken or a pack of wings when I go shopping, assuming I don't have a chicken carcass in the freezer, and make stock any time I'm out and I make beef stock a few times a year now, it's still a matter of needing to go to a good butcher to get ox tails and shanks because the groceries don't carry them except by order and then the ones they get are sad.

[@OverlordMaggie]

@@KenS1267 I absolutely *hoard* rotisserie carcasses (it takes a lot of room in the freezer, even broken down) but the homemade stock (for free!) never goes unappreciated! Especially cooking rice in it, since the pressure cooker extracts gelatin well so the rice has a glorious taste and a super smooth mouthfeel. It definitely goes best with a lot of cold weather cooking, but I'm not opposed to bagging or boxing it and freezing it until then - remembering to date it :P I've never made beef stock but I am so tempted - I'm friends with the nearby butcher so I can source some interesting meats!

[@KenS1267]

@@OverlordMaggie Beef stock is the same basic idea. The easiest beef bones you can get, unless you know a butcher who does cut beef primals, is oxtails and shanks. You can find pretty good guides around for how. If you can get actual beef bones you just roast them first and get a much darker stock. If possible get the butcher to break the bones down into 1 to 2 inch pieces as more surface area means more extraction and you'd need a meat cleaver to do it yourself. You don't need beef stock in as many recipes, I often just drink it straight or make soup with it, so it isn't something to make all that often.

[@jullesadams1398]

I truly love your testing episodes. Based on them, I bought lots of them that indeed have made my life much easier when I cook for me, or my friends

[@leewillers4621]

Me too!

[@josephgaviota]

Me Three! I have _LOT_ of ATK recommendations in my kitchen. And so far I've had really good luck with them. It is pretty amazing how often Oxo and Cuisinart are choices ... so much so that I almost always look for those when picking something out.

[@jullesadams1398]

@@josephgaviota Welcome to the ATK shoppers club!!! Thanks for replying. I missed the club part.... Looll

[@pholliez]

Same! When hubby and I are discussing a pricier item he now asks ‘what does ATK say?’. They haven’t steered us wrong yet!

[@jullesadams1398]

@@pholliez They're definitely the best!

[@seechangenyc280]

I wish you could share options for baking prep. My trauma: finding storage for flours, sugar, etc. - that is airtight. I can't find a thing (that doesn't have polypropylene. I thought CAMBRO, but the non-poly/BPA-free containers are not airtight). I would so appreciate some options. It's driving me nuts.

[@rfrederick8226]

A large Brilliance (tall oblong shape) container will hold a five-pound bag of flour - not cheap but they work great.

[@alwkw3783]

We use the Brilliance containers for our flours and sugars. I bought them bc we had an infestation of those little pantry moths. We've been really happy with them.

[@THEGreasyGoombah]

I use the Progressive ProKeeper+. I’m not sure if they are non-poly, but they are BPA free.

[@yarnexpress]

I'm a big Cambro fan. I store, flours, sugar, & rice in them. I find the space saving & convenience outweighs, for me, the air tightness issue. If I need to store something that I won't use in a reasonable amount of time, I put it into a zipper freezer bag & freeze. My rule is if it comes in a bag it goes into a Cambro.

[@capers72424]

I use 1/2 gallon ball jars for my flour (each one holds about 2.5 pounds flour) and other sized ball jars for other baking supplies.

[@kathy32850]

The best feature on the storage containers is the tab on the lid to break the seal. I've had some that didn't and it was a struggle for me to get the lid off.

[@ginawiggles918]

I love the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers but am finding cracks in both the containers and the lids now that they are a few years old. I've had to toss a few bottoms already because of leakage due to cracks. I have occasionally defrost items in the microwave and often wash them in the DW, so that must be the reason some are failing. But I was under the impression they were MW & DW safe. Maybe not?

[@LesaBear612]

I have the the white ball jar lids and they don’t seal as tightly as a different brand of grey ones.

[@brendak3357]

We do a variety of kinds of meal prep: Big batch cooking for chilis, spaghetti sauce & stews; freezer bags with all ingredients except pasta, quinoa or rice to go into an instant pot, slow cooker or stovetop; and some single serves for lunches with rice, an entree like sweet & sour chicken or pulled pork and steamed veggies. Its so nice to have those meals ready to go!

[@rachray83]

Love the gear testing, and I want that book, such a great guide to buying stuff that works without wasting a lot of money

[@user-te3ff8np1s]

Even though I use my snap on lids ,I put a layer of plastic wrap,or rather cling wrap,take off the lid leave on cling and microwave. Put small hole to let out steam.Keeps things from getting freezer burn.

[@ellenspn]

7:19 the grey ones from Ball are much less leak proof.

[@SusanPetty73]

I use parchment paper when roasting veggies, doing sheet pan meals or other particularly for marinated ingredients. This makes clean up so much easier.

[@johnsmithers7318]

I love your tests and the fact that you aren't sponsered by any of these companies. That makes your conclusions impartial to a specific brand. This better serves the consumer. Thanks

[@debmidas7736]

I love the Rubbermaid plastic storage containers. It cleans well and doesn't pick up stains. Freezes and microwaves well and seals well. I have a drawer full of them

[@anthonyw5261]

Outstanding video. Fantastic recommendations and excellent facts proving why👏👏👏👏👏👍😁

[@d6d6d6d61]

I've just found my perfect food containers and I love them so much! Pro tip: if your plastic stains use baby bottle cleaner or denture cleaner tablets to get the stains off

[@josephgaviota]

Denture cleaner ... VERY interesting!

[@CantankerousDave]

I have some for cleaning my retainer, I’ll have to try that. There used to be a cleaning liquid called Plastic Booster that would instantly get rid of tomato sauce stains in plastic, but it’s not sold anymore.

[@josephgaviota]

@@CantankerousDave That's interesting ... because any tomato sauce et al. stains the plastic so badly.

[@rayschoch5882]

I love my Ozeri scale, and use if often. In addition to food, I've used it to weigh my guitars, accurately, since none of them weigh more than 8 lbs., and to weigh mail when I'm trying to estimate postage for shipping…

[@raylenegilmore4832]

I love listening to all your different videos. Why? Because you have the greatest tips and they are worthwhile. 😊

[@diandradw]

Love this series, thank you Lisa, Hannah and ATK team!

[@melodygardner6169]

I don't know if you will see this months later, but I keep my Oxo scale in a zip lock gallon bag. Now I am sure that does effect the read out slightly, but it does keep it very clean. I have had mine for years!! All you have to do to pull out the read out bar, is unzip the bag. I keep it stored on it's side. I love it!!

[@jullesadams1398]

Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart

[@josephgaviota]

Lisa: Both kinds of storage look great, and I'm a big fan of glass. The little lesson kinds of glass was super interesting, too. I have the little Ozeri scale, and have been using it for at least five years, and LOVE it. I even bought one for my sister.

[@Metoobie]

If you buy squeeze bottles, don't skimp! I made the mistake of buying cheap stuff on amazon only to have my creation taste like plastic over time or the lid popping off under pressure, spilling out the entire contents in one shot and ruin my meal. The extra 5-6 bucks I "saved" on buying cheap stuff easily ruined loads of time and a bunch of really great ingredients... and my pride in front of my guests :( . Great vid!

[@BSerrell4]

The link they supply to those squeeze bottles are ones that come without the little green lid that she shows in the video.

[@sitara68]

I have the Oxo scale and I LOVE it. I do a lot of bread baking that requires measurements in grams. Worth every penny.

[@suzisaintjames]

An easy way to tell soda glass from borosilicate glass, is look at the edge. A blue tint is soda glass and no tint (clear to white depending on the polish) is the Borosilicate. 💖🌞🌵😷

[@indigo0977]

Unfortunately, even though lots of people will tell you that, it's not actually true. I wish it was, but no such luck. I think Ann Reardon does a good job going over the differences between the glass types in her video on 'Why Pyrex is Exploding' on her How to Cook That channel if anyone's interested in learning about that.

[@suzisaintjames]

@@indigo0977 thanks for your comment. You're right, her demonstration is pretty clear. However, there was one comparison of a straight rim (blue) bowl and a bowl with a lip (white) that for me was questionable. I've found that the lip can distort the color. But l totally agree with her vegetable oil test, but you can't drag a tub with veggie oil with you whilst thrifting. So, l'm sticking to the blue lip test and the lower/upper case ruled whilst thrifting, because all of my new (1970s and newer) has the blue lip, and my old pyrex that l "borrowed" from mom and granny back in the 1970s has the white lip. So, there's some truth in it and the difference could be that she's in Australia. But l can surely test it when l get home. The important thing is if you don't know which you're working with, take more precautions than less. Sending lots of love 💖 from sunny 🌞 Arizona 🌵. Take care 😷

[@alannabeaulieu1359]

I’ve been using OXO glass containers for years and I adore them! Being able to remove the rubber gasket completely has saved my life multiple times. Considering I haven’t found replacement lids alone, this really makes a difference so you’re not a lid short since their containers at very pricey.

[@LauraRodriguez-Peace]

Thank you, ladies! 😊 We appreciate you.

[@ToxicSpork]

They recommend Oxo so much, they had to put a disclaimer in there that they're not sponsored by them. 🤣

[@kimlindseyOH]

Excellent tips! Love these videos - you 2 are the best! I need to up my game with storage containers, for sure! I am also fascinated by the glass canning funnel @3:27 - where to get one like that? or is it an antique/family heirloom? A couple prep strategies that work for me: If I use all the zest from a lemon but don't need the juice, I slice the now-skinless lemon thinly and flash-freeze it: perfect to put in water or iced tea later. When I'm prepping peppers, I use a potato peeler to make some thin strips, cut those into half-inch pieces, and spread them thinly on parchment paper to flash-freeze. I scrape the frozen bits into a small storage container and keep it in the freezer - easy to get out a few to add to omlets, etc. The large surface area of each piece provides maximum flavor from such small pieces. So handy!

[@malcolmspann7315]

The "glass canning funnel" is actually metal (probably stainless steel). Yes, the reflection off of the funnel does look like it is glass.

[@danieltuckercatholic]

Awesome recommendations, Hannah and Lisa! Keep up the great work!

[@paulaolson8956]

Love the Nordic Ware quarter sheet pan. The perfect size for 1 or 2 portions.

[@ros8986]

I ingredient prep - caramelized onions, soup stock, minced ginger, etc frozen in single portioned containers / frozen cubes. I have 2 lbs of fresh galangal in my freezer waiting for me to mince and freeze in cubes.

[@TheNinnyfee]

Squeeze-bottles are an absolute game changer. ❤ Especially with oil.

[@sandyv2195]

My meal "prep" consists not in prepping any food in advance, but in keeping a well-stocked pantry and fridge so I can pull meals together quickly. I've been cooking for many years and this works for me.

[@anmnou]

Same...I find food made days before I eat unappetizing...

[@pgarwood]

I really appreciate the work you’ve put in to this. I own the scale, sheet pan and the pressure cooker you recommend and I have a designated cooking oil dispenser. Thanks!

[@innerlocus]

Instant pot pressure cooker and an Instant Air-fryer have me loving to make dinner.

[@susanmolnar9606]

I’m just an old fashioned girl. Love to cook anything without all the gadgets. I only have a crockpot and now a bread maker. They make me happy!

[@tom_something]

I like my air fryer, too. It preheats way faster than my oven and makes really good roasted vegetables and chicken wings. Plus, I've found it to be the best way to cook frozen pre-fried things that French fries or chicken tenders. And have you tried cooking sausage in yours? Every inch of the skin gets that nice sort of crispness to it, and the inside stays juicy. Even hot dogs are better out of this than just about anything else.

[@lemonz1769]

@@susanmolnar9606 pressure cookers are pretty old fashioned. The electronic ones are just safer.

[@susanmolnar9606]

@@lemonz1769 when I was growing up my one grandmother and my other grandfather used pressure cookers but it was never used to make a whole meal. I was never afraid of them. But I refuse to buy something that costs so much money! That to me is not how I learned to cook. Also it’s not a race to cook a meal, it’s the time spent through organizing your mis an plais. Bon Appetite!

[@susanmolnar9606]

@@tom_something Sorry Tom I don’t eat that kind of food. I’m was raised and continue to eat whole foods. And I don’t mean the store. No processed foods for me. You can even check my kitchen. Hahaha 🤣. Have a good day sir.

[@robertodelbusto6544]

Love this channel, great advice and so far everything spot on. I will be buying some of the storage containers, thank you!

[@lizinaz2480]

Love my OXO scale! Can’t live without it.

[@rylanning]

I find these videos very helpful. In the case of food scales, I have an Ozeri and it has never let me down.

[@mth32871]

I just love the gear review and helpful tip videos. Thank you. :-) I use my Oxo digital scale all the time - much more than I ever thought I would.

[@diogor420]

I love this duo!!

[@elsafischer3247]

Thank you for all your advice

[@Bob-67]

I freeze my meals in 400 ml or 700 ml tubs from Lakeland here in the UK. The lids are various colours which is handy for noting what meal is in what tub.

[@mckee309]

Based on your prior recommendation, I have the 1.3 cup Rubbermaid Brilliance containers for chili and soup. Take one each morning from the freezer, into my lunch bag and then microwave in the afternoon on my break. Never had an issue with leaks. I also use the 1-cup SouperCubes to freeze any extra when prepping the meals. I just pop a cube out and put it into an empty Rubbermaid container to take.

[@movealongcatdong4685]

The tops for the Rubbermaid containers can also be used on the glass version of the same product

[@user-gc9sb4be9r]

Thanks for great advice.😊

[@Lizzy43645]

This was totally the inspiration I needed!!!

[@LisaH2472]

I bought a set of the Brilliance containers a year or so ago. I liked a lot of the features you mentioned here. Unfortunately, two of the containers developed a hairline crack. I contacted Rubbermaid about a replacement for the first one since I was concerned that the crack might get worse and the container could leak and was sent a replacement. The second time it happened, I decided to just take the loss and start looking for other alternatives.

[@ANNA-cf8vr]

Same thing happened to me and a two of the containers did end up leaking after developing the hairline cracks. I might move over to their glass containers.

[@senior_ranger]

The only "meal prep" I do is make seven quarts of pasta sauce, place in those glass containers and freeze. Two months later, I do it again.

[@AnimeshPathak]

Pre-order placed! You two are awesome!

[@cassieoz1702]

Im starting to see that, in American vids, 'meal-prep' is synonymous with/shortcut for advance, bulk preparation

[@tomhorsley6566]

If I have stuff which is lots of bits (like the veggies you showed, rather than a whole chicken for instance), I tend to use 2 quarter sheet pans instead of a half sheet pan because the quarter sheet pans fit in the sink and are less clumsy to wash.

[@shabanak5838]

Great recommendations ladies. Def need that Ozeri small scale.

[@nancyrickmeyer194]

I have the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers and LOVE them. The best thing since sliced bread

[@CinHK]

Absolutely love these reviews!

[@staycool163]

I've literally been thinking about getting some different storage containers, some better quality ones, and you have just helped me make my decision on what I need to get.... So thank you very much for that! 😁

[@someguy4262]

As someone who bought 2 sets of those Rubbermaid containers, I really have to warn people that the latches are prone to breaking off. They're great containers overall, but 3 of my latches busted off of the containers within a year of hand-washing and light use. I wouldn't buy them again.

[@SusanPetty73]

I recommend the glasslock glass storage containers. The locks don’t warp like some do so they stay easier to lock and unlock while still sealing. Plus, Ive never had a latch break off.

[@CrimeVid]

I don’t know much about storage boxes for the fridge, your comment helps old guys like me who are considering buying some new boxes for the first time ! What happened to Tupperware ? I have still got some my wife bought forty years ago ! in all the wrong sizes though !

[@rhythmelia]

Same! In over a decade of using my glasslock containers I've only ever had one latch break off a lid, and that was last year on a 12-year-old lid. Fab work, South Korean brand.

[@kaydixie5727]

Thank you for sharing this useful information.

[@Pixels_and_Points]

Great tips, thanks. That said, I get concerned when people say "ingredients I can't pronounce." That's not at all a standard for food safety. I can pronounce arsenic, benzene, and lead.

[@ctwest3601]

I'm delighted by the fact that you got Lisa to say you used "some crystals" that respond to moisture. I just feel like she must have tried at least once to argue for a different way of saying it that didn't include a mysticism keyword.

[@leewillers4621]

I have the Rubbermade Brilliance too! I have two sets that I use almost every day.

[@alparker8661]

I store my OXO type scale against the side of the cabinet on its edge, saves room.

[@julierode-hickey4932]

I used a couple of Command metallic hooks to hold my scale up against the cabinet, standing on edge.

[@loril1644]

You’re the only place I trust for gear testing ;)

[@1FUZZTUBE]

I have several of the OXO Smart Seal containers and I like them better than my older Pyrex because they seal better and the lids don't crack around the edges like the Pyrex lids either. I also have several of the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers, but I have the glass version. They are a bit more expensive a slightly heavier, but I much prefer glass over plastic. The only drawback with both is they don't nest, so they take up quite a bit of storage space.

[@hasna6096]

Very useful! Thank you!

[@chris...9497]

As far as roasting things in a sheet pan goes, why not have on hand two silicone baking mats per pan? You can roast on one mat, then switch to a clean one to roast the next batch of food. While roasting is occurring, there's plenty of time to wash and dry the previous mat while STILL having time to prep the next batch of food for roasting.

[@JK-xl7un]

Great information...now can you come over and organize my kitchen. ☺

[@johnlord8337]

These 4 snap glass/plastic containers are great. Need to get my cousin (President, U.S. Plastics !) to start converting some of this food containers to these 4 snaps ...

[@MissRed-AKgirl]

I put all ingredients for salad dressing in a mason jar. I put a reusable lid and simply shake it up. Reduces cleanup. Store it in the fridge.

[@RobinP556]

Nice! Lisa did forget to mention one thing. The Rubbermaid Brilliance containers don’t stain. They are microwave safe and I’ve made a bunch of spaghetti, stored and heated them in the container and not one hint of red stain.

[@MarkFaldborg]

To me, the important bit of containers is that they have the same dang lids, IKEA's 365+ line is amazing for this, they have four sizes of lids that fit on both glass and plastic containers. They are all over the place in my kitchen. The gasket is also very easy to take out and clean. I do still love my deli containers though.

[@SuperMissDaisey]

I have the model,10 qt made bean soup with dried 15 beans beginning to on table 21/2 hours it was really tasty.

[@pholliez]

My favourite meal prep is to brown a few kg of beef mince with onions. I freeze in portions and then I have the base for a bolognese, taco meat, cottage pie, etc.

[@CreachterZ]

Put parchment paper down before each batch on the sheet pan.

[@roeboatwade]

I use reusable zip-top bags for smoothie fruits, would love a comparison of those!

[@Glim246]

I find that they are very difficult to zip and warp out of shape easily. Have you found a brand that you love?

[@roeboatwade]

@Glim246 Mine are just the smaller sizes, but I've had good luck with the Target brand up&up "reuseable food storage bags". They're a little finicky to close, but they've lasted a long time, no warping!

[@Glim246]

@@roeboatwade Thanks! We try hard not to use throw away plastic and the "shower cap" lids we use instead of wrap work great but haven't had luck with the bags. I'll definitely try your recommendation☺

[@alanmoore2197]

I prefer plastic for storing pre-prepped meals in the freezer as you mention (lighter/cheaper/safer). For me though its important that I have glass and plastic types in directly compatible sizes/shapes so I can just warm a plastic container of frozen food enough to loosen the contents and swap it over to a glass version to defrost/cook in. I have many plastic containers and just 1 or 2 in glass of the same size.

[@Jupiter0ne]

I have the OXO scale and I really love it. Now excuse me while I remove my napkin holder that I have sitting on it.

[@debbiealtman5373]

I love the testing.

[@ccantrell4053]

I have had the Rubbermaid set for years. I bought it to carry my lunch to work because it's lightweight, microwaveable, not poisonous and supposed to be leak proof. I commute on public transportation and carry my lunch in a backpack. From day one, it leaked. I knocked it off the counter and it cracked. After using it for 5 years it has developed other vertical cracks. Maybe this is best used at home and don't drop it.

[@EL-bz9up]

This is a great series. I always learn something new. I love to talk about plastic and glass containers. And I laughed with Hannah’s reviews because so much of it had to do with not having to clean

[@litrick5471]

I loved the rubbermaid plastic containers at first but sound that they often cracked when i used them to heat things in the microwave.

[@morahinarodriguez2497]

Thanks so much!

[@SL-vs7fs]

Correction about glass in oven: the risk of putting a glass dish in a cold oven is not from the sudden temperature rise that a heating oven experiences. It’s from the radiant heat coming from the heating element. This would give the glass a much bigger thermal shock than going from a 0° F freezer to an oven at 450° F. Transfer of heat from air convection currents in a fully heated oven is milder. You can put a freezer cold glass dish in an unheated oven if you have it sitting on a wire rack in a sheet pan, so the radiant heat doesn’t hit it directly when the oven is turned on. Also, don’t place it on the lowest rack.

[@andrewyip2967]

would you recommend the rubbermaid brilliance glass line? I'd like to have both glass and plastic as you mentioned, but I want to be able to nest, stack and share lids...

[@katetrabue]

Great ideas!

[@user-lv3sp7bi9v]

Great video!

[@SoulGun007]

I use a chopper to chop a ton of onions. From there you can use a slow cooker to brown them. From there you can freeze them in half to 1 cup increments whether cooked or not. Helps with making anything in the future.

[@marygersetich8709]

We had the Rubbermaid ones, but they cracked with use. We now have glass containers, although not OXO, and they have lasted much better.