All of the most organised food preppers have switched from glass food containers to stainless steel – I tried them to see if they're any good, and yes, they are microwave safe
Who knew you could get microwave-safe stainless steel?!
I made the switch from plastic to glass food containers a long time ago and when it came to organised meal prep buys, considered myself to be way ahead of the game. In fact, I felt smug about the fact that tomato sauce-stained takeaway boxes or mismatched lids were no longer cluttering up my kitchen.
I much preferred glass over plastic for leftovers thanks to its easy to clean nature, even if I did find they were heavy to lug around in my work bag, with the benefits of making the switch (including the cost factor) far outweighing the cons. I also loved being able to use my glass containers in my air fryer.
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If you like the sound of stainless steel containers, it's important for you to know that not all products of this material are microwave safe – far from it. You should only ever put metals in the microwave that are explicitly labelled by the manufacturer as microwave-safe.
Black & Blum's range uses 'food-grade' stainless steel which means its durable, capable of going in the dishwasher and, crucially, won't make your food taste like metal. All of the pieces from this retailer are also fitted with vacuum valves, something that I discovered goes a long way to help with food freshness.
You don't need an additional tool to make the vacuum-seal on these containers work. All you need to do to activate the seal is press firmly down on the lid and make sure the valve is shut. And it's not just that the system here is forming a seal over your food – as that's what all good food containers do – it also pushes existing air out in order to improve food freshness.
Straight out of the box I was very impressed with the feel and look of these containers. They're expensive, yes, but they feel high-quality in your hand and are the perfect portion size for on the go. Empty they only weigh about 250 grams which was a huge improvement on my old glass versions.
Using the Black + Blum containers for caesear salad leftovers.
I tried the three-pack round bowls, which fit together very satisfyingly in my cupboards, as I work from home full-time now, so I don't need to be thinking about cramming one into my work bag. But if you're going to take yours on your commute, the square alternative might serve you a bit better.
I have had experience of venturing out with these containers though as I luckily live a stone's throw away from the beach, which means I needed a lightweight way to get my dinner down there. These bowls have been so great for transporting salads and cold lunches down there, as well as for warming up leftovers from the fridge.
I was cautious the first time I popped one of the bowls into the microwave with the muscle memory of the no metals rule still running through my head. But there's no hiccup with warming food in them in this way, as long as you don't keep them in there too long – 2 minutes for each turn in the microwave is plenty.
The food warms really well in these containers and the easy clean-up might be the best bit about them. If you think glass is better for getting off stains and food you'll be even more pleased with how seamlessly easy it is to scrub at the stainless steel. They're also fine to go into the top rack of your dishwasher.
Now I've made the swap for my food containers, I'm seeing what else in my kitchen I can give the stainless steel treatment. In that spirit, I've got my hands on HexClad's stainless steel mixing and prep bowls (£99 at Amazon) too and so far, I'm similarly impressed by their merits.
Could you see yourself making the swap to stainless steel? This professional-grade material really does make all the difference for me in terms of food prep and storage.
