I Ditched My Plastic Food Storage for This $10 Pyrex Set, and I’m Never Going Back

Food storage containers, though they might seem like a small part of your kitchen, actually have a huge impact on your space. They’re 100% necessary if you don’t want your leftovers to go to waste, and if they’re well-designed, they’ll free up room in your fridge. For too long, I’ve been putting up with flimsy plastic ones that hog a whole cabinet shelf. However, now that I’m meal prepping more than I used to, I decided that an upgrade was in order.

Naturally, Pyrex was one of the first names that came to my mind. Instead of plastic, the classic brand uses durable glass, and that was one of the deal breakers on my must-have list. (I’m sick of replacing warped and stained plastic ones every year.) I wanted to start small before splurging on an enormous set, so I went with the three-pack of Pyrex’s Simply Store bowls, and I’m already planning on buying another. After all, it is only $10.

These simple yet game-changing containers have a ton going for them. Their BPA-free plastic lids are airtight, and they can even go in the dishwasher along with the glass bowl. The latter is safe to heat up in the microwave, too, which’ll cut down on the amount of dishes you have to clean later. Further, the glass is stain- and odor-resistant, which means that they’ll truly last for years and years. (Remember the vintage Pyrex craze? Their pieces really do last for decades.) The three pieces nest and stack nicely on top of each other.

These bowls have been such a lifesaver in my kitchen, whether they’re stacked in my fridge or I’m bringing one to work for lunch. Though the lids snap on tightly to keep the contents fresh, they’re also easy to remove. I haven’t had any of them leak yet — and I’ve used them to transport soup and chili to work in my tote bag, so they’ve really been put to the test. At one point, the bowl was sitting sideways in my bag, but everything stayed secure. Cleaning them up is a breeze, too, and they’ve held up after numerous dishwasher cycles with no sign of the lids warping. That brings me to one of the other huge pluses: You can store and serve all in one, since the material is microwave-safe. So far, my food has heated up just as evenly as it would in any regular bowl. Though I thought it might be a little too small at first, the size has turned out to be perfect for individual portions.

It seems like Walmart shoppers share my opinions, with nearly 700 five-star reviews. “I don’t feel comfortable microwaving in even ‘microwave-safe’ plastic food storage containers, so I’ve started switching to Pyrex,” one of them wrote. “I have dozens of Pyrex food storage containers and bakeware in all shapes and sizes and I’d never use anything else.” I’m in full agreement — trust me, you’ll never go back to plastic either after trying them out for yourself.

Buy: Pyrex’s Simply Store 2-Cup Glass Food Storage Container Set, $9.84