I can’t think of anyone that doesn’t have a messy cabinet in their house that is filled with food containers and plastic take-out bins of all shapes and sizes. I used to have one of those cupboards … and it made me crazy every time I opened it up. Every single time I’d have to go through every single lid to see if it fit on the container. Something had to change!
A replacement checklist
In my quest for a simpler and minimal life I started looking for a solution. So I made a list of my ideal container-set. It had to be:
- microwave and oven proof (so I can take food leftovers from the fridge to the oven without transferring it to something else)
- freezer-proof (same benefit here: if I can take it from the freezer to the oven I don’t have to get an extra dish dirty)
- different sizes (so I can use it for all different kinds of food)
- dishwasher safe (not something I want to compromise on)
- eco-friendly and without BPA (I don’t want to poison myself or the planet)
- stackable (to save space in my cupboard)
- and last but not least: look pretty (that way I can not only use it to store things in, but I can also use it to serve things in)
Pretty high standards if you ask me …
Where to start?
Standard nr 5 in combination with 1 & 2 made it pretty clear that my containers would need to be glass. And nr 7 (being the hipster that I am) led me to mason jars of course.
The three most-known mason jar brands are Le Parfait, Ball & Weck. I already had a few bigger Le Parfait jars and found that the metal wire hinge was a bit uncomfortable to open, put on, remove, wash, etc. I also tried Ball jars, but found that the metal lid got rusty after just one dishwasher cycle.
My solution: Weck jars
Hence, my search led me to Weck jars. And I can tell you they match every one of my standards! You can put them in the fridge, freezer, oven, microwave and dishwasher. They’re made of glass so there’s no nasty smell or coloured marks like you get with plastic and they’re much more eco-friendly since they’re not made of … plastic. Plus they look pretty :-)
Weck has several series as you can see. The mold series was the only one that suited me since I needed my jars to be stackable.
But then I still had to decide on what quantities I needed. I looked at the containers I had in my cupboard and which sizes I used most frequently. Finally, I decided on these 3 sizes:
- Weck 743 (28.7 fl oz – 3/4L)
Easily freeze a soup for 2 people - Weck 742 (19.6 fl. oz – 1/4L)
Perfect for leftover spaghetti sauce for one person - Weck 740 (9.8 fl oz – 1/5L)
Works great as a serving dish
By the way, these 3 sizes all have the same circumference lid. So I only have one type of lid in my cupboard. How perfect is that?!
How to transition
I would have loved to just get rid of all my plastic containers and buy all new Weck ones but my budget didn’t allow for that. So I did it step by step. I first got 2 of each kind and whenever I noticed I needed more of a particular size, I simply bought more.
What I use my jars for
A multifunctional jar has more than one use of course. Aside from the usual storing of leftovers, freezing them and reheating them in the microwave, I also use my jars to:
- store AND display my breakfast granola on a kitchen shelf
- make AND store my DIY deodorant
- store AND serve nuts when I have guests
- serve desserts or dips ;-)
ps: I rarely use the orange seal and metal clips. I do put the lid on my jars, but I don’t clip it in. Only when I take a jar with me in my bag do I put the clips on. I find that it’s not really necessary for things that I’m just storing around the house.
pps: When I put a jar in the freezer, I never put the seal and clips on since it might make the jar burst while the contents are being frozen (and expand).
