Plastic Bowls Are The Fabric Of Our Refrigerator Contents Really, there's no pun intended. Plastic containers do fill the bill for most of the food storage in our refrigerators. How could you do without plastic bowls? That occasional leftover or do-ahead mix of ingredients needs a place to sit and stay fresh until you're ready to use it. If you've cooked up a bunch of rice, you need a plastic bowl to store the remainder. How about that fancy recipe which requires a mix of veggies to be marinated overnight to marry the flavors? Your first choice is the plastic container, covered with a lid or a stretch of plastic wrap. True, you can store your ingredients and leftovers in a plastic bag. However, these tend to get lost in the mix as well as causing leakage. Too soon forgotten and ultimately gone to waste. The plastic bowl protects that food. Whereas the plastic bread bag which contains a small amount of veggies, soon forgotten, a plastic container, labeled with both ingredients and a date, reminds and inspires you to use up that food! Now, just any plastic bowl won't do. You want your container to stand up to rigorous use. It's got to be dishwasher, freezer and microwaveable safe. You want to be able to whip out your plastic storage container and take it from the freezer, into the microwave oven, and bring it to the table as a serving container. It's a plus when it goes in the dishwasher as well. There are different grades of plastic bowls. There are some which should be considered semi-disposable and often come in packs of three or four, with snap-on lids. These are usually inexpensive – especially if you find them on sale – and go from freezer to microwave to the table. They will break down over time and the lids will crack. However, since they're quite inexpensive, you can replace them every now and then as needed. The popular Tupperware(TM) brand is a bit more pricey, but they also tend to last longer and come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes to suit just about any food storage need. If you really want to make your plastic bowls more permanent kitchen ware, you can shop the upscale department stores for brightly colored fancy jobs with very tightly fitting lids. This type can last for years. If you get used to mixing up cakes or making pizza dough in a bowl that's just the right size, you want to hang on to this gem. In that case, go for the pricier types which last. On the other hand, a leftover is a leftover and the semi-disposable types do just fine. Plastic bowls are indispensable in today's kitchens! Summary Plastic bowls are in everyone's kitchen! These little helpers provide service from saving leftovers to mixing up ingredients to having a great toy for the kids to play with. These bowls can go from refrigerator to microwave to dishwasher making life considerably easier for the cook of the house. Related Articles Outfit Your Kitchen With The Right Pots And Pans Cookie Jars Electric Ice Cream Makers Related Sites