Ello Duraglass Meal Prep Containers

My Favorite Meal Prep Container

Bottom Line

These are great! I’ve tried a LOT of meal prep containers and haven’t been able to find anything better than this. It’s the perfect size for individual meals and it’s glass, so it doesn’t stain or hold odors.

Uncle Dan’s Review:

My Meal Prep Container Search

I’ve been trying various meal-prep containers for over a decade. I’ve tried plastic and glass versions. I’m not a fan of plastic due to staining and odor retention. It’s also not as durable, and everyone seems to be worried about microplastics lately. The one-time-use ones you can buy in bulk are ok, but not very sustainable. They’re also flimsy. I tried using glass Anchor, Pyrex, and other similar-style containers. They’re ok. Their lids didn’t stay on as tight as I wanted, and their circular shape wasn’t ideal for my lunch-bag. I bought a divided glass container with plastic lid (that held plastic utensils) and used that for a while. I don’t recall the exact product, but it was similar to this. It was ok also. I thought the internal divisions would be nice to keep food separate, but they really limited how much food i could fit. I also didn’t like how difficult the lids were to dry, since water builds up in the part of the lid that holds the utensils.

Ello Duraglass

The Ello containers made up for a lot of these shortcomings. They’re not perfect (mostly due to the lid), but they definitely work better than anything else I have tried so far. They are a great size for meal prep (3.4 cup capacity), and are very versatile. My favorite feature is the silicone sleeve around the container. It allows for a good grip, and stays cool after heating food to scorching temps. Per the manufacturer instructions, you don’t have to take it off, ever. Even if placing in the dishwasher. I was afraid maybe water would get stuck in between the silicone and glass causing mold growth, but that has never happened. Even if it did, the container is clear glass, so you would see it. I did take off the silicone once to see what would happen. I was able to put it back on easily. I also like that you can put it in the oven to heat things up (I rarely do this though, mostly microwave). I store these in the freezer quite a bit (with lids on), and they have held up really well. Even if I take the lid off while frozen, none of the plastic components have ever broken. In my 5+ years of owning these (I have 20), only one has broken, because I dropped it ~2 feet into the sink. There could be something better than this out there. If there is, let me know! I’ll try it out and review it a year later or something.

The Good

• Rectangular shape easily fits in my refrigerator and lunch-bag. Also great for stacking.
• Glass bottom, so no odor or staining, and easy to clean.
• Dishwasher safe (lid is top rack only).
• Oven safe (not lid).
• Freezes VERY well.
• Durable.
• Lots of fun colors available.
• Silicone wrap prevents you from burning hands on hot food.
• Lid has a silicone lining which produces a good seal – holds liquids pretty well. I pack soup in it. If you turn it upside down and shake it, it will probably spill, but I don’t do that.

The Bad

Honestly, it’s the lid. It’s not bad at all, and actually better than a lot of alternatives though. But could be better. Here’s why:

• Lid is plastic.
• Lid is not microwave safe, so need to find alternative cover for messy foods.
• Lid won’t snap on unless aligned well with container.
• Sometimes the plastic snaps bust off the lid (but are easy to put back on).
• The container itself is pretty durable, but it will shatter if you drop it in the sink (happed once to me).

Value

Good!

I got my first set at Target for $45 (pack of 5 containers). At $9 a container, that’s a little pricey, but not to bad at all considering how long they have lasted me. Since then, I noticed they also sell them for cheaper at Walmart for around $35 ($7 per container). The lids of the Walmart containers are more opaque. Not sure why. Doesn’t really differ in any other way. I also heard that Costco once had them for $25 (I haven’t seen them there lately). The Ello website also sells them for $45.

Disclosures

None. I’m not affiliated with this company. I don’t get any affiliate $ either. All the links are just plain old direct links. I just wanted to review them because I think they are neat.