Hefty Serve 'n Store Everyday Disposable Tableware - Not Your Grandma's Paper Plates
Written: May 08 '05 (Updated Jun 11 '05)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Sturdy, reusable, dishwasher safe, cut-resistant, multiple uses
Cons: Size, hold heat
The Bottom Line: Hefty Serve 'n Store Everyday Disposable Tableware is an innovative new product with many great uses. I recommend giving them a try.
|
|
|
| logimom's Full Review: Hefty Serve 'n Store Everyday Disposable Tableware |
I must admit, we do enjoy the conveniences of paper plates for desserts, burgers, hot dogs, fries, microwave burritos (a must-have staple for any 15 year-old boy), etc. I normally – OK, always buy Dixie Ultra Strong fare, which has served us faithfully for years. So well in fact, to the point of it never being a matter of choice at the market – just make a beeline for the Dixie and go on. Storage and paper plates never really traveled the same avenue with me. I just never really liked storing much on a paper plate.
The folks at Pactiv Corporation, makers of Hefty products have changed my way of thinking somewhat. I was very fortunate to be one of the 25 folks selected to test out and honestly review a new Hefty product as part of a pre-launch event. I’d like to thank the public relations firm Hass MS&L for giving me the opportunity to try out these new Hefty Serve ‘n Store Everyday Disposable Tableware bowls and plates.
I took a little more time than I wanted to test these out. I had it in my mind I wanted to take these things on a picnic and see how they held up to bugs and other little beasties, wind, and whatnot, but the weather was a tad disagreeable the day we were to go. The testing is now complete though…
OK – What is this mind-changing product?
Hefty Serve ‘n Store Everyday Disposable Tableware is a revolutionary new food serving and storage system all in one, that is supposedly disposable (we’ll get to that later), and priced just right. This product adds a new twist to Hefty’s normal plastic tableware fare – it’s not only sturdier, this product lets you serve, store, and microwave. Yes, store… and without foil or cling wrap.
Hefty Serve ‘n Store features a system of interlocking rims that allow plates and/or bowls of the same size to be snapped together to become a container.
There are two lines of Hefty Serve ‘n Store products for your serving pleasure: The Everyday line is utilitarian white – nothing fancy. For those that prefer a little more festive color, Hefty also offers the Party line in bright red or blue. Both the Everyday and Party variety include your choice of a 10” dinner plate, 9” lunch plate, and a 9” inch bowl.
The Inspection
I received the 9” bowls and 9” plates from the Everyday line to test out. I almost missed getting them entirely – they had gone to my old address 150 miles away, but as luck would have it, I was in town on business and my neighbor there had kindly kept them for me. As soon as I saw the box, I couldn’t wait. I sat down at the bar of my former home and pulled them out for a first look. I poked, squeezed, bent, prodded, and connected these items for about a half-hour. I was impressed with the sturdiness of the products on first inspection. Connecting the interlocking rims was quite easy, and the grip between the two items felt pretty secure. Seeing as there was no actual food in the house, I tried the next best thing… water.
I put a bit of water into a bowl and connected one of the plates on top, then of course, I turned it up on its side to see if it leaked. Well, it leaked, but didn’t totally pour out. They aren’t exactly water-tight in that respect, but to be fair, they don’t claim to be, either. Mental note #1: Don’t store soup in them.
Real Testing
Over the past couple of weeks, I have put these Hefty Serve ‘n Store tableware items to the test. Every test I could think of, anyway.
First up, spaghetti… Fresh, hot spaghetti and meatballs with the tomato-iest tomato sauce I could muster. I not only served the dinner in the ware, I stored some for lunch the next day. This test would cover several little birds. We used both the bowls and plates for this venture. To be honest, the plates are so deep, they look quite a bit like the bowls, and my husband and son had difficulty telling the difference. Heck, I have to look at them side by side before I can tell for sure. Both plates and bowls held up to the weight of the spaghetti quite well, with no warping, bending, leaking, soaking, or feelings of impending dumping of food. Spaghetti and meatballs can be quite heavy, and most normal plastic tableware has to be held with kid gloves to move it. The Everyday ware held up very nicely. I was able to pick up the plates and bowls by the rims without any buckling. They do, however, carry heat. We use our good old wicker paper plate holders under them with hot foods, both at the table and in the lap. I think they hold heat a little too much to the point I’m afraid it may damage the finish on our table.
After dinner, I decided to hand-wash some of the ware to see how it held up. I was impressed that the tomato stains came right off, leaving no scratching or scarring from the acidity of the sauce, and no pitting or warping from the heat. I thought, I wonder how this stuff would do in the dishwasher…
The dishwasher test was a multi-level task. First, I treated the Everyday wear as I would any plasticware, and put it in the top rack of the dishwasher. The end result was a perfectly clean and new-looking bowl, which appeared no different from one of the unused ones. No warping or melting, and completely clean. I can be somewhat of a risk-taker when it comes to testing a product, and I was totally prompted to stick one of these in the – gasp – bottom rack.
Here’s where the term mega-impressed comes in… The ware that I put on the bottom rack actually fared better than some of the semi-disposable plasticware I put in the bottom along with it. While one of the containers warped a bit, the Everyday ware kept it’s shape like a champ, and still came out looking clean and brand-new. The bottom-rack test was still not enough. After surviving the harshness of the bottom, I wondered how long they would hold up.
Enter the trusty Sharpie marker. I put a small mark on the bottom of one of the bowls and used it repeatedly. I also washed it in the dishwasher repeatedly, in both top and bottom racks. It’s been almost a couple of weeks since I started the test, and the bowl still looks no worse for the wear. I can safely say, at least in my machine, they are dishwasher-safe. Every machine is different, though.
As for simple storage in the fridge, I find the containers a bit clunky and space-taking in my mid-sized apartment refrigerator. They are quite functional for the purpose though, if you have the space, and store similarly to regular plasticware. The seal is not as airtight as conventional containers, but is complete enough to store foods without them drying out. Again, I wouldn’t put any soups or other liquids in these containers, because they do leak, and if tipped over, can make a small mess.
Everyday ware holds up nicely in the microwave. The company recommends that food be heated no longer than 4 minutes in a 1000 watt microwave, and to let the ware stand for at least 30 seconds before removing. I don’t believe I have ever re-heated any leftovers in the microwave for 4 minutes. I didn’t push the limit on timing, but I did as far as multiple re-heatings. I can pretty much say they are completely able to handle multiple trips to the microwave as long as you don’t go over the limit.
I finally got to take my Everyday ware on a picnic. There are pros and cons to the picnic business with this product. As I stated above, the ware is a bit large and clunky when connected, and not very space efficient for a picnic basket. I decided I would store my spinach dip in it for transport and serving. I used a bowl for the dip, and a plate to cover. Using the ware in this way took up twice the space of a conventional container, but as far as storage and protection, the Everyday wear was adequate. The dip made the trip well, and the containers stayed well-connected. I used the plates to store burgers and dogs as I pulled them off the grill, and found them to be quite efficient. They held up well to the heat, and the interlocking lid feature kept flies, wind, and other natural beasties away from our food until we were ready to eat. My advice on the picnic thing is go ahead and take them along. However, I won’t use them again to transport. They just take up too much room in the basket.
This ware is also supposed to be cut-proof. This is true. The plate held up quite well to the multiple cuttings of steak I put it to. The steak is all the plate would hold, though.
On storing stuff in the freezer with these, I don’t recommend it. There’s nothing about freezing mentioned on the packaging, but I had to try it anyway for this test – I would be remiss in my militant testing tactics if I didn’t. I put a bowl of homemade ice cream in to store for a few days. Again, the ware takes up entirely too much room, and really cannot handle anything being stacked on top of it. Again, the seal is also not airtight. The appearance of the ice cream was OK, no more moisture crystals than any other container of ice cream, but it just tasted funny to me… different than the ice cream I stored in the conventional container. This must be why there’s no mention of it…
Care for your ware…
The product packaging states this product is disposable. Nowhere on there will you find any comments that it may be reused. Maybe they should say it is “expendable” rather than “disposable.” For the last couple of weeks, I’ve run these things through the wringer and haven’t thrown out a piece yet. So, as far as reusing the product, go for it. My personal recommendations are to simply hand-wash the pieces, as every dishwasher is different. If you must test it out, try it on the top rack. As far as microwaving, just follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on not heating more than 4 minutes at a time, and you’ll be fine.
Final Thoughts
I like Hefty Serve ‘n Store Everyday Disposable Tableware overall, and am glad it is actually reusable. I have to be honest and say that my uses for the product will be a little limited. They are just too big and clunky to use for storage in multiple units. They work great for storing a thing or two at a time, like a leftover plate for the next day’s lunch. The plates are also a little too deep, and the serving area a bit small. I’ve not tried the 10” plates, but I am certainly willing to give them a go to see if they are any better.
My ideal use for this product is for cookouts, picnics, pot-luck and the like. I can also see other non-food uses for them as well, such as gardening, crafting, and painting. These plates and bowls would be great for mixing paints and glazes in, and storing them for use all day. I don’t know how well paints and such would fare overnight or longer, since the seal is not airtight – and let’s not forget leakproof.
Would I buy these? Certainly. It is a very innovative and surprisingly sturdy and long-lasting product I’m sure I will find many more uses for in the future, and I can heartily say I do recommend them.
©2005 Donna Standridge
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
logimom
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Donna Standridge
Location: Texarkana, Texas
Reviews written: 213
Trusted by: 148 members
About Me:
Busy getting the new business going... Check out Saphoros Spa Essentials at www.Saphoros.com!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.