Plastic Microwave to oven dishes?

knightstyle

Anyone know where we can buy them?  Doing batch baking and cannot find them.
We can buy ready meals from places like M&S in these type of container so they must be available.

chrisw

You can either use Pyrex glass baking trays or silicone baking 'tins'.

Otherwise you can buy the trays that places like M&S use but they tend to be single use and you might have to buy a quantity, eg https://www.cater4you.co.uk/acatalog/microwave-oven-trays.html

maisie_cat

I bought some in poundstretcher and they are really good, glass bottom with a clip lid. I batch cook for 4-6 when there are 2 of us so have 2 lots of meals left to freeze. I defrost or cook straight from the freezer. I also bought some from Amazon when we went into lockdown and I couldn't get to poundstretcher, they are good as well. 

knightstyle

Thanks but we specifically do not want glass dishes.  Want plastic so we can freeze then microwave defrost then cook in the oven.

SeaVixen

knightstyle said:

Thanks but we specifically do not want glass dishes.  Want plastic so we can freeze then microwave defrost then cook in the oven.

You can do that with glass. They last so much longer than plastic.

Plastic ones will have a number on in a triangle showing how many times you can reuse it before the plastic will start to impact the food taste (as well as leaking harmful chemicals into the food). I've never seen one that can be used more than 5 times. [Edit to add: I've since realised this is incorrect, and the number referrers to the type of plastic. Jury still out on if reusing is safe. Link in new post below]

Also, anything with tomato, chilli, or strong colours in will stain the plastic when you heat them, so they'll look ikky after 2 or 3 goes, regardless of how long you could safely use them for.  

I have pyrex square dishes that I've cooked something in, froze, and will be heating up and eating out of for tea tonight - a bit like the below, but it was £6 not £12! I use mine for my lunchbox too (back in the days when I wasn't working from home) - they travel surprisingly well! Mine has a dark blue lid, to combat the staining mentioned above when I'm batch making curry or chilli.

Otherwise, I keep the ones we get from takeaways and use those a couple of times before recycling them. You can buy these, but from what you've said there's really no reason you can't use glass and save yourself money (and the planet!) 

https://www.johnlewis.com/oxo-good-grips-snap-glass-storage-container-clear-800ml/p3433273?sku=237253781&s_ppc=2dx92700053274715980&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0c7Kjonw6QIViKztCh1oVQVsEAQYAiABEgJ2vPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

SeaVixen

avoidtheupsidedownbottles said:

That's interesting; didn't know that.  (Though to be honest don't like the idea of oven cooking in plastic anyway.)

Apologies! I was wrong! Was googling a picture as an example, and it seems what I was taught is the number of uses is actually a number indicating the type of plastic it is.

More info in the link below, but the jury seems to still be out on if it's safe to repeatedly heat food in plastics. 
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-safe-to-drink-water-in-plastic-bottles 

Have edited post above so not to further spread false info.

avoidtheupsidedownbottles

SeaVixen said:

Have edited post above so not to further spread false info.

ah thanks for the update.  Yes there are so many types of plastic it is very difficult to know where you are with them.  I presume the single-use convenience meal ones are considered safe but who really knows?

Emmia

I've got a few of these glass Ikea dishes in various sizes, which are suitable for the oven, freezer, microwave and dishwasher (except the lids which aren't oven safe) work really well, and better for the environment than plastic. The lids are also pretty watertight, so ideal for packed lunches etc., 

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ikea-365-food-container-with-lid-rectangular-glass-plastic-glass-s89269071/

JIL

I use takeaway tubs. Available from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-500ml-Microwave-Takeaway-Containers/dp/B007PT7NUY
They have gone up in price since I last bought them!!

One dish is one portion. If theres three for dinner I take three out. I also do smaller portions for lunch if I have leftover chilli for example.
I also have some ceramic dishes the same shape. A bit like these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mason-Cash-Collection-Stoneware-Roasting/dp/B00W3RVAG6/ref=sr_1_12?crid=1Y0VXVGW18OHY&dchild=1&keywords=single+portion+oven+dish&qid=1591639479&s=kitchen&sprefix=Single+portion+,kitchen,334&sr=1-12 So if I have done a lasagne in a big dish, I cool it and portion it up and freeze in these dishes. When I get them out of freezer, I decant into the ceramic dish and microwave/ bake.

If I do pies I cut the uncooked pastry sheet into rectangles and freeze, so it's a simple defrost and top and bake.
I dont like using plastic but it seems wasteful to put my better dishes in the freezer. I do also use the plastic ones multiple times.