Crofton Glass Bowls with Snapping Lids
This post contains affiliate links.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Aldi sold this set again in February of 2024 and May of 2024 for the same price of $14.99.
A while back, I bought some glass meal prep containers from Aldi in hopes that my family could continue our quest to use fewer plastic storage containers for leftovers and other food. The containers themselves were great. However, the plastic lids that came with them were difficult to get off the containers, and my kids — who can manage all kinds of other things in the kitchen — often couldn’t get the containers open without asking for help. So I decided to keep an eye out for some different glass containers with lids.
Lo and behold, this week Aldi stocked a different set of glass containers with lids. I brought them home to try.
The Crofton Glass Bowls with Snapping Lids (Product Code: 823183) cost $14.99 at the time of publication. That seems to be a better price than a lot of similar sets on Amazon.
These are an Aldi Find, so they’re only in stores for a limited time. Each store gets one shipment, and after that sells out, they’re gone unless Aldi decides to bring them back at some point. Aldi doesn’t offer online ordering for products not in stock at your local store.
Here’s more information about the bowls with lids, according to Aldi:
- 12-Piece Set includes 6 bowls and 6 lids in assorted sizes
- Seamlessly heat, serve, and store all in one dish
- Includes easy snap-locking lids with airtight silicone gaskets
- Includes black dry erase marker with eraser
- Bowls nest and are stackable
- Leak resistant
- Available in rectangle or round designs
- Available in red or gray
- Dishwasher safe
- Microwave safe glass
- Freezer safe
- BPA free
- Glass is heat resistant up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
- Bowls are made of durable borosilicate glass
The box offers a few tips for taking care of these bowls and lids:
- Wash before first use
- Avoid using abrasive scourers when cleaning
- Not suitable for use on stove tops or hot plates
- Gaskets can and should be removed from lids before washing
- When filling with food to freeze, only fill the bowl to 80% capacity as foods and liquids may expand when freezing
- Always remove the lid before placing the glass bowl in a microwave
- Always allow the glass container to cool down completely before cleaning, and prevent sudden change in temperature
Using the Bowls with Lids:
I bought a set of the rectangle-shaped bowls with lids in gray. The outside of the box is not entirely clear how many different-sized bowls you get, but upon opening the box, this set includes the following:
- One 7.3-cup bowl with lid
- One 4.5-cup bowl with lid
- Two 2.7-cup bowls with lids
- Two 1.6-cup bowls with lids
It’s a nice variety of sizes so I can store everything from fresh cut produce to a couple of leftover pizza slices to a single serving of a casserole, or whatever needs storing. If you’re taking your lunch to work or school, there is enough variation in the container sizes to fit anything you might be packing, whether it’s a salad or a microwavable entrée.
The set also includes a small dry erase marker (with a magnet built into the cap so you can stick the marker on your fridge or freezer) that you can write directly on the lids with. However, because it’s dry erase, it also wipes right off. I’m not sure how helpful that is if you’re storing things in a full freezer or freeze where the writing could easily get rubbed off.
As far as ease of use goes, the lids sometimes take a little jimmying to get them to snap on properly, but these are a lot easier to use than the other glass containers with lids I previously used from Aldi. Everyone can get these lids off without a struggle.
The bowls in this set have a lip around the edge, and the lids clip on around all four sides. It’s fairly simple engineering that seems to work well at fastening the lids on.
However, these lips do seem to make the bowls more prone to chipping, especially if you’re trying to stack these in any way for storage. During my first day using these, one of the bowls got a small chip when I stacked it inside another bowl. For that reason, I recommend not stacking too many bowls together.
I’m looking forward to putting these to the test more during the next few months. I’ll updated this post with any new developments.
The Verdict:
The Crofton Glass Bowls with Snapping Lids feature glass containers in a variety of sizes ranging from 1.6 cups to 7.3 cups. These are good for storing leftovers or for taking lunch to work. They’re freezer safe and dishwasher safe. The glass is microwave safe and heat resistant up to 425 degrees. The lids are also not too difficult to use. If you’re wanting to get away from using so much plastic in the kitchen, this set is worth a look.
How well would these work for pantry storage? We started having field mice attempting to nibble boxed/bagged pantry items in one cupboard during the winter. The cat has been pretty good about catching them, but we’ve also had to find metal canisters with tightly-fitting lids to store the boxed/bagged pantry items in, since the mice were chewing through the lids of dollar-store plastic pantry containers. I’m guessing that these glass rectangular bowls might also work, IF those plastic lids seal securely enough that the mice wouldn’t smell that there’s food inside.
They seal securely, but the lids are made of plastic, so I don’t know how long they would hold off nibbling mice.
Do the instructions mean that the lids are not microwave safe? What are they made of? I get that if you had them sealed shut it would most likely explode, but if you just cover the bowl loosely with the lid would that be ok?
I never microwave plastic.
These are back at Aldi the week of May 8th, 2024.