Customer Reviews

Rubbermaid 7J12 Premier 20-Piece Food-Storage Container Set

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

To start with, let me say I realize this review is a little over the top. I mean after all, we are talking about a cheap little container we use to store left-over macaroni. That being said, if you're like my family we end up storing, heating, and washing these containers a lot and we want them to clean up easy, not warp or crack in the dishwasher, and above all, to be safe (especially for use when my wife is pregnant and for storing or heating food for our children).

The original Premier line was the only plastic food storage product I've ever owned that didn't stain when it held tomato sauce. It's wasn't just tomato sauce: all kinds of berries in sugar, purple cabbage, beets, you name it we've stored it. They just didn't stain. They were hard, durable, and the lids were really easy to put on and take off. Microwaving and dishwashing did little to the appearance (they dull slightly but it's barely noticeable). Easily the best product of its kind I'd ever owned.

And one day I threw them all away.

When my wife and I started our family we took a good survey of the science and decided that the health risks associated with BPA were probably real. We are both very analytical engineers who did way too much research into this. We decided that while the risks to adults were inconclusive there was serious indicators that BPA's endocrine disrupting aspects were very likely a health risk for babies, particularly in the early days of fetal development (one large manufacturer of BPA now refuses to sell it for use in infant products). We decided to get rid of any polycarbonate food containers made with BPA and so the Premier (which contained BPA) got tossed out. We switched to the Easy Find Lids line which was good, but not as good as the Premiere line.

In of March 2010 Rubbermaid introduced a new line of Premier food storage containers that are BPA free. These have red lids, a swirl pattern in the plastic and "BPA Free" stamped on the bottom. These are made using the "Tritan" branded co-polymer manufactured by Eastman. Eastman has specifically developed Tritan to avoid the health risks associated with plastics made with BPA. So there are two questions: Is it safe? And does it work as well as the old Premier line?

Is it safe?
The answer appears to be yes, and I think Eastman has done a good job of publishing their testing methods and using reputable outside research to validate that Tritan is very safe. It passes (of course) the basic toxicity test and skin testing (to their great credit Eastman has published their testing methods for peer review). More importantly none of the monomers used in manufacturing (there are three) interact with the endocrine system. To be specific they were tested by the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School for estrogen and testosterone binding (there was none). It was further subjected to both Ueterotrophic and Hershberger assays by Wil Research Laboratories. The uterotrophic assay test for estrogenicity (basically "does it imitate estrogen") on both immature and ovulating female rats. The Hershberger assays test for androgen affects (most notably testosterone). In both cases there were no affects. (BPA for example has demonstrated BPA-induced uterotrophy in rats in testing done by the National Institutes of Health.) In short, pregnant women and babies can safely use these products: it should not disrupt natural hormonal activity.

Does it work?
In most cases Tritan is better than polycarbonate and better than other BPA free alternatives such as transparent ABS, cyclic olefin, and impact modified acrylics. About the only thing that the "old" Premier was better at was heat resistance. What distinguishes Tritan from other co-polymers is that it combines hydrolytic resistance, heat resistance, stress tolerance and chemical resistance. Which is to say you can clean in the dishwasher over and over without it warping or cracking. A home dishwasher attacks dishes with heat (up to 70c) chemical detergents, water, and abrasion (when overpacked). Tritan has a transition temperature of around 110c (just enough to let you safely sterilize baby bottles made from it) far above the temperature of even commercial dishwashers. Tritan is also less like to warp or crack under stress than polycarbonate. So whereas the old Premiere might crack or warp after a dozen runs in an overfull dishwasher, the new Premier can survive hundreds of such runs. It's high chemical resistance not only protects it from detergents it means you can store tomato sauce in it. In short it's generally better than the old Premier line except that if you leave both too close to the stove, the new Premier will melt first. So don't do that.

I've tried them out myself and I have to say the new Premier line is probably the best plastic food container line out there. I don't particularly care for the swirly lines, but aside from that I really like them.

What can I say. Love them. Don't want any other type in my kitchen. Love the new lids. What a space saver. Took them to a BBQ and was able to take the lid off turn it over and set the dish on it to serve. Didn't have to worry about the lid getting lost. Clean up is great. No Stains and they look so nice. Got to get them. You will love them.

Beware - they send you the OLD, NOT BPA free model! The new, BPA free model has red covers, just as on the picture, and the swirls on the sides of the containers. They sent instead the plain older model, no swirls, navy-blue covers. Do not care about the swirls, but the reason I'm getting new containers is to replace the old ones with these BPA free. Returned for replacement (And commented as to why!) - they sent me AGAIN the old model!!! Arranged with Amazon for a refund now (originally it eligible for replacement only). One more trip to the post office... And, btw, the shipping was almost the cost of the item itself - would be better off just buying containers one by one in the supermarket, at least I'd see what they are.

I was ready to order these storage containers, before I read the reviews about BPA. I am so glad that I decided to do my own research!

Rubbermaid has responded to issue of BPA by reformulating their product. As of March 2010, Rubbermaid's Premier line is BPA free!
[...]
I'm so happy because the BPA was the only thing stopping from ordering this product.

As Many know it is Hard too cook for just 2.Especially for me,I Love my wifes cooking but with some stomach issues.Left overs IS the Norm.

With Rubbermaid Premier we can EVEN save Tomato sauce.Microwave it warm and wash.With NO Red permanent stain that commonly goes with Plastic.

The Lids Not only lock into each other,of same size.Making storage easier.and Loss LESS likely.They Lock to the container so tightly that My favorite Double Garlic onion spread does NOT send it's aroma through out the refrigerator.Yet My SEVERELY arthritic hands can open & close.With ease,nor flip & spill opening.

We were given a set a couple years ago when we got married.Now even on a small fixed income we HAVE found.the Rubbermaid Premier Storage set is the ONLY way to go.

My wife has been slowly but surly tossing my warped and stained 99cent store special miss matched,and slightly melted Storage containers.

Saving storage Space & increasing food storage time.Thanks to the Rubbermaid Premier storage system.Iam Just a tough customer Very satisfied with a worthwhile products.
for your shopping ease,The premiere Links:
Rubbermaid Premier 20-pc. Set
Rubbermaid Premier Containers 24-piece Set!
PREMIER 14 CUP**
RUBBERMAID 7H7600WBKMCLR, PREMIER 3 CUP, Case of 6
Premier Square Food Container, 1.2 Cups
Rubbermaid Square Food Container, 2 Cups
RUBBERMAID 7H7900WBKMCLR, PREMIER 14 CUP, Case of 4
RUBBERMAID 7H7400WBKMCLR, PREMIER 1.25 CUP, Case of 12
RUBBERMAID 7H7700WBKMCLR, PREMIER 5 CUP, Case of 6


It will Take a while BUT when we have totally switched over to Rubbermaid PREMIER containers I hope to add a Video review.Showing the ease of storage,Sealing,Heating in,opening & finally Cleaning.

*****
This is a great set---10 separate pieces each with lids---and a stunning value! They stack so that storage is easy---they come in a 9" x 8" x 11" box, so they fit into a very small space. This is a great all-around set, with items of all different sizes, a good starter set, too.

I have other Rubbermaid Stain Shield items, and I really love them. They are made from a very hard plastic (polycarbonate) which is made to last forever. The lids fit well and seal very tightly, but aren't too hard for me to get off at all. They don't stain even with tomato products and are really easy to clean.

This product looks like it will last a long time. Some reviewers have occasionally mentioned cracking and breaking; however, I can't imagine this as a potential problem for me because these items are really sturdy and we're not overly rough with our containers. Our other Rubbermaid Stain Series items have lasted for months with no problems. They definitely are not made of the same material as typical Rubbermaid plastic, but that's because polycarbonate is not porous, not made to absorb stains or odors. I love the polycarbonate material, and have never had anything ever made with it break or crack, only cloud up a bit with age and heavy use (I also scrub them with steel wool sometimes, though, which is probably why).

This Rubbermaid Stain Shield set comes with a Lifetime Warranty which is printed on the box. They say they will compensate you for any product defects and will not charge you for labor, service, or parts, and then give you an 800 number to call to make a claim. The warranty does not cover damage due to accident, misuse, or abuse of the storage pieces, which they say includes melting, warping, burning, or scratches. So...don't stick these in your oven, or drive over them with your car, throw them in your woodstove in the winter, or try to hack them in two with an ax, and I think you'll be just fine. If you have any other type of problem, you get your money back (even plus the sales tax, they say). Hey, I'm totally satisfied---not many products are this great and then have a warranty like this to boot!
*****

I was concerned about buying these after reading Dave from Portland's review. However, as indicated in the Rubbermaid web site, "We recently introduced a new version of our stain-resistant Premier food storage containers that is BPA-free. This version of Premier has a BPA-free stamp on the bottom of the container, differentiating it from the earlier version." So, no need to worry about that now.

I came on here to write a review because I absolutely love these containers! I would say probably one of the best kitchen purchases I have made recently. I was one of those people who had tons of cheap, crappy, stained containers with lids everywhere. I bought these and threw everything else out. The lids snap together beautifully and the containers stack together to save space in the cupboard. Now I can find the containers I need and their lids so easily and get things done faster. Love these and I am sure these are the only food storage containers I will ever buy.

I initially came here to get some feedback from others about the new set of Rubbermaid Premier containers I've purchased recently. In playing around with them before actual use, opening/closing, etc., I've noticed that the seal doesn't seem to be very tight or strong. I am able to open and close the lids with almost too much ease. My fear is that these containers will leak liquids too easily, especially as time goes by as (perhaps) the lids loosen from wear.

Unfortunately, this question hasn't been addressed by anyone yet, not in any depth anyway.

Since I didn't get the answer I was hoping for here, I went and sealed some water into a few of the containers, shaking them, turning each container upside down and rotating them around. Apart from a slow 'single drip at a time' leak on one side of one single container held upside down, every other container I tried did a reasonably admirable job locking in liquids. Certainly better than the apparent lack of tightness of the seal on my set might suggest.

Again, things could loosen up over time, but with these containers passing this initial liquid "vigorous upside down and sideways shaking" test, coupled with the other aspects that reviewers here have been raving about (lack of staining, storage efficiency, etc.), I'm going to keep them.

One final but important point, related to my review title. Reading the user reviews prior to mine, there has been some concern raised about the chemical composition of the plastics used in these containers. After doing some further research, including both the pro/con arguments on this issue, I've settled on the viewpoint reflected in the sources I've linked below. In short, I think the user reviewers here have dramatically overblown the dangers. It's understandable. It's nearly impossible for the average person to navigate the murky waters of science, public health and the politics of science and public health, which tends to distort reasonable analysis of these issues.

Check out the sources below and decide for yourself if you think the "DANGER! DANGER! .. toss them out!" recommendations are warranted here (DON'T worry, short reads and not too difficult to understand!):

http://www.acsh.org/publications/pubID.1659/pub_detail.asp

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1178620835386.htm

Note that the following one has been cited a couple times by another user reviewer here to justify his fear. Does a careful contextual reading of this information lead you to draw the same conclusion?:

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/media/questions/sya-bpa.cfm#2

We received this set as a wedding present and we couldn't be happier with them. This is just a perfect size for a new couple to start out with. The containers stack together nicely and the tops click together as well, making it easy to store and keep the lids from being lost. We have used several other container systems before these, and always had trouble fitting them into our cabinets in a neat way. This set fits perfectly and takes up almost no space.

We haven't had any problems with cracking, staining, etc but we've only had them for about 6 months. We also only use them for storing leftovers in the fridge, so I don't have experience with freezing them. We have washed them on the top shelf in the dishwasher and no problems.

Overall, we are very happy and plan to purchase more if the need arises.