I’ve never been the type to clean as I cook. While I find this makes for a more free-flowing, immersive cooking experience, it also makes for a whole bunch of dishes when the meal is over. With no dishwasher in sight, every dirty pot and plate needs a hand-scrubbing from yours truly. It’s an endless, thankless task I truly loathe, so believe me when I say, this glass bowl has been a huge cheat-code.
Microwave-, oven-, freezer- and dishwasher-safe, this reusable container from Anyday isn’t just for food storage; it’s also for food preparation. Not only does this streamline meal prepping and serving, it means I can make, eat and store a meal — and only have to clean one flippin’ dish when it’s done. I’d pay a lot of money to regularly do fewer dishes. But with this, I only had to pay $32.
You can use a single bowl for every single step — cooking, eating, storing, reheating and eating again.
Coming in deep and shallow sizes, this durable bowl holds four cups. As stated, you can use it to steam and reheat food in the microwave, store food in the fridge or freezer or even to cook or bake in the oven, up to 500 degrees. The bowls are made from a special type of glass that’s known for being heat and chemical-resistant, making it ideal for kitchen use.
I don’t recommend putting it on a stove burner, but I find it’s a great bowl for prepping and storing pasta, mac and cheese and other saucy/soupy foods. After boiling and straining my noodles, I’ll put them, my neon dry cheese packet, and a little butter and milk in my Anyday bowl, mix it up, eat my portion from the bowl, then immediately store whatever’s left.
I find the glass is easier to clean by hand than my cooking pot and looove how this saves me from jackhammering dried Kraft cheese sauce off a pot, a bowl, and a Tupperware.
Loads of reviewers who also bought this bowl agree with me on how easy it makes things in the kitchen.
“Very good perfect for quick meals. Worth its price.. no mess no cleaning,” one reviewer said.
Reviews also mention using the bowl to make rice in the microwave, cook smaller portions of meat and steaming veggies for baby food. Some say the ease and versatility helped them eat healthier with only a microwave, while others note that their bowl helps them more easily use up aging produce before it goes bad (cutting down on food waste). “Makes eating veggies quick and easy, no excuse!” another wrote. “Just cut up some veggies stick in bowl, and put lid on for I think 4 minutes.”
The bowl comes with a splatter-free vented glass lid that you can seal or unseal, letting you regulate steam and temperature when cooking, storing, and reheating. They’re also stackable, so if you buy many (which I would recommend), you can fit them nicely together.
Users love them as a replacement for flimsy, plastic containers that warp and even glass containers that hold up but can’t do as many things in the kitchen.
“I have wanted to upgrade all my plastic microwave cookware and this is a perfect solution,” one review said. “It looks good too, so you can go straight from microwave to table as a serving dish.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Check out more promising reviews of the Anyday 4-cup glass food cooking and storing containers.
“This has passed the taste test for broccoli! I’ve never liked the way microwaved broccoli tastes (I like it boiled with a little water and not steamed). This cooks it exactly the way I like it…in 3 minutes instead of 13! I like that I can store cooked food in the refrigerator in this dish, it’s very handy, and the size is good. I got the medium shallow size. Cooked asparagus, too, although I had to cut the spears in half. This dish will encourage me to eat more vegetables !” — M. A. Clark
“Love this product. Beats cooking frozen vegetables in plastic bags and I think it actually steams better than the bags do. I bought little gloves to take it out of the microwave, it’s hot for a few minutes which is actually nice but it keeps the food warm. I actually eat straight out of the bowl. Cleaning it is easy to as it’s glass so nothing really sticks to it. Overall I’m super happy with this and will buy another.” — Andrew D
“I hate to cook, but when I came across this dish it does everything from storing, freezing, cooking in the oven or steaming in microwave, I am hooked. Worked great! Easy to clean, dishwasher safe. No oil or water to help it along while cooking. My friends keep push me to get an air-fryer, key word here is fry, don’t eat anything fried. I didn’t want one. I am quite happy with my Anyday product.” — WendySue
Always looking for kitchen tools and gadgets that will save you time and effort? Check out this list by writer Erica Kam.
A two-tier electric food steamer for veggies, dumplings and more (15% off)
Perfect for steaming veggies, as well as fish, meat and dumplings, this two-tier steamer has two stackable containers with a 5-quart capacity for easy multitasking and cutting down on cooking time. The device has an indicator light, 60-minute timer and an auto-shutoff feature. Get it for 15% off.
Promising Amazon review: "This thing has made my life so much easier, let me tell you. Shamefully easier, even.
It's compact, SUPER EASY to clean, incredibly straightforward- ..I mean, it's a steamer, not brain surgery. BUT! For someone who works full time with about two seconds of free time, this thing is a godsend! I've missed steamed foods terribly, as it's about half of what I ate growing up. I've had a hard time finding a good steam pot duo I've wanted to really sink money into, and like I said, with a full time job I don't have a lot of time to cook as much as I'd like to. I didn't want to spend money on a big pot that I won't have much time to use, or even adequately utilize, as it's just my girlfriend and I right now. I tried those collapsing basket steamers as a happy compromise, but you know what? Ain't nothing happy about those my guy. Those baskets are hot trash.
Enter: this thing. I come home, pop it out of the cabinet and it takes literal seconds to set up. I love this steamer. Cleanup is fast, the stacking chamber is dishwasher safe. The price is great. This thing is perfect honestly for anyone, but especially if you're a single person or couple living in an apartment, or just don't want another appliance taking up half your counter. If you're like me and have been looking for a convenient steamer, you really can't find anything lazier than this. If you've never cooked with a steamer before, the price and ease of use also makes it a good entry point!" — Nolan
A miniature Hamilton Beach food processor (20% off)
Made with a stack-and-press design so you don't even need to bother with fancy knobs or buttons, this three-cup food processor can chop, puree and emulsify in seconds. It has a 350-watt motor and durable, stainless-steel blades that are dishwasher-safe (along with the lid and bowl). The lid also has a built-in oil dispenser to add liquids while you're processing the ingredients. Get it for 20% off.
Promising Amazon review: "When I think about ALL that time I spent chopping up those onions and walnuts + tons of other stuff, I think I bought a miracle here. Wow. In 3 seconds, and I mean 3 seconds my big onion was chopped! Now, you DO have to slice it in chunks and THEN put it in this BEST little chopper & food processor every made, and WOW!..........done!......in literally 3 seconds! Then I tried the carrots, then the celery, and the rest of my refrigerator. Done, done, done. In no time at all. Fast, well made, only 1 blade to clean. Easy to store this due to nice size. How did I ever live without this?" — Susan Lynn
A powerful and easy-to-clean Cuisinart hand blender (18% off)
As much as I love making smoothies, pulling my giant blender out of the cabinet — and hand-washing it later — is always a chore. That's what makes this Cuisinart hand blender so handy. With two speeds on a 300-watt motor, you can blend smoothies, sauces, baby food and more without having to wash a giant, heavy blender afterward. With an 8-inch stainless-steel blending shaft, you can blend directly in a pot, pitcher or bowl. Grab it in up to four colors. It's 18% off at Amazon.
Promising Amazon review: "I love this immersion blender! I think it is one that is going to last me for years, and I use it all the time. It saves me time in using it and in cleaning up. Now my traditional pitcher blender sits in the corner cupboard and is rarely used, except in the summer for things like making orange Julius. I make a lot of different kinds of soups. With this immersion blender, I can quickly blend just briefly to add a bit of thickness to the broth, or I can easily blend it for a while to turn the whole pot it into a smooth creamy soup. And the cleanup is a breeze – just detach the blender end and rinse it in hot water. Done. With some kinds of soups it may take a washcloth, but it's very quick and easy." — C. Hoogendyk
A trusty pair of all-purpose kitchen shears
As someone who grew up around Asian cooking where kitchen shears like these KitchenAid ones are an essential tool, I'm always surprised to learn that not everyone has learned the wonder of cutting things with scissors. Especially if wielding a knife makes you nervous, there's no shortage of things you can just use sharp scissors for instead — like scallions, chicken, dough and more. Shears also allow you to cut food directly over a bowl or plate instead of on a cutting board.
These have ergonomic handles and dishwasher-safe stainless-steel blades with micro-serrations. They also come with a blade guard for safe storage.
Promising Amazon review: "These are life changing!! Okay, maybe not life changing... but seriously get one of these Because it’s going to make cooking and cutting much easier! I loved them so much I had to get myself a second pair the next day. I love the soft grip. Ergonomics is amazing. The teal color is so cute! Very durable. Cuts through everything. I had to get them because they match kitchen set with my teal pots and pans. They also come with a lifetime warranty through KitchenAid too!" — Princess Xtina
A bench scraper you can use for so many kitchen tasks
This OXO Good Grips bench scraper can be used to cut dough, chop fruit or vegetables, scrape baking sheets and otherwise help you save time on prep. The non-slip handle and tall blade make it easy to avoid cutting yourself while you use it, it's stainless steel and dishwasher-safe, and it even has quarter-inch markings so you can measure with it, too.
Promising Amazon review: "It's so useful. I use it for shoveling off the cutting board into the pan mostly, but it's super nice for baking pastries. The sharpened edge is handy for easy chopping if you notice something that slipped through the process. Would buy it again. I'd only hand wash this though, keep it out of the dishwasher (as with all other knives and anything you want to last for awhile). I've had mine for awhile and it looks brand new. It's one of those things that you can't imagine yourself using, but once you have it you realize how much time it saves. Get it, you'll be glad you did." — L. Beck
A HuffPost reader-favorite vegetable chopper
I love using the popular Fullstar veggie chopper to cut down on slicing time, especially as a novice cook with few knife skills to speak of. It has four interchangeable blades and all of the parts are dishwasher-safe. With a non-slip bottom and soft grip handle, it's also easy to use for those who can't hold a knife because of arthritis or other reasons.
Note: Get an extra $3 off this veggie chopper by clipping the on-page coupon before adding it to cart. Savings will appear at checkout.
Promising review: "I used this wonderful product to do all of the chopping for my summer canning this year. It saved me loads of time and, because I have excruciating arthritis, it made the impossible easy. My shelves are stocked." — Pamela LeJeune
An electric egg cooker that can make an omelette with one touch
However you take your eggs — scrambled, poached, hard- or soft-boiled — this electric egg cooker can have up to seven eggs ready for you at once with the press of a button. It comes equipped with an omelet bowl, poaching tray and boiling tray — all of which are nonstick and dishwasher-safe. The auto-shutoff feature also keeps your eggs from overcooking.
Target currently has the black version for cooking seven eggs at once. But Amazon carries the six-egg cooker in seven colors. And if you want to cook more than that at once, Amazon also carries a deluxe version that can cook an entire dozen at once.
Promising Amazon review: "This thing is a miracle worker. I used it to prepare deviled eggs for our family Christmas celebration. I made 36 deviled eggs in under an hour using this. The built in timer gives freedom to work on other tasks while eggs cook. After a quick ice bath the eggs peel easier than any boiled egg I've ever made before. Not a single egg broke during peeling, and several yolks popped perfectly out with one swipe of the spoon." — Laurin
A salad spinner that can cut down on time spent washing and drying produce
This 6.6-quart Farberware salad spinner comes with a colander and salad bowl, and can be used to rinse and dry produce much faster — in other words, not only will it save you time, but it can make it easier to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet if you've been previously put off by the prep work. All you have to do is push down on the spinner to get it going, and then press the brake button once the majority of the water has been spun down to the bottom bowl. Easy-peasy.
Promising Amazon review: "Before I used this spinner, I had many others.. they all died. The frayed pull chord was mostly responsible if not simply the poor design of this products competitors. Many of paper towels were saved with this purchase. So much of my time wasted in tedious and unnecessary work has been restored. Dry lettuce, don’t walk.. run to me!" — Ozzy G.
The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)