Side by Side Comparison of: IKEA vs Bellemain

These are amazing. I bought them honesty just because the price. But they have held up to microwaving and dishwashing and I'm in awe. My husband ruins Tupperware. It doesn't matter the brand or price he always ruins them. We just end up throwing them away after two uses so I expected these to be the same. NOPE. We are going strong after about 5 dishwashers and multiple microwaves. I thought the smaller ones would be useless but they are the perfect size for toddler meals or taking dip or hummus on the go. I'm so glad I got these on a whim.

As a kid I was brought up on yogurt containers, butter tubs, cottage cheese containers and anything else as food containers for leftovers. The problem with that was that you never knew what was going to be in those containers when you opened them. That butter container might have butter, or it might have 3 month old spaghetti turned science experiment. Then there was the problem with the lids. Oh my the lids everywhere. The price of all those "free" food storage containers turned out to be a lot of time hassle and cabinet space. I finally made myself ditch the habit of saving every piece of plastic ware that came my way and got these instead. The price was right and they all nest together quite nicely. The different sizes mean that you don't have a ton of wasted space in your fridge taken up by air and you can see through them enough to tell which container has gravy and which has last night's spaghetti in it. After these ones wear out or get too stained from food or what have you, I will definitely be buying them again and again. I would definitely recommend them to anyone especially if you are still trying to figure out if you dare to open that bulging container of yogurt??

our seller was lehigh outdoor and shipping was very fast. anyway... these come nested, almost like russian nesting dolls, and i'm sure they will never quite go back together in exactly the same formation unless you take notes or a picture of it first. i didn't. i had fun. besides being for food this would be a great cheap toy for a toddler to learn shapes and sizes, like those old toys they had decades ago for babies to learn how to put different things together. some of the teeny containers fit into slightly larger ones and i was able to get all of them nested into the two largest so they don't take up much shelf space.

these are thin. i know it says you can put them in the microwave but i wouldn't risk it. melted plastic is deadly to a microwave. the lids snap on and off nicely. i'm not very strong and i had no problem with opening nor closing them.

someone said they had a problem with using them in the freezer, that they cracked. i'm guessing it was because they were filled a little too close to the top or the food was too hot and it expanded. never overfill anything that you are going to freeze in a freezer bag, jar, bottle, or plastic container, if it has any liquid content, or it can burst.

pros

they are very cute, like miniature tuppers.
the green lids are pretty.
you can learn the word for microwave in 26 languages from the instructions.
you can have fun playing with them and seeing how many different ways they can nest to take up the least amount of space on a shelf.
the set would make a nice toddler learning toy to teach babies how shapes and sizes work.
you can store things other than food in them to keep them clean and dry.
there are lots of sizes to pick from depending on however much food or other things you want to store in them.
lightweight.
they have easy to open and close lids.

cons

i can't think of any. :) 10 stars

I love these containers!

+You get a variety of sizes. Some other complained about some being too small, but I've found uses for all of them. Myself, my fiancé and our 6 year old all pack our lunches, the small containers could be used for peanut butter, goldfish crackers, or maybe fruit. The larger ones are rather large in my opinion, I usually make preface dinners like Beef and Noodles and Chicken Dumpling, and it usually takes both tall containers to hold a full pot of either of those. Personally I love all the sizes.

+Dishwasher Safe, Microwave Safe, I have also frozen these with no issues.

+BPA free. This was the main selling point for me,

-/+Lids need to be snapped on, all the way around. I pop the lid on and run my fingers all around the top and push. The lid should click a couple times. After you feel them snap into a place a few times you will get used to being sure the lids are on. Lids do have a nice little area to allow you to place a finger when you're opening them. I have long nails and I like not having to worry about them when prying open these containers.

-Price. I have no local IKEA, but I've heard these are just a couple bucks there. This is almost triple that price, so that's a little annoying.

The only negative things I've experienced I mentioned above. And it's not enough for me to remove a star. The lids are a negative point but honestly, when I hear them snap into place it lets me know they are on to stay.

Hope this helps. I will also include a customer image.

I don't have an Ikea store in my area so ya, would be nice to pay less for these. But this review is for the product itself, and considering what you get for the price vs other sets, this ain't such a bad deal. No tax, shipping - or driving either for that matter!

I've had this set since Sept. 2012 and the quality is nicer than expected. Dishwasher safe, still clean and clear, not stained or "scarred". I haven't used many of the smaller sizes but the larger sizes are ample enough for our use. We are a family of four and have plenty of leftovers. Also perfect for storing, stacking, etc. If you only need huge, like 36+ oz containers then maybe these wouldn't be best. But for the variety and quantity, they're great!

I bought these after we had ants and a moth problem, and so far, after almost a year, even after dropping one, they are doing great keeping the cereals fresh!

Purchased in order to clean up my pantry and it really makes a huge visual difference. They are easy to open but leak proof. Also very easy to clean. I wish the set came with another large canister.

These containers are great! The plastic canisters are lightweight and fit easily on my kitchen shelves. The range of sizes means I have one appropriate for just about everything. The hinged top and silicon gasket assures a tight fitting closure. Thanks for a great product!

I love these. I had previously bought some individual ones at bed, bath and beyond but this set is much cheaper. I stood in front of my pantry trying to decide what to put in them.

These are very nice quality and look great in the cabinet. They seem to be completely airtight. Did have to wash because the initial smell was intense. Overall very happy and will probably get some more

These canisters are made of tough material and the seal is really good. It's nice to see my pantry organized and with such nice looking canisters and with a psycho cat who knocks everything over, there is n fear of breakage. A++++

I have ordered several sets of these. They are nice to have when you want to send food home with someone and not worry about getting your expensive storage containers back. They are also good when something goes horribly bad and you can just chuck the container out without caring too much about the cost you're losing. They hold up well in the freezer as well as the microwave. Yes you can buy them for $5 from the IKEA site but their shipping is so outrageous they end up being $15 for a single set. Their basic shipping starts at $10 and when these drop in price to $10 here occasionally it's still cheaper to buy them here, especially with PRIME. All in all these are good little containers that can handle all the usual wear and tear that comes with being a container. But, don't expect Tupperware.

I decided to give these storage containers a go, and skip buying my regular Glad disposables. I am glad I tried these, they are very nice. However, the lids do not seal air tight. & that fact is disappointing. Also, I would hesitate to place them on the bottom rack in my dishwasher again, as the heat will white mark them. The set is nicely rounded with many small containers for those small leftovers that seem to find their way into the fridge when no one wants to toss a nice last morsel out and looks forward to it for a later midnight snack. I'm glad I purchased them, but asking that a container to be airtight is not to much to expect. Please make these better --- they are, afterall, an Ikea product!

So far these seem to be hook song up ok. They go through the dishwasher just fine. They haven't stained at all despite holding some of the most dreaded leftovers a container could come into contact with: the unrelenting tomato sauce. We don't often microwave in them but they have survived the microwave a few times with no issue. My only complaint with these is that the smallest containers are so small they are pretty useless unless you are putting about a 1/4 cup of seeds or something else super tiny. Maybe baby food or salad dressing? And the biggest tall containers are a bit too tall To fit on most of the shelves in my fridge. I wind up reserving spots in the design just for this containers other wise we have to play the constant shuffle and juggle to fit them. And we all know much much fun it is the play fridge container Tetris and hope nothing liquid hits the floor at the perfect angle to pop open and feed the dog a special treat.

Pretty good set. I liked that there were many pieces and they seem pretty durable so far. There is definitely some awkward sizing - an abundance of tiny containers and several really big ones, but not many good in-betweens. That said, I do use the extreme sized containers. The lids are really good also. Overall I definitely like product, but I would appreciate more medium-sized containers. It's worth noting that they are much more expensive online... That said, the nearest ikea to me is about two hours away and I don't think $8-12 (the range I've seen on amazon) is an unreasonable price.

I bought these to send in my kids' lunchboxes for school. Well, I am not able to do that. In fact, if you're going to put these in a bag or lunchbox, I would not bother with them. The size is GREAT- exactly what I wanted. The lids do not stay on. I thought I could use them for applesauce- nope! I wouldn't even put crackers in them. If you're going to stack them in a cupboard or refrigerator to store things to use at home, then they'd be great.

What I'm using them for is non-food storage. I actually have them on my sewing table with all my supplies in them. They're excellent for this. I'm just not giving them five stars, since I BOUGHT them to use for food.

I wanted see-through containers and a wide-mouth opening for fitting measuring cups in, so I appreciate those features of these canisters. The acrylic plastic is a bit thin so hopefully they'll remain sturdy and not crack if dropped/banged.

The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is because the largest one doesn't hold a full 5lb of flour. I'm using them for the basic flour, sugar, brown sugar and coconut.

These work great. They are on the light side (acrylic) and feel easily breakable. I haven't had any problems, but then again I don't use these every day. Next time I would buy glass.

My feelings about this product were mixed because I was looking for glass containers. But I'm glad I ordered them anyway. I like them. They're well made and aren't as heavy as glass so with full content, they're still easy to pick up.

These are lightweight ad the seal is ok. I don't know if these are actually airtight, but they are great for storage. I use them for bulk foods that don't have packaging otherwise.

My first impressions are good: Nice wide diameter canisters, silicone gaskets seem to seal well. Time will tell as to whether the chrome stands up or rusts in a few months. Made in Taiwan, but seems to be of decent quality. Will update this in a few months if any problems occur.

The larger looking containers are much smaller than they appear. Most of the other containers are extremely tiny Soap Bar dish size to Soy sauce Sushi dip size... really too small for any practical purposes. only the 6 larger containers are somewhat usable but are vastly smaller than they look. Quality seems OK.. a bit higher than supermarket disposable containers.

Just received these a few nights ago and ran them through the dishwasher to clean before using. I noticed upon opening the package that some of the lids indeed do not fit on the container properly. But, it seems that if you try that lid with another container of the same size you'll get a match. This might be frustrating if I'm rushing through the morning lunchtime packing and scrambling to find a container+lid combo that work ok, so for the most part, it's something I'm willing to ignore. Between the low price and quantity of these food containers, I'm willing to roll the dice. The reason I'm even purchasing more food containers is because the ones I have seem to keep growing legs and walking away...nothing more frustrating when you want to package up leftovers nicely and into decent portion sizes for both you and the hubby to take for lunch, and you have no clean containers left. I figure if some of these ones grow legs and walk away...at least they were cheap.

One thing I noticed right off the bat is that the plastic that these containers is made of is quite a bit thinner than other (Rubbermaid, Snapware) containers I've used. Again, I'm getting a lot of containers for a really low price, so if some of them crack, melt, or otherwise become defective and I must discard it, this will not be the end of the world. I'm just explaining the differences so that you're aware when you purchase them, that the quality of these won't be the same as something like Snapware.

These containers offer good sizes for various things. Typically I always feel that container sets include at least a few useless sizes, but all the sizes included in this set are perfect for countless things. They are sort of cheap, where after a little while of use they will start to have marks inside them, especially after using them in the microwave. Also, overtime some of the lids don't snap on nice. You have to double check to make sure they are completely sealed. It's not a bad set for the money, but I don't think that they are great for everyday use. I think they would be great for maybe a cabin, vacation home, or college dorm.Ikea Food Container 601.496.73, Set of 17, Green

I think you need to just have the right mindset when you purchase these containers. They are great for toting food for lunches. They are easy enough to clean out as there aren't any weird, hard to reach spots on the containers. You get a ton of containers for the price which for my wife and I was great since we had few containers and we pack lunches for hikes and trips to the beach every weekend. We simply needed a ton of containers and didn't want to spend $40 for the privilege of storing our own food.

I just overestimated the Ikea brand here. The lids warp from the heat from on the top shelf of the dishwasher so now I need to wash all the lids by hand. But since I'm already washing the tops, I've just decided to wash the rest of it too, which really eats into the efficiency of having reusable lunch containers.

Additionally, you can't put the lids through the microwave or else that will ruin them too.

One final note though is that these containers won't crack if dropped like some rubbermaid products. As noted above, there are several other pitfalls for these containers but it does have that advantage.

Had I paid greater attention to the measurements given in the description, I wouldn't have ordered this set. Maybe I was blinded by the pretty green tops. All I know is that while I will certainly get my moneys worth from them - the price was excellent - there are too many small containers for which I have no immediate use, and too few containers that are tall enough to meet my needs. The two tallest containers are only about 6.5 inches tall. Two containers measure approx 9x6x3 (LxWxH) - I expect to get quite a bit of good use out of them. Two containers measure approx 4.5x4.5x5.5 inches. Two containers measure about 5x5x2 inches. All of the other containers are smaller than the last two noted. I'll find uses for the small containers; however, I'd have been better off with a set that had taller containers, even if there were fewer of them. On the plus side, the lids are a lovely spring green color and they fit securely onto the containers. As mentioned before, the price is excellent. All in all, not a bad set - just not exactly what I needed.

quality is not as good as before, the containers got thinner

Fell apart first time I washed them

Good sizes but the plastic seal continues to fall off of them therefore not keeping my goods fresh. Cheaper plastic feel then I would have liked. Will not go with this grand next time I need containers for food.

I needed to replace a similar container for my coffee and ordered this as you can always find something to put in them. They are not as thick walled as I was expecting and the locking hinges are not as sturdy as I would like. I hand washed them and the 2 smaller ones had the rubber seal cone off-1 of which will not stay in place. I am using those for puppy treats due to a question on the air sealing. These will work for the time being but I anticipate having to replace the coffee one soon.

These work for their intended purpose of storing things, the lining flops off the lids from time to time but it's relatively easy to pop it back on. They're inexpensive and keep bugs out, so they do what I got them to do.

Cheaply made at opening buckle.

These are much smaller than I expected. I should have read the small print, the picture makes them look bigger than they actually are. Also, the lids don't lock tight. I use them for storing non food items.

In my personal opinion the containers are not good quality, too stiff and not flexible and too small. I received my order and the largest container was broken on the bottom, and one of the smaller lids was broken too and cannot be used for food. They were packed good by Amazon but it looks like the person that grouped the bunch of containers together and wrapped them in plastic had a large lid on top of the bunch and it hid the breaks or the large lid would have been broken too. The containers do not stack well together as stated. Maybe if you keep them all separate like the photo shows but if you try to stack them together with like kinds together and lids separate, they do not stand straight because of the rounded bottoms and depressed corners. I am not returning due to it being too much trouble and that they were cheap. I will use them for other things but not food.

Very pretty green, but the lids don't snap on securely. They easily pop open. Very disappointing quality. There is no airtight seal. The lids seem too big. I have had two other Ikea sets of plastic containers I bought at their store over the years and those were fantastic. These suck. I have to put my sandwich in the container and then put that in a plastic bag so the sandwich doesn't empty out into my lunchbag when I toss it onto the front seat of my car. No point in using except that it protects my sandwich from being squooshed. I recommend going to the Ikea store to get better ones, then try them before you drive away, so you can return them.

I was so excited about receiving this set of prep bowls I could hardly wait. But then on arrival after opening an unpackaging it I became excited to sad these bowls are nothing as pictured on other reviewers they are way way more smaller. An it says there microwaveable but when I microwaved mine the plastic around the middle half started to mess up. I would advise you to purchase a different set other than these. All though the lids do fit good on them an they don't leak. There just very small an them not being microwave safe is the down side.

I was seriously disappointed that i could not tell until i got the product, that it was made in China! I do not trust the integrity of China, with all the exposure of their products being produced with toxic ingredients. I had felt safe with Ikea, but it says "made in China" when it arrived. I feel deceived.

I ordered these to fix the storage problem in my kitchen but I didn't realize they weren't glass which is what I was originally looking for. Rather than the hassle of sending back, I decided to use the smallest one to store hair accessories for my kids which always get lost. and the others I'll probably use for pasta or extra rice storage. The clasps seem pretty flimsy and cheap, so I don't expect them to last long and the the seal isn't exactly tight.

Not that happy. Rubber liners keep falling off so have to keep adjusting them to get the suction.

Water gets trapped inside the lid and there is no way to rinse away the soap or get the water out. Water gets trapped because the gaskets fall off and the lid is apparently hollow! (I know, the lid does not look hollow.) If you can avoid getting the lid wet, the body of the canister is washable.

Provides more space on my counter than my old canisters. Counter looks more spacious.Glad I got them!

I bought these for our RV trips, because food storage is important for long trips. Unfortunately, I am disappointed. The tallest one does not seem to close tightly, and the medium size canister definitely does not close. I can see where the white seal is loose and when I snap it shut, the seal bends. I would not recommend these.

1 star review is harsh for the cover not staying maybe? But then again having a cover stay on is the primary purpose of tupperware, to keep things safe and sealed for transport even. There is no way this cover will stay on when transporting in a bag or something.

I could not have been more dissappointed. I expected higher quality from Ikea. 9 of the containers are so small & shallow that they can only be used as children's toys. The plastic is so thin & ridged, that I do not expect them to last long. The lids are ridged too & I expect them to crack quickly. As they say "you get what you pay for" or even less in this case. I can't even return them because it would cost almost as much as the product. Another wasted $11. Not all my bad. P.S. Sick of green too.

I was expecting better quality from Ikea. I wanted to organize my pantry and wanted something more sturdy, like Tupperware or Rubbermaid. These are cheap and do not seem as sturdy as even some of the disposable containers. I would be better off with Ziploc disposable containers, or reusing butter or soup containers, as they are surdier. They are also very small and would hold very little, maybe 1/4 cup. Not even worth the price. They do seem like they would seal tight, but again the plastic is so flimsy that they would probably dent or crack if anything was placed on top of them. I almost never send anything back, but these are going back.

Half of the containers that were mailed to me were chipped and/or broken with JAGGED ends sticking out. I can't believe this is how they came to me. I had to throw out 4 of them within the first week of purchasing them on top of the few that I threw out immediately because they cut my finger. Don't waste your time on this product. The containers are flimsy and leak. Look elsewhere! Not worth the money or safety of your fingers!

I loved the sizes of this set, it was exactly what I was looking for! However, within weeks I've already lost TWO of the set to breakage from putting them in the freezer. (needless to say I won't lose anymore that weay)

The description clearly states they are freezer safe. CLEARLY, as TWO have CRACKED and fell apart, the description is sorely mistaken!

DO NOT PUT IN THE FREEZER!

Cheap plastic. Not air tight. The rubber lining fell out immediately.

Not air tight, very disappointed. Food went stale very quickly.

One of the canister seals was damaged when I received it so it doesn't seal properly

The product is much lesser quality than I expected. I will be returning the item.

NOT air tight at all. Cheaply made plastic that will most certainly crack with constant applied pressure (from closing and opening lid). So disappointed. Returning immediately.

Dont waste money,cheaply made.So called gaskets I probably can pull apart with my hands.Look ok, though,Let the buyer beware,as the saying goes.