Side by Side Comparison of: Rubbermaid vs IKEA

I LOVE these. I bought this one to go with the full set and they are wonderful. The quality is great, I have microwaved, dishwasher-ed and stored spaghetti sauce in them. So far they have not stained, puckered, bubbled or warped. I also have dropped one or two and no cracks or spills have occurred. I really love these Rubbermaid's! Bonus the color is beautiful too!

I added these to my already preexisting set because I like them so much. I like how they always look clean, never the water marks or discoloration that happens with other tupperware sets I have owned. The lid always seals tight and they interlock when being stored. Most things that I put in them rinse out without any scraping or scrubbing, even stuff that seems cooked on comes off easily. I used them daily and have had my last set for 2 years with out any cracks, warping or leaks. The originals all still are holding up great, I just wanted more of them!With this particular 20 piece set, the containers are clear and not with the swirl pattern if that matters to you. Some of the other options from Amazon show the pattern, but this one does not.

I love these.

Summary: I love it. They are durable and work as described.Price: I would say the price of these is reasonable for what you get. The smaller containers won't be getting much use, but based on the quality as explained later in the review, the price is decent.Quality: These are built to last. They are very very hard plastic that is much more durable than I expected. The seal is great and I have had no issues with these.Functionality: My girlfriend and I cook fairly often. She doesn't like left-overs but I don't mind it. Before I got these I had a hard time eating left-overs because wrapping them in foil or plastic seemed wasteful and a big pain. These containers solved all of that. I admit I was hesitant to get these because I hate the discoloration that they all seem to get over time, and when they stain they look constantly dirty which ruins my appetite. I am happy to report that as of 7-8 uses I haven't noticed any stains or discoloration. I usually microwave the food in the containers and they clean up very easy.Design: These looks great on the shelf in our pantry. Typical rubbermaid color: red. They look nice in the fridge as well and keep things organized. I hated having a plate wrapped in foil in the fridge. With these I can stack them neatly and they take up very little space.Overall impression: Worth the money if you want to save left-overs, or store things neatly and nicely. This is my first set of storage containers and I am very happy with the quality and price. The smaller containers probably won't get much use, but they are nice to have around just in case (plus they don't take up much space).

Great containers. I have used them for about a couple of months now and I haven't saw a single stain even after storing left over spaghetti and other red saucy foods that normally stain. The seals are great to help keep foods fresh.

I had this previously and I loved it so much I bought another set. I also bought an additional set that is blue I believe its 30 pieces. I also bought the fruit saver which is wonderful keeps food for a long time. I've taken things from the freezer to the microwave to the table and don't have to use any other containers.

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!

These bowls are a very hard plastic that does not stain or discolor at all from use and won't melt in the microwave even when heating greasy items. However, I have experienced problems when attempting to freeze items using the bowls. Because they are already a very hard plastic they can become brittle when freezing and are then prone to cracking.

These are my favorite storage containers by far. They have a dual plastic cover, so you can see inside, but still get a good seal. The base is a hard plastic. The downside is that it can break if dropped, but the upside is that it is very stain resistant, unlike previous Rubbermaid containers, and very clear and easy to see through. Overall, I think this is a big improvement, especially since it eliminates the plasticizers used in many containers.

These are very nice and I like them a lot. I got them in the mail very fast, about two days. The colors are nice and they seal great, reducing spills. I have been using them for about three months now and I have dropped them several times and they have not cracked. I also put them in my dish washer and they come out great. I also notice that food does not stain them. Compared to other containers, I have used in the past these are the best. I give for stars and not five because the lids have a groove in them that make it difficult to dry completely. This is awful. You have to really get into that groove with a towel to dry them . Other than that these are great

My favorite food storage line. Solid build, no microwave burning, stacks well. My only issue is that there's probably more crevices and grooves than needed, so cleaning and drying can be a little more work. This size is probably a bit pricier than I'd prefer, but it's a unique color and sold as a single set. I really dislike the red lids that are usually on sale, silly I know but I'm like a bull with red lol.

Bought these to replace glass ones from Costco that have the rubber seal around the edge. That seal gets moldy over time even with replacing so we wanted to go a different direct. Found these but was slightly skeptical as they are not glass. But after using them for a while now I can safely say these work just as well as glass and don't weight as much. The plastic doesn't retain any odor or color and they snap into each other for easy storage (we live in a small apartment so this is really important to us). The only con we have found, as other reviewers state, is that after washing them and letting them sit to dry, water gets trapped in the lids no matter which way you have it drying. Not a huge deal but you just have to shake it out before you put it away.

I love the product and since I wanted to be different, I wanted the Purple. I saw The Premier briefly in Red at a large local retailer and then it disappeared. I did not know who made it or the name of the product, so I was surprised to stumble upon it. The product is supposed to be stain resistant, etc. but they must mean everything except the lid because after one use, storing Spaghetti and Sauce, the purple part of the lid underneath, is stained red, so they don't get a 5. I like the clarity and design on the bottom and hope the durability holds up. The lids stacks easy but does dip down quite a bit which seems to take up some of the storage area. So go large! You can find the Red Premier sets and separate pieces around. They seem to be discontinuing the Purple. The Premier product line is superior to their other regular Flex Seal product found retail but Rubbermaid's, marketing (or lack of marketing of this line) amazes me!I returned their regular (unused) Red Flex and Seal to the place of purchase. I have called Rubbermaid on several occasions trying to find reasonably priced, additional Purple 9 and 14 cup pieces and their customer service department, is totally useless. They don't know what they are doing. I have found the product at other large local retailers in Red and Purple, that Rubbermaid does not even know carry it.

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.

Not satisfied. Plastic and They leak. Not for liquids. I have the glass ones and they work greatKaren from Kansas

Did not receive the "Premier" set as pictured and described. Not a real big deal, but I only got this to match my existing items.

Decent. Don't really have a use for half of the containers. Who needs 3 or 4 teeny tiny containers and only one leftover size container? Kind of a rip off.

Looked to be good quality but I definitely didnt believe them to be worth tge price. I bought them for tgeir color as my kitch is purple and zebra however I returned them without using since I felt they were not worth the money.

I bought these so that I could batch cook and store for work lunches. Basically, they're ok.1. The purple lids are weird. They stain with tomato sauce, which one would think would not be a 'feature' of this particular set. Also, the lids don't fit nicely under the containers (say, if you microwaved them and tried to put the lid under the bowl part to walk back to your desk).2. The plastic in the lids will mar if you use them in the microwave (just a normal wattage microwave, for 2.5 minutes). They get bubbles in the plastic.3. They get really hot in the microwave.4. I think that the size selection is odd. I've had these for about a month, and I've used all the small ones numerous times. I have used the larger ones maybe once.5. The shape of the whole set (the lips on the bottoms) means that if you are going to run them through the dishwasher, they'll hold water, so they never really dry.

The colors are bizarre. The box shows a lovely purple lid on a handsome purple bowl. Inside, however, you will find lovely purple bowls with blue lids. These are not even periwinkle...the lids are RUBBERMAID BLUE. Is this a mis-packaged item? Other reviews state the same issue, so it must be the intended package.Otherwise, the product design is fine and works as advertised. The lids nest conveniently.UPDATE: I went to a grocery store and saw these bowls for sale. That store sold bowls with PURPLE lids. These lids are BLUE. This product should be labeled as FACTORY SECONDS.UPDATE #2: I changed the rating to 3-stars. They product really works well. The color doesn't make sense.

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.

Covers do not always fit snug and one of the bottoms cracked!

Atypical Rubbermaid containers. I thought these were supposed to be better than the average Rubbermaid containers, but alas, not the case. Dropped one on the floor and it broke. Not good.

lids take some playing around with to fit

Both sets are incomplete

I'm extremely disappointed, one of the medium bowls has a crack at the bottom after the first time that I used in the freezer

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.

So, if you use it for storage only, they are great. They are NOT microwave safe. I contacted consumer support and they said you can only microwave for 30 seconds. So, it also says they are dishwasher safe on the upper rack - I wonder if you can only do that for 30 seconds also! FALSE ADVERTISING. Not that microwaving plastic is a good idea, but don't say it's ok to do if it is not. I have 68 pieces of Rubbermaid that have been microwaved and are bubbled and peeling.

I have the full set of these. LOVED them,,, but they have started cracking. I checked the Rubbermaid site. There are several reviews saying the same thing. I don't put them in the dishwasher.

The advertising said more than one, and I only received one. Misleading advertisement

Severely disappointed in this product. Purchased in Oct 2015, in less than 6 months containers began to crack down the corners from mouth to base. Shatter proof? Well, it doesn't shatter, but they certainly fracture and crack and become pretty much useless as food storage. More than half of the containers have cracked as of this writing. Buyer beware.

It melted in the microwave the first time I used it!

i was short of some of the bottles and the additions and mixing of the sizes were all messed up

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!