Expert-Reviewed Tools & Tips for Easier Meal Prep | Gear Heads

To meal prep successfully, you need the right gear. Hannah and Lisa dive into their top recommended tools and tips to make meal prepping easy.

Hannah’s Picks:

Lisa’s Picks:

ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.

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[JohnCooper-yn]

Every Saturday morning I chop up deli containers of red onions, white onions, celery, carrots and one or two other things such as leeks of fennel. I juice some lemons and limes & make a stir fry sauce. I find that these things last for a week, although it's also necessary to rinse the onions. For most of my week night meals such as soups, stews and stir fries it saves a lot of time. I typically just have to prep one other ingredient.

[janemartin]

If you buy Duke's mayo, save the lids. They fit mason jars perfectly!

[claranumberone]

It is just me that I am so addicted to these type of videos?

[melodygardner]

I don't know if you will see this months later, but I keep my Oxo scale in a zip lock gallon bag. Now I am sure that does effect the read out slightly, but it does keep it very clean. I have had mine for years!! All you have to do to pull out the read out bar, is unzip the bag. I keep it stored on it's side. I love it!!

[tkozikow]

Hard to believe how much of a game changer the plastic Ball jar lids are. Use these all the time now.

[solarmus]

If you want markings on your squeeze bottle, just add known amounts of water to an empty on and mark the side with a sharpie (use a ruler for wider lines). If the markings have issues rubbing off, just cover them in clear tape.

[sidneyfisher]

As a retired widow living alone, I use the Rubbermaid Brilliance line all the time. It's very valuable for making a complete meal, then serving the divided boxes as I serve myself dinner, to let them cool and put in the refrigerator after dinner. I always take one of these in my tote bag when I go out to eat so I can bring home leftovers without everything ending up in a mess in the middle of a big box, plus reusing them instead of using lots of take-out boxes cuts the trash I produce. These are the only divided boxes I've found that will nest for storage, and they do so beautifully. I mostly microwave leftovers or pull them out to saute for frittatas, etc. I might get some of the OXO glass boxes now, though, to have a few that I can bake in. Thanks for the reviews!

[gennybernard]

Oven safe parchment paper covering a cookie sheet is a real cleanup time saver too.

[pamcadd]

A couple of years ago, I started using the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers on your recommendation. They are fantastic! They are easier to close than containers that snap down on all four sides. Brilliance comes in both plastic and glass. I have one in glass, but I prefer the lighter weight plastic. I use them constantly in the freezer, microwave and dishwasher, and they still look like new - crystal clear - after years of use. I gradually built up my collection of Brilliance containers and got rid of the clutter of miscellaneous other containers. Now it's so easy to keep my drawer of containers neat. Your extensive testing convinced me, and my experience backs up your findings.

[RebekahCater]

I got a cheap stainless steel pot set at Walmart and practiced cooking rice in it. It’s cheaper than any other rice cooker or crockpot. I will never be upset if my rice cooker breaks or if my mom stupidly melts the bottom of it. I still appreciate what a good instant pot can do though! White chicken chili is my go to for a device like that

[Pixels_and_Points]

Great tips, thanks. That said, I get concerned when people say "ingredients I can't pronounce." That's not at all a standard for food safety. I can pronounce arsenic, benzene, and lead.

[smas]

Ikea 365 has amazing food storage containers. They are modular in EVERY WAY.
The same lid can fit on 5 different containers. There are two main sizes, the large and small ones. There are two main materials for both sizes, plastic and glass. The plastic can store slightly more. There is also a metal small container.

And the lids. THE LIDS! There are different options. There is a square silicone one, which i use to microwave food, a plastic snap, and a bamboo one with a gasket.

The best part is that you can buy the lids separately, so if something does happen, you can simply replace the container or lid without having to buy a complete new set, and for me, I love having just one lid for them all.
They also don't leak.

[OverlordMaggie]

One thing I'll say for multicookers: In between the containment of the heat and the short cook time, making stock in one heats up our apartment tons less than onnthe gas stovetop. I also like how you can go from searing in the pot to pressure boiling, and keep the fond!
One thing I'll say is buy spare gaskets if you can, they can sometimes pick up a smell.

[frankenberry]

When you were talking about salad dressing containers my first thought was "use a scale and weigh everything". I convert recipes so that I can weigh things as much as possible. It minimizes the number of prep containers and makes things so much easier. Another thing that the Oxo scale does that is nice is it will display the weight of something less than the tared weight. There are times when you can't weigh the container you are putting stuff into. Weigh the thing you are taking it out of, tare it to zero then take stuff out until you have negative what ever you want. About the only things I don't weigh are small amounts such as a teaspoon amount of yeast.

[tripletlyblessed]

I love when some of my tools end up as your picks. I have had that Ozeri scale for a decade and it’s still going strong being used multiple times a week.

[cherrybearylemondrop]

The best part about making your own dressing is customizing the flavor! Yum!
I'd beware about "can't pronounce it = shouldn't consume it" because it doesn't go far. Dihydrogen monoxide may be hard to pronounce the first time you see it, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't drink water. Yes, it's picky, but I hold ATK to a high standard

[seechangenyc]

I wish you could share options for baking prep. My trauma: finding storage for flours, sugar, etc. – that is airtight. I can't find a thing (that doesn't have polypropylene. I thought CAMBRO, but the non-poly/BPA-free containers are not airtight). I would so appreciate some options. It's driving me nuts.

[uniworkhorse]

Who knew I'd enjoy meal prep equipment reviews so much, would be stoked for a part 2!

[jullesadams]

I truly love your testing episodes. Based on them, I bought lots of them that indeed have made my life much easier when I cook for me, or my friends

[ginawiggles]

I love the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers but am finding cracks in both the containers and the lids now that they are a few years old. I've had to toss a few bottoms already because of leakage due to cracks. I have occasionally defrost items in the microwave and often wash them in the DW, so that must be the reason some are failing. But I was under the impression they were MW & DW safe. Maybe not?