glass plates and bowls

Just a small thing.

I am trying to move away from ceramics and toward glass. I also wish to move away from plastics wherever possible. For the workshops it was looking like we were going to come in short on plates and bowls, so I needed to order some. Both of these turned out to be big winners.

For the bowls, I really like the glass bowls that come with a lid. In fact, during the workshop, so many different leftovers needed to be set aside, ALL of these bowls ended up being used to store stuff in the fridges. I used to get these pyrex bowls with a plastic lid. But we got in a few of these pyrex bowls with a glass lid and silicone edge. They were so excellent that we ordered a bunch more. I have since tried finding them in other places, but this deal is the sweetest deal around.



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008MW2AF6/rs12-20





http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00015COZI/rs12-20

A dear friend had two boxes full of glass salad plates and bowls of all sizes she was about to donate to the thrift shop. I happened to be visiting at that moment, and she happily donated them to the project here. Thanks to her, we had plenty of stackable bowls for oats, yogurt, soups, stews, etc., at the workshops!

I purchased glass nestling bowls. When I want to cover leftovers, I simply reach for a bowl that's smaller than the one that has the food in it. This has been a successful small scale answer to never purchasing plastic wrap again!

If you don't mind, why?

I don't mind at all. I don't like using plastic wrap because one, it an annoying material to work with. Two, I don't recycle it. Three, I am frugal.

I think that's great Hildegard. I don't like plastic wrap either and am very frugal aka usefull.

Paul: why are you switching from clay to glass?

Paul prefers glass over ceramics because it is likely to be more inert than the glaze on the ceramics. While most food use ceramic glazes are made without lead these days, Paul is concerned other substances in the glazes could be tainting the food.

Hildegard, I like your nesting bowls as lids! I, too, try to avoid using plastic wrap so I often cover a bowl with a plate.

substances in the glazes could be tainting the food.

Through the years,I have had numerous ceramic bowls develop cracks/crazing in the glaze.
This is a prime spot for pathogens to collect.

With clear glass, you can see if it is clean. Not so easy on some patterned ceramics.

Found this here

Radioactive Dinner Plates



The former owner of this plate died from cancer.
She was quite elderly at the time of death. It is hard to know whether eating from these plates or having them in her cabinet shortened her life. She did have a collection of the plates.
The x-ray film below was left inside its envelop for the five days that it was placed under the plate.


The plate above "took its own picture" by just being placed on an envelop of x-ray film for five days. The plate's mark is shown below the x-ray.

Below is the mark on the bottom of the old dinner plate. These have not been manufactured since prior to World War II, but many people still collect and use them. Most colors such as browns, blues, and greens, would have no need to contain uranium and are not likely radioactive.

Disclaimer
The author of this page offers only limited evidence and experience in these matters. You should not assume anything about other yellow, orange, or red colored glazes on old pottery unless they are tested or reliably labeled.

This all suggests to me that there might be a spot on the lab or B.C. for a ceramist with methods conforming to Paul's specific needs, including but not limited to health concerns, carbon-neutrality through local sourcing of materials, healthy and naturally-sourced pigments, and appropriate handle sizes and inside diameters for hand washing (I might be just over six feet tall, but I happen to have ham hands and sausage fingers, so I know). My guess is that there are a few places that would carry Paul-Approved ceramics, and that like-minded individuals might pay good money for them, enriching the Empire.

I suggest ceramics because their production is less energy-intensive than that of glass, and more readily accessible in terms of the skills and equipment required. But I like the idea of scouring second-hand shops for déclassé or dated glassware, and the creative use of nesting glass bowls and stuff too.

-CK

I don't think that bad dinner plates are how I'm going to die. I've tried to picture it, but I just can't get there, even if there is a micro crack or one micro nothing of some deadly contaminant. But, glass is what is wanted, so that is what should be pursued.

Here's a dead simple business that uses 100% reused glass to make big serving trays, desert trays and gift items. The world is awash in used plate glass from demolitions and renovations of commercial space. It comes in large quantities of identical material. If one chunk tests well, it will all be good. A window manufacturer may have cutoffs that can be obtained for very little. You need a glass cutter, slumping kiln and some molds. The annealing temperature needs to be discovered or searched out if the stuff is of known origin. Some experimentation would be required before committing to a run. Once in production, most kilns can be cycled every 2 days at an electrical cost of between 10 and 25 cents per item for typically sized items. There are also gas models. These things hit the used market regularly, usually because the crafts person fails at marketing or they lose their work space ...

The skill level required to slump glass, is far less than that of an accomplished potter. This is something that is easily learned and could produce items needed at the farm and souvenir items.

I've worked in a number of restaurants that used Arcoroc glass plates and bowls. I can't offer information about production or infredients but they are food safe, attractive and extremely durable. I've dropped them on the floor more times than I can remember. They'll take a hit and hold up, but now and then one will break. By break, I mean shatter into a gozillion pieces. No large shards to cut your hand, plenty of small pieces to sweep up.

We just use pyrex pie plates. They stack and survive freezer/fridge/oven/and microwave. They also can be used as lids. If you want dedicated lids, the lids from crock-pots work well.
Of course the crocks themselves are useful without the electrical portions, just rip that part off,and burn/bake off wahtever glue is residual.
I use them for no-knead bread baking. I will be using them for fermenting in the future.
I wish mason jars nested, that would be the best cups/storage ever. Meanwhile we use a set of 4 measuring cups!

At my house we have some of everything, but mostly use ceramic. Thanks for the heads up on the poison possibility.

Thanks Paul for the link to cheap pyrex. I have had great luck with their durability. Other glass dishes are sometimes hard to tell quality. I worked in the resturant business washing dishes and once the owners got a "great deal" on glass plates. First night in, about a fifth of them were broken from being set down in a stack, not all glass is created equal.

This discussion makes me curious about other materials such as stone, wood, and metals.
Since wood is easy enough to come by and breaks down naturally it seems like a good choice, but the prorousness would be an issue. Even if the plate only lasted a portion of the life of glass or metal, it could be thrown back into the woods or put into a hugel mound.
A person could use a stainless steel dish set for their entire lives, but it would have to be made off site using a lot of resourses. Is there a hidden danger in stainless?
If not steel than maybe a person could just use an iron plate for the rest of their lives.

Wood sounds cool! If you could get big enough pieces of Osage Orange,the plates would outlast most people.
Steel plates would probably not do well with tomato based foods...

For storing food I use the stuff from Glasslock . It's durable, easy to clean and comes in many sizes that stack and nest together to save space. Lids fit with a silicone gasket. I've been really happy with them. So happy that I have a whole cabinet full of them. Some are oven safe so that can cut down on doing dishes.

Just throwing that out there.

Craig Dobbson wrote:For storing food I use the stuff from Glasslock .  It's durable, easy to clean and comes in many sizes that stack and nest together to save space.  Lids fit with a silicone gasket.  I've been really happy with them.  So happy that I have a whole cabinet full of them.  Some are oven safe so that can cut down on doing dishes.  

Just throwing that out there.  

...thanks to the spammer who popped this old thread up to the top I've been looking for rectangular glass refrigerator storage containers.  I like the sound of this company and my only hesitation is the quality of the lids.  Do they last?  I couldn't find where it said they were also glass so assume they are solid silicone?  

Craig, if you see this, four years later are you still happy with these?  or has anyone else bought them and had them in use for awhile?

I'd like to second the glasslock! Those things are great! We've had ours for four or five years now, and they're holding up nicely. We got ours when we went through a "removing plastics from our lives phase", giving all our old plastic containers to goodwill. We picked up our glasslocks as a set from Costco for like $30 or no more than $40.

James Freyr wrote:I'd like to second the glasslock! Those things are great! We've had ours for four or five years now, and they're holding up nicely. We got ours when we went through a "removing plastics from our lives phase", giving all our old plastic containers to goodwill. We picked up our glasslocks as a set from Costco for like $30 or no more than $40.

Thanks James!  That's what I needed to hear  

Are the lids partly glass also?

The first picture in Paul's first post is the exact type of pyrex I use for Second Breakfast at work. The lid is great at keeping my oatmeal from visiting the rest of my satchel bag.

We use glass almost exclusively at home for food storage, except for things that go into storage cold and won't be warmed up in the container, but I try to avoid it even then.

Pyrex is great. The off-brand we use is Anchor. The lids like the first pictured Pyrex are the best, in my opinion.

As to turned wood bowls and plates, I would love that. My girlfriend is a glassblower, so we have tonnes of art glass cups, and we know at least one spectacular wood turner whose work she regularly trades for. But these trades are usually for more decorative, live-edge (a misnomer, as the wood is dead; it refers to leaving bark on an edge intentionally as part of the finished piece) bowls that will never see food other than perhaps fruit.

I loved the segment on one of the BBC's Tudor Monastic Farm life series that covered the importance of the local wood-turner.

I love the idea of durable wooden settings designed and intended, perhaps, for everyday use, such that they were made from a plentiful, cheap wood, well but plainly crafted, for the sake of speed, and naturally finished and treated so that when they'd break or wear out, they would compost, or simply be set out in the garden to break down.

-CK

Judith Browning wrote:

James Freyr wrote:I'd like to second the glasslock! Those things are great! We've had ours for four or five years now, and they're holding up nicely. We got ours when we went through a "removing plastics from our lives phase", giving all our old plastic containers to goodwill. We picked up our glasslocks as a set from Costco for like $30 or no more than $40.

Thanks James!  That's what I needed to hear  

Are the lids partly glass also?

The lids are BPA free plastic with a silicone gasket. That's the only downside, but my wife and I are ok with it since our food is in contact with glass, not plastic. A very big factor for us deciding to get rid of plastic containers was reducing our exposure to chemicals in plastics which leach into foods and liquids stored in them: food containers, plastic cups, no more plastic water bottles, etc.

The lids are BPA free plastic with a silicone gasket

I'm willing to go with that.  We have an old set of stainless steel bowls with heavy plastic lids that have not worn a bit with constant use.  They fit very tightly, in fact we have to be patient and press all around the edge to be sure it is sealed and the foods rarely touch the lid.

I like that they explain their process

Glasslock is made of silica, soda ash, limestone and other natural components, making it eco-friendly and recyclable.
It is BPA free and does not contain any harmful environmental hormones.

Chris, we have a lot of wooden ware although it is used for fruit and seeds and dry things mostly.  At one time I had a lot of everyday wooden eating bowls...I forget why I gave them away?  They did need a certain amount of maintenance and we weren't always on it back in the day....they would get dry and crack or chip.  I keep up with my cutting boards and spoons though.

I love pottery and use some everyday.  We are fortunate to know our potters here in this area...and our broom makers, blacksmiths, glass blowers and woodworkers, weavers, spinners and dyers and have always had our own woodworking and weaving to trade.

Judith Browning wrote:

The lids are BPA free plastic with a silicone gasket

I'm willing to go with that.  We have an old set of stainless steel bowls with heavy plastic lids that have not worn a bit with constant use.  They fit very tightly, in fact we have to be patient and press all around the edge to be sure it is sealed and the foods rarely touch the lid.

I like that they explain their process

Easylock glass is made of high borosilicate glass, making it heat-resistant, eco-friendly and recyclable.
It is BPA free and does not contain any harmful environmental hormones.

Chris, we have a lot of wooden ware although it is used for fruit and seeds and dry things mostly.  At one time I had a lot of everyday wooden eating bowls...I forget why I gave them away?  They did need a certain amount of maintenance and we weren't always on it back in the day....they would get dry and crack or chip.  I keep up with my cutting boards and spoons though.

I love pottery and use some everyday.  We are fortunate to know our potters here in this area...and our broom makers, blacksmiths, glass blowers and woodworkers, weavers, spinners and dyers and have always had our own woodworking and weaving to trade.

Stainless Steel is very wired for me. I prefer glass so that I can directly reheat my leftovers in oven and microwave. Locking lid is better than snap lock for me because it prevent leak and keep my freezer and countertop tidied.

I recently scored a minor arcoroc haul.



I think they were part of a larger set as they nest beautifully but with a gap where at least one other bowl appears to be missing.  I think there should be a glass lid for the biggest bowl too, but I went back to the shop and rummaged until I found a clear pyrex lid that fits but doesn't match the colour.  

There's not much of a tradition of selling used items in this part of Portugal, but this place opened a few years ago bringing used furniture from Holland.  At first they were a bit up market and overpriced but they seem to have adapted to the local market, mostly expats on a budget, and now supply a good range of used furniture at all prices and also have a wonderful bric-a-brac and kitchen section at seemingly random prices according to what mood the guy is in on the day.  I think he must visit house-clearing auctions and pick up any bargain furniture and any nice boxes of kitchen stuff that no-one else bids on then he uses them as bait to get bargain hunters like me popping in to rummage every time they get a chance, in the hope of selling them something bigger next time.

I paid €2 for the arcoroc haul and I've been very pleased with it.  I've already bounced one of the tiled floor and it survived unscathed.  I've recently had to totally re-organise my cooking style and am constantly having leftovers that need putting in the fridge and having to cook and warm things up quickly in a microwave (I never thought I'd own one of those things again!) and the glass bowls have been invaluable for me over the last few weeks.