The Silicone Deli Containers BA Editors Are Obsessed With

Deli containers, those clear plastic cylinders that hold bagel schmears, premade pasta salads, and the occasional illicit public beach cocktail, enjoy vaunted status in the food world. Their cheap convenience and ubiquity in restaurant service is a big reason any person with a food or food-adjacent job (including just about everybody who works at this magazine) has a collection of these tumbling around in their cabinets. However, I’d argue it’s actually their shapes—cylindrical and with a one size fits all lid—that sets them apart from a vast majority of reusable food storage container sets.Unsurprisingly when my team found out about Anyday’s Anydeli containers—silicone food storage containers that mimic the classic deli container design—we were immediately on board, and started fighting over them when we got some in the office to try out.The thing about deli containers is that they aren’t really meant to be reused forever. They degrade pretty quickly, especially if you’re throwing them in the dishwasher and the microwave—which you shouldn’t do.The Anydelis solve for this problem. They come in the same three sizes that deli containers come in (half-pint, pint, and quart), and have an embedded steel rim to give you that nice sturdy structure. Unlike typical deli containers, they also have volumetric measurements on the side—which is always a nice touch.Having tested quite a few over the years, I know that silicone food storage containers aren’t the best at keeping a tight seal, and are therefore a bit of a gamble when storing liquids. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it takes quite a powerful squeeze to get the lid to actually pop off on these. In the office we even inverted, squeezed, and shook them while filled with water, and nary a drop dropped from the steam vent or the sides.These silicone containers are also much better than conventional delis for freezing things. The OG deli containers get brittle in the freezer and—especially when filled to the brim with, say frozen marinara—will bulge and crack. These flex nicely and have enough give to accommodate expansion in the freezer.Like all silicone they will get stained by more pigmented foods. A couple rounds through the dishwasher abates discoloration, but the set of clear pint containers I use for prepping lunches have developed a slightly sallow hue after a few rounds of spicy tofu scrambles. But to be honest, I don’t really care, because when there’s food inside of them I can’t even tell. If it really bothers you, Anyday has several colorful variations which readily obscure any errant tinges of turmeric.Another drawback is that these don’t nest neatly when stored in the way that plastic containers do. Also, tape doesn’t stick to them well, but we found that you can actually just write on them with permanent marker and scrub it off quickly with soap and sponge.For the chef who uses dozens upon dozens of deli containers at a time, these might be too expensive and too bulky to justify replacing your deli containers entirely. However, if you’re a more casual deli container appreciator and long for a version that is more robust and truly reusable, the Anydeli’s are your answer.More storage and prep solutionsThe best food storage containers (in glass, plastic, and silicone)The best lunch boxes for kidsGive your stoveside some counterscaping