I Love Batch Cooking but Hate Bulky Freezer Food Storage Containers – These $21 Silicone Trays Save So Much Space
This non-toxic gem will free space in my freezer and make portioned cubes with ease
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Twice a week
Homes&Gardens
The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.
Once a week
In The Loop from Next In Design
Members of the Next in Design Circle will receive In the Loop, our weekly email filled with trade news, names to know and spotlight moments. Together we’re building a brighter design future.
Twice a week
Cucina
Whether you’re passionate about hosting exquisite dinners, experimenting with culinary trends, or perfecting your kitchen's design with timeless elegance and innovative functionality, this newsletter is here to inspire
I love batch cooking meals on a Sunday to save time on cooking during the week, but how best to freeze my goodies has been a work in progress for some time.
That’s why I was excited to hear about non-toxic silicone Souper Cubes, available from Williams Sonoma, from a colleague recently. They solve the conundrum of how best to freeze batch-cooked soups, stews, and other foods without wasting space in my freezer or needing dozens of food storage containers.
Why Souper Cubes are Genius for Batch-Cooking Fans
Made from food-grade silicone, this means there are no toxic chemicals that can leech into your food, such as BPA plastics. They are easy to wash, portion-sized, and can be reused hundreds of times, including in the oven without the lid on. Speaking of which, the lid keeps that ‘freezer’ smell away from your meals.
These are a great silicone food storage swap for a healthy kitchen. The thick silicone will help avoid rips and ensure longevity, and the steel rim makes for smooth transfers, while the BPA-free plastic lid locks out freezer smells.
I'm so thrilled my colleague, Lindsey Davis, Homes Ecommerce Content Director, told me about her Souper Cubes, fixing a longstanding snag in her kitchen on freezing and storing frozen food without wasting space.
Lindsey explains, 'I was tired of running out of plastic containers, freezer space, and cabinet space store my food containers when not in use. None of that was conducive to a stress-free small kitchen. I thought Souper Cubes, also available at Amazon, seemed a little pricey, but I have saved so much time, effort, and money meal prepping, preventing food waste, that they are worth every cent.
'And who wouldn't pay to avoid the stress of fighting an avalanche of plastic containers every time you batch cook? Two Souper Cube trays and 10 slim silicone freezer bags have replaced my collection of 15 or more plastic boxes.'
Depending on the size you pick (half cup, one cup, two cup, two tablespoon cup), you can store up to four cups worth in one Souper Cube tray. They can be washed in the dishwasher and used safely in the oven without their plastic lids up to 400° Fahrenheit.
As they have steel supports in the frame, they are not suitable for microwave use. You can either defrost your cube of food overnight in the fridge or use the defrost and heat settings on your microwave.
Put the cube in a microwave-safe bowl, add an anti-splatter BPA-free microwave lid from Amazon to keep your microwave clean, and reheat with ease straight from the freezer.
What Shoppers Love About Souper Cubes
Souper Cubes, pictured, available from Williams Sonoma, are so versatile and useful for food prep and freezing batch-cooked meals
Shoppers who have purchased Souper Cubes on Amazon say rated them on average 4.8/5 stars, with 88% of the 22,199 reviews hitting five stars.
One verified purchaser, 'Wendy Upadhyay', gave the item five stars, calling them 'Super Souper Cubes.' She adds, 'Fabulous items! I bought three different configurations of the Souper Cubes and love the ease of filling, storing, and popping out the frozen piece that you want. Very efficient and high-quality lid and material of the product base. Highly recommend this.'
Edith, meanwhile, called it the 'Perfect Kitchen Tool', and explains they are 'Perfect! As someone in a large family, we have plenty of leftovers, and having a convenient and efficient way to freeze them has made my freezer much more organized!
'Everything I freeze in these cubes releases like a dream and can fit together perfectly in storage. Baking in these cubes has eliminated the need for smaller bread pans and makes all of my mini loaves consistent. Would 1000% buy again!'
And it's not just great for batch cooking and big family meal prep. One Amazon customer said, 'These are wonderful. Whatever I freeze pops right out. The size is perfect for empty nesters or singles. They clean up nicely. Great for making a pot of whatever and freezing for later.
Handy Ways to Use Souper Cubes
They’re extremely versatile, so here are just some of the ways you can use them for better, easier, smoother food storage:
- Batch-cooked portions of foods, including soups, stews, rice, and more
- Ice-cubes, including fruity or aromatic cubes
- Baby food portions
- Freezing liquids such as breast milk
- Homemade vegetable or meat stocks, so you can pop homemade cubes into your meals
- Batch-prepped aromatics such as garlic or ginger puree.
Souper Cubes super fan Lindsey adds, 'I have my system down. I freeze my leftovers, then decant them into a BPA-free silicone bag, available in a multipack at Walmart, once solid.
'This means I can reuse my Souper Cubes in a few hours, and the tessellation-friendly cuboids of food take up far less room in my freezer. I can grab a healthy home-cooked meal to defrost every morning, meaning I only have to cook when I have time. So many wins!'
Lindsey says one of her favorite hacks is to use the smaller cubes to freeze what she calls 'soup concentrate' – puréed veggies and seasoning for soup, without the stock.
'This saves even more room than freezing the finished soup,' she explains, 'and each section of the one-cup tray is perfect for soup concentrate for two people (or one hungry person). You just throw the block in some hot stock and bring it to the boil. No need to defrost if you don't have time.'
What I've Tried Before
Easily stack your Souper Cubes for extra space-saving in your freezer
I’m a busy, disabled working mom, and batch-cooking, especially in my trusty non-toxic ceramic Crock-Pot, available at Amazon, is my lifeline for feeding my family healthy, filling, nutritious meals made from whole foods in my kitchen.
But what happens after I’ve cooked a big batch of food has been through an evolution of sorts. First, I froze everything in plastic food containers. Then I realised I should go BPA-free to protect my family from ingesting microplastics.
I tried freezing food in reusable silicone food bags, but found them difficult to wash when they were used to freeze sauce-heavy foods, especially as they wouldn’t stay open to dry without that damp smell.
Then I switched to glass food containers from Amazon that could be microwaved, frozen, and used in the oven. These are excellent, but are not always full when freezing smaller portions, and that wastes space. Plus, they’re expensive if you need lots to freeze all your batch cooks.
That’s why the Souper Cubes have really piqued my interest, and I’ve put an order in, as you can freeze individual portions, then decant solid blocks of already frozen food into your chosen non-toxic food storage bags or containers.
As soon as your latest portions are frozen, you can reuse the same Souper Cubes to freeze another batch. So even if you refrigerate a large meal and freeze over a day or two, that will still be safe and sound, food-hygiene-wise.
Lindsey adds, 'The difference Souper Cubes has made to my food prep has been quite the game-changer. I love cooking, but not every night after a long workday, but batch cooking has been far more achievable with these containers that demand less space. I was so impressed by them, I bought sets for my brother and parents this Christmas.'
What to Shop
This multi-pack set includes trays with different portion sizes so you can freeze whatever you need with ease. Thick silicone with steel rims makes for easy loading, while the BPA-free lids keep freezer smells out. Dishwasher safe.
These silicone freezer bags are dishwasher safe and reusable. The stand-up design makes it easier to load them up with already-frozen blocks from your Souper Cubes, or other cooked foods and prepped ingredients.
Easy and Wholesome Meals to Cook, Prep, Grab, and Go. If you're new to batch cooking or considering meal prepping, this book is packed with tasty starter meals you can prep easily and freeze.
I love my Crock-Pot slow cooker for everyday meals and big batch cooking. It'll easily cook 10-12 portions at full capacity. The ceramic pot cooks evenly and quickly. Set to low for roughly six-hour cooks, and high for four-hour cooks. Freeze within 24 hours.
If you’re transferring portions of food from your slow cooker to a silicone bag for the fridge or freezer, use this handy rack to pour food without mess getting on the outside. Simply hook your bag open on the grippy arms.
This compact Crock-Pot will become your kitchen’s most-used small appliance. Once your meal is ready, switch the dial to 'warm' to eat when you're ready without overcooking. Available in four colors that are so pretty you won't hide your slow cooker.
Next, delve into the best non-toxic air fryers that will speed up meal times for easy, crispy, low-oil dinners in minutes.
