Friend of mine in Quebec tipped me off. I've only seen the sandwich bag size (about $4 cheaper in my location) but the construction seems very similar if that has been a barrier to you trying out the product! Obviously ideally don't buy it if you don't need it- jars, bags you already have, beeswax wraps, containers of different materials, and even dish towels can serve the same purpose as the silicone bags depending on your needs. That being said...
I haven't bought plastic bags in years and was in need of something which had more heat endurance and portability than sauce jars and plastic containers. I put off getting a stasher bag for years, but it's become one of my most used products alongside the rip-off version (found in the "home/kitchen" section of the store). It's been such a life saver as they're so multi tasking and light. I'm not someone who cooks much and I travel often for work. Great for freezer storage (if you don't use vacuum bags or other specialized options), microwaving food, traveling with soups, keeping coffee fresh, making popcorn in the microwave, storing leftovers, traveling with snacks, and acting as a lunch bag. I've loved it for camping, work, and convenient home storage or cooking. It works great as a sous vide, microwave container, liquid transporter, storage bag, and can even be used in the oven.
For cleaning I noticed it does stain very slightly, but I think there are different ways to get this out. I use it for pretty innocuous smelling things and haven't had an issue with it taking on scent, but if you do a lot of spices/onion/garlic that you can see using with it you may want to research more. I've seen some people recommend the sun or various products (vinegar, hydrogen peroxide) but you'd want to do some research as some of these can degrade the silicone. I just use a cloth and soap and haven't had any issues. Residue comes off quickly, and if not it's easy to soak and can even be boiled.
(As an aside, if anyone knows the science as to why silicone bags can be cleaned with soap but menstrual cups can't I'd love to hear it! I imagine degradation would be an issue in both.)
August 29, 2021 at 12:48PM
