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Collapsible kitchenware


Yarome

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Just curious how that collapsible type kitchenware holds up with full-time use. I've been seeing quite a lot of it lately. Ie., colanders, mixing bowls, measuring cups, tubs, dish drain, etc.

 

Nifty idea for saving space but not so nifty if it's a hassle to use or has to be frequently replaced.

 

I appreciate any opinions or practical experience.

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My collapsible colander doesn't get a lot of use. Since we stopped cooking pasta it mostly gets used for things like rinsing grapes. But it still works well after several years of occasional use.

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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Thanks folks. Maybe I'll give a piece or two a try. I was looking mainly at some of the mixing/storage bowls, measuring cups and wash basin. Things that take up a lot of space that I don't necessarily use that often. I'm more concerned about if they are really rigid enough that they won't collapse on me and how quickly they break down. It just seems like folding plastic up and down a lot would possibly weaken the folds... or not expand fully so 1 cup of whatever might not actually be 1 full cup. KWIM?

 

Appreciate your input.

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I have been using high quality collapsible items for 9 years and its held up great. I have 2 different size colanders, one round one used at least once a day and a rectangular one thatfit over the sink and is a godsend for cleaning and scrubbing veggies etc. I also have measuring cups (dry and wet), silicon square storage units that are also microwaveable, collapsible dish drainer and dish pan. A salad spinner that serves dual purpose as a serving, mixing bowl The key is high quality. Same with silicon bakeware. If you can fold silicone and see its white core move on. I have a set of Tupperware collapsible bowels that are fairly useless. They are round which wastes space and they aren't sturdy

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I have tried some collapsible and didn't like it. Think the idea is good, just not for me. I like the firmness and stability of the regular bowls etc. I found I had to be cautious of putting anything down that was in a collapsible. In washing them I thought they were more difficult to wash. Too mushy.

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We've got a collapsible collander that's designed to span the sink. We've been using it regularly for a year or so now and it hasn't shown any evidence of wear. It's especially convenient for things coming out of a pot straight off the stove (think pasta, potatoes, etc.) It collapses reasonably flat and fits nicely in the tiny cabinet (maybe 4" high?) above the microwave.

The Spacenorman

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2012 Jeep Liberty

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We have several pieces of non-cooking pots and containers that collapse. All have held up well for over 8 years. I also bought a couple of silicone collapsible cooking pots from a place in Virginia about 6 years ago. The larger one started cracking at the accordian section but the smaller one is still ok but we never use it because our nesting rapid Chef cookware set takes up less space, is easier to use, clean and store and is induction cooktop friendly.

 

We do have a few nesting bowls for food prep as well. There is no ShopSmith in food prep wares.

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I'll pretty much echo others - I had silicone and collapsible items when they first came out and they were horrible. In the past year I've purchased new, much of my bakeware and microwave items from Mastrand - they will state it is Food Grade Silicone. I have a baking sheet which is a piece of silicone that you stretch between a take-apart chrome frame - so breaks down very small to roll up and tuck away. The new collander and funnels I like - silicone and collapsible. I have a collapsible over-sized oblong bucket with holes near the top as handles and you can pull it up to several heights depending upon your use, and it does stay up while using - unless you inadvertently push down hard on an edge and pop it. Don't know how long it will last, I don't put harsh chemicals directly into it. I have many microwave/oven type cookware items from Mastrand that work wonderfully for steaming, roasting, etc. veggies and the items are durable and are good to stuff in places where you need something buffered or cushioned when you are going to move your RV. I love functional, multi-use items. I do find that the silicone seems to take longer to air dry than, say, plastic or glass items- so I just leave them sitting around a bit longer to make sure they are truly dry and don't grow funk. I also have a large, somewhat thin silicone mat for rolling doughs, which I put on the end of one counter to keep 'someone' from just dropping all his junk and potentially chipping/damaging the counter - so that works nicely as a protector and later is used as a cushion in the cabinet when moving. Those mats can also be moved over to the table to be used as a placemat or hot pot holders -- which is another item I have several of and find them handy to use all over as a kitchen mitt or to place hot pots on or anything hot out of the microwave that may mar a surface, use them under bowls when mixing and baking - made by Cuisinart, flexible and durable. I have food grade silicone stretchable bowl lids - to use instead of foil, plastic wrap, etc. They work great, you can stack bowls of salad with these things, wash and use again, no odors or tastes involved. I even have some silicone wine bottle stoppers. Hope this helps. Forgot - you asked about dish drain - absolutely love ours for the amount of space it saves collapsed under the sink; we have the pan that the drain fits in so can just pop it up on the counter, let the dishes drain and the counter stays dry; has a built-in utensil rack also that pops out for collapsing/storage.

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Sure appreciate everyones input/experience. I picked up a small colander and measuring cups. I think I'll start there. I did the pinch test and they seem to be okay. I love the space savings, but pretty much trust both of my Linda's and will steer clear of the mixing bowls and such for the time being.

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Sure appreciate everyones input/experience. I picked up a small colander and measuring cups. I think I'll start there. I did the pinch test and they seem to be okay. I love the space savings, but pretty much trust both of my Linda's and will steer clear of the mixing bowls and such for the time being.

 

That sounds like a good place to start. Thanks for the update.

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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