Reston Lloyd 6-Piece Microwave Cookware, Steamer and Storage Set Corelle Coordinates, Multi, South Beach

I really had high hopes for these containers as lightweight but sturdy microwave cook ware capable of going from the microwave, to looking nice on the table, and then into the fridge for storage of left overs, and they do work well in this regard. But they have issues. They are too shallow for heating anything with much of liquid in it, and boil over too easily even on lower power settings. They need to be 1.5 to 2 inches taller to provide head room so liquids can rise and fall as they cook down without boiling over. Tapering the pans slightly would help this problem too. The other REALLY HUGE disappointment which I only discovered because I bought 2 sets, is that the same sizes CAN'T be nested into each other!! There is no taper at all in any of the 3 sizes. Likewise the lids are designed so they can't be nested and stacked by size either. Nor can the lids be used right side up or upside down on their matching containers which also reduces stacking options in the fridge and which would help prevent the stacked containers from sliding off of each other at the slightest nudge. (Their outsides are very slick.)Don't any of these manufacturers ever think to consult experienced home cooks working in typical home kitchens about their real world needs or think to look at other designs that did manage to do all of these things??Kitchen storage space is at a premium in most kitchens, now more than ever! It's terribly important to be able to stack containers neatly and compactly inside of each other to conserve valuable space. Another issue is storage in the refrigerator. Square containers like these, take up more width across the face of each shelf, so fewer containers that are likely to be needed over the next day or so can be lined up at the front of each shelf. Streamline the square container shapes to rectangles. They will cook just as well, look just as fine on the table, and will help reduce the maddening need to shuffle containers around inside of the fridge to reach something in back. In truth, I've only found 1 set of lightweight microwave cookware that did all of these things successfully and that was the fantastic lightweight Anchor Hocking Microware cookware/storage-ware they made in the '80's, especially their 1.5 qt. and 2.5 qt. containers with the snap on lids. I still have 3 sets of each size left, out of the 6 sets of each that I purchased back then, and I still use them daily because they are so versatile. They aren't pretty enough any more to set on the table when you have company, but they are fine otherwise. Of course, I would have replaced the first set every several years for "shiny ones" over the past 35 years, if they'd still been available. And, based on what gently used ones sell for now on ebay, other experienced home cooks clearly still feel the same way. (Anchor Hocking definitely shot themselves in the foot profit wise when they took this line of cookware out of production.in the mid 80's.) So Reston Lloyd go back to the drawing board! Your product IS really nice, but it has the potential to be SO MUCH BETTER.

I haven't used my microwave a lot for cooking, mostly as I suspect a lot of people do for re-heating and I'm very happy with all the new things that are available for use in the microwave since I first tried microwave cooking quite a long time ago and was not pleased with the results.These bowls for example. I cooked 1.5 lbs of 85% ground beef in the largest one for 7.5 minutes on high power in a 1000 watt microwave and it was completely cooked, no hard or uncooked spots and it was brown. I used the lid that came with it and my microwave was steamed nicely but not splattered with grease, an excellent side effect.In the glass dish I have been using it takes almost twice this time to cook the same amount of ground beef, and it does not come out brown at all, there are hard pieces in it and it is unevenly cooked.What a difference time and technology makes.I am disabled due to severe RA and these are going to be wonderful for me. I used the large one next to cook Success Rice in according to package directions and it came out perfect, also saving me time and money as opposed to heating up water on the electric stove, putting the rice in and letting it boil. Then I would have had to use more hot water to wash the pan, well you get the picture. I suggest if you are looking for a nice gift for someone who is disabled, on a fixed income this would be a nice thing to give them.I have now used all 3 sizes and I am very pleased with them. I used one with chopped tomatoes and rice and did not have any staining but it was not a sauce. So I can't speak to other reviews I have seen that says they stain. But even if they do, to me its not a big deal, I'm not using them for a show and sitting them in a sunny window will help take out the stain. No biggie.I will buy another set of these as my budget allows. Highly recommend these, I know I will be using these for steaming veggies, cooking many other things. The compact size, lids fitting the bottoms for easy storage, freezer use, and to me, the excellent vented lid make these one of my favorite kitchen finds in a long time.Edited 02/10/2013 For those who wonder how these are holding up they are still doing well with no warping, cracking or peeling and we use them daily in the microwave and for freezing to the microwave. If you're wondering still if these are a worthwhile investment, don't worry. They are. I'm here today to get another set.

This is a pretty nice set - a bit small - but it is nothing like the quality of the ones we bought twenty years ago and are still using. I'd be surprised if this set lasts five years because the plastic is much thinner than the ones in the "old days." I actually have parts of a set that is still usable - from LittonWare - that I bought when I bought our first microwave oven over 40 years ago (which cost about $3,600 in today's dollars!).

Retro and practical

These are so good I ordered another set -- one for home and one for the cottage. They are great in the microwave and then you can store any leftovers in them. I use them for cooking frozen veggies and it only takes a few minutes. You don't even have to add water, which means the veggies are not soggy when cooked, and you don't have any liquid to drain. I think it is because of the vent in the top. Great value!

I like it so much I use it every day to keep food.

Pleased with these containers. They are attractive and work well in the microwave. I would give a five stars except they appear to be a bit flimsy. Not sure how long they will stand up to use? STill, I would buy again.