Igluu Two Compartment Containers Review: meal prep made easy

Price on writing: £14 for ten | Buy now from Amazon

Amid the current cost of living crisis, many Mumsnet users have embraced the benefits of meal planning - preparing lunches and dinners in advance to help keep food bills under control and reduce unnecessary waste. 

Meal planning can certainly take the stress out of dinnertime, allowing you to prepare and store meals in your fridge freezer, ready to reheat in the microwave as and when you need them. It can also be a useful approach to portion control, helping you eat more healthily and reduce the temptation for takeaways. 

If you're not sure where or how to begin, investing in some high-quality, stackable Tupperware is a great starting point, so you can maximise space in your fridge or freezer. With an airtight lid and central divider to separate food, Igluu Meal Prep Containers make a great alternative to disposable boxes, but are they durable enough to cope with regular use? Here’s the tried-and-tested verdict from Mumsnet writer Lucy.

Our verdict

• Design: 4/5 

• Quality of seal: 4/5

• Versatility: 5/5 

• Ease of cleaning: 4/5

• Ease of storing: 5/5 

• Value for money: 4/5

With a domed lid and two separate compartments for different portions, the Igluu Meal Prep Containers enabled me to pre-prepare and store a variety of meals. I could easily stack them in my fridge and freezer, providing quick and convenient dinners that could be reheated in the microwave when needed

Ideal for preparing 'fakeaways' and meal planning in advance, or simply saving leftovers to enjoy the next day, these containers were a great alternative to disposable options. However, their airtight lids were quite difficult to remove, which means they do have the potential to crack or split over time.

Igluu Two Compartment Meal Prep Containers: design and style

The Igluu Two Compartment Meal Prep Containers came as a pack of ten, which arrived in a compact nesting design. 

Made from relatively thin black BPA-free plastic, each one has a total capacity of around 850 grams, with one large section and a smaller section on the side, split by a central divider in the middle to separate the food. 

The domed lid allowed me to store a fairly substantial amount without needing to squash down the lid, while the transparent design meant I could clearly see the contents when stored in my fridge or freezer. 

As someone who quite regularly pops leftover Sunday dinner in the fridge for Monday lunch, I loved the ability to keep my portions of meat and veg separate, while the microwave-safe design meant I could easily reheat the contents when it was time to tuck in.

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Leak test: how well does the Igluu Meal Prep Container's seal perform? 

Igluu describes their lids as leak-resistant (not leakproof), and my experience certainly reflected this. I stored a range of foods in my Igluu containers, from leftover roast dinner with gravy to pasta and non-liquid items such as salads and orzo. I didn’t experience any spills or leaks during the test period.

That said, when adding water alone and tipping and shaking the containers, I did notice some dripping. Some boxes appeared to hold liquid better than others, and for that reason, I would say these containers are better suited to food storage in a kitchen rather than travel outside the home. I wouldn't feel entirely confident using them to store a packed lunch or throwing one into the bottom of my bag.

The airtight lids secure on well, although you do have to work around all four corners and physically click it into place, as there are no clips like you’d find on the LocknLock or Sistema Brilliance range.

The lids seal tightly - if anything a little too securely. While there is a lowered corner tab on one side to help release the lid, I still found this quite tricky to do. Due to the relatively thin nature of the plastic lid, I was also worried about cracking or snapping the lid in the process. 

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What were the Igluu Two Compartment Meal Prep Containers like to store?

I really rated the stackable nature of the Igluu Meal Prep Containers, with the slightly raised tab on the edges of each lid ensuring they didn’t slide or slip around when stacked tall. With straight edges, I was able to easily stack two side by side on the shelf of my fridge and freezer, without taking up valuable storage space.  

When not in use, the nesting design was really convenient, taking up one small footprint in my kitchen cupboards. I also found it easy to remove a base and lid when needed. 

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How easy were the Igluu Meal Prep Containers to clean?

As someone who has previously stored leftovers in disposable ‘takeaway’ style foil containers, the reusable nature of the Igluu Meal Prep Containers was a huge benefit. Safe to use on the top shelf of the dishwasher, I found they came up really well without any obvious warping or scratches after cycles in my slimline dishwasher.

Unlike many transparent Tupperware designs, the black colour of the base means that the Igluu containers appear to be far more resistant to stains than some of the other containers I tested such as the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes. I didn't notice any obvious marks or discolouration on the base or lid during my testing, despite storing tomato-based products such as pasta. 

Some Amazon reviews have reported cracks and breakages with these containers over time, and for that reason, I decided to wash them by hand wherever possible to prolong their life. 

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Price: are the Igluu Two Compartment Meal Prep Containers worth it?

At the time of writing, a set of ten Igluu Two Compartment Meal Prep Containers retails at £14, making them around £1.40 per container. For their convenience, versatility and ability to save time preparing meals in the kitchen, I feel this is excellent value for money.

While more expensive than aluminium foil trays, they also make a far more sustainable choice due to their reusable nature.

The only downside is that due to the thin plastic, they don't feel as robust and hard-wearing as more expensive options, such as the Joseph Joseph Nest Lock, so they may need replacing more frequently. They're a good budget-friendly starter kit for meal prep, however.

How we tested

I used the Igluu Two Compartment Meal Prep Containers to store a range of meals, including packed lunches, leftovers and meals prepared in advance to enjoy the following day. 

During testing, I carefully evaluated the Igluu set for its overall functionality and durability. I assessed the quality of the airtight and leak-resistant lid, reheating the contents in the microwave and storing food in my fridge and freezer. 

• Tested across a fortnight storing food inside my fridge and freezer

• Tested ease of use and performance of the airtight lid

• Examined the ease of storage and durability 

• Washed both by hand and in the dishwasher 

• Cross-compared with other kitchen storage containers I've tested for Mumsnet

About the author

Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising expert opinions and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.  

In a bid to reduce her monthly food bill, Lucy’s been attempting to batch cook and meal plan more regularly, preparing meals for the fridge or freezer to take the stress out of midweek mealtimes. She's been testing ten of the best storage containers over recent weeks, putting them through their paces to assess their quality, durability and value for money. 

As well as reviewing products, she’s also written several Mumsnet kitchen round-ups, including the best budget dishwasher, the sturdiest kettles for hard water areas, and the most effective dishwasher cleaners, to name just a few. 

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real people after extensive research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

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