Take, but don't Toss these Double Duty Plates
Written: Jan 10 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: super durable, cheap, dishwasher & microwave safe, separate compartments for picky eaters
Cons: marketed to be tossed
The Bottom Line: At home or for travel, these plates are a solid choice for your toddler.
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| mjtriplett's Full Review: The First Years Take & Toss Double Duty Plates 4 E... |
When Kid started wanting to eat right at the table with us, as opposed to right off of his booster tray, I knew it was time for some plates. This may sound silly; why couldn't he eat off of the same plates as us? The answer is that he could and now, he usually does. But initially I was worried about the possibility of thrown, and therefore broken or chipped dishes.
I didn't want to spend the usual $3-5 for individual toddler plates. That's when I saw the Take & Toss Double Duty Plates in a 4-pack with 1 utensil set for $4. We'd already been using Take & Toss Utensils with success, so I thought these would be perfect for us.
The concept behind the Take & Toss Plates is that the products are affordable enough to be disposable, yet durable enough to use many times over. I'll say right up front that I bought these plates with absolutely no intention of throwing them out. But if you were to lose one while out and about, at about $1 per plate it wouldn't be a huge monetary loss.
The plastic plates come in a 4-pack, but they can either be used as 4 plates or as 2 plates with lids. They are oval shaped and measure 6.40 " x 1.75 " x 8.75 " (when used as a plate/lid set). They come in multiple colors, including red, green, blue and yellow, and are translucent, which is great for seeing which leftovers they contain when stored in the fridge. Each plate has animal character patterns, but they are also translucent and barely even noticeable. There are 3 sections to each plate - 2 larger moon-shaped side sections and a narrow section as a middle separator. A huge plus is that these plates can be nested within one another for space-saving storage.
We can fit good portions of food in the plates. Kid is somewhat picky, so the separate sections help him to keep his different foods from touching each other. When not using the lids, we most often use the center compartment, which is too small for a main dish, for dips or ketchup.
Currently, we most often use the Take & Toss Plates when we're on the go to somewhere that likely won't have toddler-friendly (or picky-eater friendly) foods. Using the lids is a cinch. Place the food in one plate, store a fork and spoon in the center compartment (if desired), and snap another plate on top. There are arrows to line up to make sure it will snap on correctly. When it's time to remove the lid, there are little tabs to hold down the lower plate while you pull on the upper one to avoid messes. The plates seal air tight but not so strong that you have to work to get them apart. We've never had any issues with leaking. The plates are microwaveable, but you should make sure to crack open the lid before doing so.
Are these durable enough to use over and over again? Yes, definitely. Ours have been used for many months now and still look great. They come out of the dishwasher without bending or melting, even in the heat dry cycle. You can cut right on the plastic and it doesn't leave marks. The lids still snap on as tight as they did the first time. For about $1 per plate, we've gotten much more than our money's worth.
Recommended:
Yes
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mjtriplett
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Member: Mel
Location: Minnesota
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