My plastic food containers had reached a point where every lid was stained orange from tomato sauce and the containers themselves smelled faintly of last week’s curry even after running through the dishwasher twice. The final straw was when I microwaved leftovers in one and the plastic warped into a shape that no lid would ever seal again.

I bought a set of glass food storage containers — the kind with snap-lock lids — six months ago. I donated or recycled every plastic container I owned. Here is what changed, what got better, and the one thing that got worse.

What Got Better

No stains. No smells. Glass does not absorb anything. Tomato sauce, turmeric, curry paste — the container rinses clean and looks the same as the day I bought it. The lids are still plastic and they do pick up some odor over time, but the glass itself is impervious.

Microwave and oven safe. I can take a container straight from the fridge, pop the lid off, and put it in the oven to reheat. No transferring to a plate. No worrying if the plastic is leaching anything into hot food. The glass handles temperatures from freezer to four-hundred-fifty-degree oven. You cannot do that with plastic.

They stack and nest. The set I bought is designed so the containers nest inside each other when empty and the lids stack separately. They take up about the same cabinet space as my old plastic collection despite being bulkier individually.

They look better. When I bring leftovers to work or to a potluck, the food looks more appetizing in clear glass than in foggy stained plastic. This is a small thing, but I notice it every time.

What Got Worse

Weight. A glass container weighs more than a plastic one. In a lunch bag, it is noticeable. In a cabinet, it matters less. If you carry your lunch in a backpack and walk or bike to work, the weight adds up. A single glass container with a meal in it weighs about a pound and a half. Three of them is a noticeable load.

Breakability. I have not broken one yet, but I know it is only a matter of time. The glass is tempered borosilicate — it is tough — but drop it on a tile floor and it will shatter. I am more careful putting them away than I was with plastic.

Price. A set of five glass containers costs about thirty to forty dollars. A comparable set of plastic containers costs ten. The glass lasts longer and does not need replacing every year when the lids stop fitting, so the cost per use is probably lower over time, but the upfront cost is higher.

The Verdict

After six months: worth it. The stain-free, smell-free, microwave-to-table convenience outweighs the weight and the breakability concern. I cook more now because storing and reheating leftovers is less annoying. The only plastic I kept was a few lightweight containers for packing dry snacks and sandwiches — things that do not stain and do not need reheating.