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The first thing I noticed picking one up is that it feels like a real deli container. Not the flimsy kind that flexes in your hand, the kind you get handed across the counter with a pound of potato salad in it. GUSTO sent me a box of 48 sets to try.
So I did the obvious thing and tried to make one leak.
Quick Verdict
- Buy it if: you want a big stack of lidded containers for leftovers, meal prep, or handing food to somebody else
- Skip it if: you want something heavy duty you can run through the dishwasher without a second thought
- My favorite feature: I shook a sealed one full of water as hard as I could and not a drop got out.
- Would I buy again? Yes
Why these feel like the tub from the deli counter
There’s a specific weight to a deli container that a cheap storage tub doesn’t have, and these have it. The plastic is thick enough that the rim holds its shape when you pick one up by the edge.
The other thing that makes the stack usable: one lid style fits all three sizes. I checked. That means no cabinet full of orphaned tops, which is the fate of every mixed container set I’ve owned.
GUSTO Deli Containers with Lids, 48 Sets, 8 oz 16 oz 32 oz
A 48-set combo of BPA-free plastic deli containers in three sizes with snap-on lids. Microwave and freezer safe, and they stack.
GUSTO deli container sizes and specs
- What’s in the box: 48 sets, containers and lids packed separately
- Size split: 12 sets of 8 oz, 24 sets of 16 oz, 12 sets of 32 oz
- Lids: snap-on, one style across all three sizes
- Material: BPA-free plastic
- Safe for: microwave, freezer, dishwasher
- Design: stackable, and sold as disposable or reusable
Who these make sense for
Anybody who sells food to people who then drive home with it. That’s the case I’d make first. If you run a deli counter or a farmers market table, a lid that holds is the difference between a happy customer and one wearing your soup.
At home it’s leftovers, plain and simple. I made a big salad in the glass bowl set I use for hosting and the extra went straight into these. If you’re feeding a crowd and sending food home with people, they pair well with the compostable plates I tested.
What happened when I shook one full of water
I filled a container with water, pressed the lid down until I got the click, and then shook it. Not a polite tip to the side. I turned it over, shook it hard, held it sideways over the counter. Nothing came out.
Getting the lid back off took real effort. You have to work your way around the edge loosening it before it lets go. That’s the same seal doing its job in the other direction.
Three things I noticed using them
- They wash and go again: I ran one through the dishwasher after the water test and it came out clean and unwarped. That’s the whole point of a container like this.
- The three sizes actually get used: the small one takes a dip or a sauce, the middle one is a lunch, the big one holds a batch of something.
- They stack without a fight: same-size containers nest down flat, so the stack in the cabinet stays a stack.
What I liked
- Forty-eight sets is enough that I stopped rationing them
- You can see what’s inside without pulling the lid off
- Handing one to somebody doesn’t feel like lending them something you want back
Two things to know before you order
- The lids are hard to get on and hard to get off. That’s the tradeoff for a seal that holds, and I’d make the trade, but it’s real
- They’re rated dishwasher safe and mine came out fine, but the plastic feels thin going in. That one never fully sat right with me
Common questions about GUSTO deli containers
Do the same lids fit all three GUSTO container sizes?
Yes. One lid style fits the 8 oz, the 16 oz and the 32 oz, so there’s no hunting for a match.
How many of each size come in the 48-set pack?
Twelve sets of 8 oz, twenty-four sets of 16 oz, and twelve sets of 32 oz. Half the pack is the middle size.
Can GUSTO deli containers go in the microwave and the freezer?
Both, per the brand. The listing rates them safe for either one.
Are these disposable or reusable?
Either. I put one back into service for leftovers after my water test, and the brand sells them as disposable or reusable.
Will these leak if a container tips over with soup in it?
Mine didn’t. I sealed one full of water and shook it hard in every direction with nothing coming out. Get the lid fully seated first, or the seal isn’t doing its job.
Other container sets to compare
I’ve only used the GUSTO set. These three are described from their own listings so you can see where a different material or lid style would suit you better.
- DuraHome Deli Cups Combo Pack: another three-size deli cup pack, 44 sets split 16 of the 8 oz, 16 of the 16 oz and 12 of the 32 oz, with lids that also interchange across sizes.
- PrepNaturals Glass Meal Prep Containers: borosilicate glass instead of plastic, with three built-in compartments per container, and the listing rates them oven safe.
- Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Set: latching lids with vents built in for microwaving with the lid on, in four rectangular sizes rather than round tubs.
Would I keep using these
Yes, and I already am. My grandma rewashed every deli container that came through her house, and leftovers went back into them until the lid gave out. These are that, with a lid that seals better than anything she had.
