While it might seem that tupperware is made to keep hot water, Tupperware is not meant to take that much heat, because high temperatures draw out chemicals from the plastic, contaminating whatever is being stored inside of Tupperware.
Putting hot water into the plastic cups may cause certain chemicals to remain, which does not protect the human body. When using a plastic spoon with boiling water, or drinking from a plastic bottle of water on a hot day, you might be wondering whether plastic is liable to melt.
Drinking from an individual bottle left out in the warm sun does not harm you, but experts say consumers should avoid prolonged exposure to plastic containers left in extreme heat. Using plastic containers to hold hot foods, or washing them in a dishwasher, may increase the chances of harmful chemicals leaching out of them and into your food or liquid.
Even with containers that are labeled as microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe, experts warn heat and plastic do not mix well. In short, they could melt or ignite, which could lead to injuries and damage. Most plastic containers that are labeled Tupperware, as well as other brands that have grown popular for microwaves, actually will melt when placed in the microwave oven, as they are not designed for microwaving.
When you need to keep your food hot and liquids, there are some options out there that are better than Tupperware. Cool down any hot liquids containing fats before placing them in your Tupperware-branded containers. When using Tupperware brand containers to hold hot beverages made from boiling water, allow the liquid to cool down before handling the containers.
Store boiling water in a clean, disinfected, food-grade plastic bottle or container. You can purchase containers in big box stores or camping stores, or you can store your own water by using clean, disinfected, 2L plastic pop bottles with screw-top caps that fit securely. To make it easier on the tightest of budgets, sterilize the Tupperware bottles by boiling them in water.
After cleaning, store the Tupperware containers and the lids separately; keeping the items together can make it more difficult for the drying process. For instance, you can use an old Tupperware container for holding plants or compost, and an old Tupperware can double as an excellent organizational solution, even if you do not have lids. These layers of fabric will insulate the containers further, keeping the food warm.
By exposing the outside layers to heat, you allow them to expand before you put the hot water in the glass, meaning there is less heat shock. By gradually pouring the hot water into your glass vessel, you allow the glass to adjust to the higher water temperature slowly, which decreases the amount of thermal shock. When you place a metal spoon into the glass pitcher, slowly pouring water on top of the spoon, will cause some of the heat to be drawn off.
With a glass-lined thermos, you might first want to pre-heat it with hot or lukewarm water, then dump the boiling water directly into it. In fact, Pyrex has high resistance to hot temperatures, so you may be pouring warm water, boiling water, or warm beverages. Yes, it is possible for you to pour and place boiling water into pyrex, as it can resist temperatures higher than the temperature of boiling water.
If you place boiling water into a preheated thermos and close the lid, it should stay warm for at least 6 hours, cooling down to a lukewarm temperature after about 12 hours. The warm walls of your Thermos will now take none of the heat out of your freshly boiled water, and it will remain warm just a bit longer. Vacuum insulation will prevent much heat getting through your Thermos and into your water, meaning that boiling it takes an extreme amount longer.
If your food is not staying hot for as long as you would like, then you need to heat up your thermos containers beforehand. Assuming that you have cooked the food at a safe temperature, then heated it up to the temperature of piping hot, there is no chance of food going bad in your thermos container.
Before packing your cooler’s cold foods, you really want to chill your thermos, and this can be done by placing your thermos containers in your freezer overnight, once you have packed your food and sealed it, put it into a lunch bag along with the freezer packs.
If you desperately need to heat the water in the thermos, you are better off using a hot element you can put in the thermos to heat water from inside. If you want to keep the water in the thermos at near boiling temperature as much as possible, there are some different things you can do so that the water stays warm for a longer period of time. As long as your hot food is not too hot to melt plastic, there is not much you need to worry about.
Never heat food in a plastic container Heating or cooking food in a plastic container, even one labeled microwave-safe, is unsafe because plastic, when heated, releases a specific type of chemical that further leaches into the food, changing its genetic components. Chemicals from the plastic bag may leach into your food, the plastic can melt, and you can get physical burns if you do not use the bag correctly. In the end, metal is far more healthful and safer than plastic, but the drawback is you cannot use metal containers in a microwave, since doing so could create a hazardous situation.
A to-go container is okay to store, although you might want to avoid getting it too hot by cooling your food down first. While Tupperware is okay for warm water and beverages, it does not have any taste or odor characteristics that cannot match the flavors in soups, sauces, or different kinds of foods.