Glass is the only lunch container that survives the dishwasher

Glass with locking plastic lids is the answer. It goes through the dishwasher hundreds of times, doesn’t stain, doesn’t hold odors, and the lids actually last.

Plastic containers are the problem. They warp on the bottom rack, get cloudy, and after a few months they smell like whatever you had last Tuesday no matter how well you wash them. Glass doesn’t do any of that.

The key is the lid. Look for the ones with separate snap-on plastic lids, like Pyrex or Glasslock. Those lids are designed for the dishwasher too, though I’d still put them on the top rack. The cheap one-piece rubber-seal brands are hit or miss — some lids crack within a year.

Is glass fragile? It can shatter if you drop it on tile, sure. But for a lunch bag that goes from home to office and back, it’s not a real concern. If you’re carrying it in a backpack all day, maybe get the stainless steel insulated ones, but those usually aren’t dishwasher safe.

Your lunch shouldn’t taste like last week’s chili. Glass fixes that.