A food writer at Simply Recipes found a $19.99 silicone freezer tray set at Costco, made by a brand called Miu, and says it looks and works almost like Souper Cubes, a popular pricier option.

What this means for you

If you cook soups, stocks, sauces, or baby food in big batches, you know the problem. You end up with one giant container that takes forever to thaw, or odd bags of food stuffed in your freezer. Silicone freezer trays with lids solve this. You pour your food into the tray, let it freeze into neat blocks, then pop them out and store them in a bag or bin.

Souper Cubes made this kind of tray popular. They come in sizes like one cup or half cup, so you can freeze food in portions you will actually use later. The downside is they can cost a good amount of money, especially if you want more than one size or more than one tray.

This is where the Costco find comes in. At $19.99, it is priced lower than many name brand options, and the report says it looks nearly the same and works the same way. That means you may be able to get the same kind of portioned, stackable freezer storage without spending as much.

Here is how to think about using a set like this

1. Pick your portion size. If you eat alone, smaller cubes work. If you cook for a family, bigger blocks may save you time.
2. Fill the tray with cooled food. Hot food can warp some silicone trays, so let things cool first.
3. Freeze with the lid on. The lid keeps air out and stops freezer smell from getting into your food.
4. Pop out the frozen blocks and store them in a bag or container. This frees up the tray so you can use it again right away.
5. Label what you freeze and when. Frozen soup can look a lot like frozen sauce once it is in a solid block.

This site exists to explain food and kitchen trends like this in plain words, for people who are busy but still want to know what is worth buying. You should not need a dictionary to understand why a $19.99 item at Costco is getting attention next to a well known brand.

If you shop at Costco, your next step is simple. Check if your local store carries the Miu silicone freezer trays with lids, and see if the price and size fit what you need before you buy a pricier brand.

Catch up on our earlier post: Compressible Packing Cubes Are the Travel Hack Nobody Warned You About