Microwaved meals often get a bad rap. It’s hard to believe that a microwave could possibly cook something equal or better in quality, taste or texture than an appliance that’s easier to control, like an oven, stovetop or air fryer, could. As a home cook, I know that certain appliances are a better vessel for cooking some foods, but I’m also very much pro-microwave when it comes to making quick and easy meals, especially after a long day of work, school or errands.
This is where Anyday comes into the picture: Launched in 2021, Anyday is a brand of microwave cookware, not simply microwave-safe bowls, but cookware that’s solely meant for cooking food in the microwave. It’s not only reserved for usually frozen dinners, vegetables or pre-cooked rice, either — it’s meant to cook through raw meat and poultry, seafood fillets, desserts like cake (yes, cake) and more.
SKIP AHEAD What is Anyday? | How I tested Anyday cookware | My experience with Anyday cookware | What I like | Drawbacks to keep in mind
I, along with my colleagues, NBC Select reporter Harry Rabinowitz and associate reporter Ashley Morris, tested Anyday’s cookware over the course of a month. (Anyday sent us all samples to test out.) We made dishes like rice, pasta, chicken, brownies, vegetables and other foods. Below, I’ll share more about our experience with the cookware and what you should know before shopping.
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What is Anyday?
Anyday 4-Piece Starter Set
- Cooks food very fast
- Dishwasher safe
- Great for vegetables
- Microwave settings need tuning
Anyday is a line of microwave cookware — more specifically small, medium, large and extra-large bowls, in either a shallow or deep-dish style. You can purchase bowls individually, which vary in price based on sizing or opt for a $60 two-piece set or a $150 12-piece set. Depending on what and how much you’re cooking, the brand has recommendations for which dish you should use.
What makes these bowls different from standard Tupperware, for example, is that each bowl has a lid with a handle in the center that you can pull upward to vent or push downward to reduce ventilation on the inside. The bowls are made of frosted borosilicate glass rather than plastic. (Borosilicate glass is known for having a high resistance to heat and thermal shock, according to a study in Science Direct.) Both the bowls and lids, which are also made from Borosilicate glass, as well as platinum silicone and microwave-safe stainless steel, are dishwasher-safe.
How I tested the Anyday cookware
The brand sent my colleagues and I samples of its medium deep shallow bowl and medium deep dish bowl for testing. This size was the most practical for my lifestyle because I only cook for myself and usually like to make small portions of poultry or grains. I also have a small apartment with extremely limited cabinet space for cookware so the larger-sized options didn’t seem like a good fit.
I used the medium bowls to cook things like rice (something I cook and eat very often), vegetables, like broccoli (which I usually roast in the oven), pesto pasta and mac and cheese, all of which I make on the stovetop. I don’t eat seafood or shellfish, and I’m taking a break from eating red meat, so for proteins I focused on cooking chicken. I also made sure to clean the bowls and lid both by hand and in the dishwasher after each use.
My experience with Anyday cookware
The Anyday cookware proved easy to use — it was quick to steam vegetables or reheat leftover pasta. It also worked surprisingly well when cooking chicken. I outline my full experience using the cookware below, including what you should know before buying.
What I like
Thoroughly cooks a variety of foods
I was a little skeptical that the bowls would be able to fully and evenly cook through proteins, baked goods and pasta. During my month-long testing period, I prepared chicken breast, boxed macaroni and cheese, penne pasta, broccoli florets, brownies, and multiple types of rice. I also used the bowls to reheat leftovers. The chicken, macaroni and cheese, pasta and brownies all yielded a moist, tender texture and came out perfectly cooked. The pasta wasn’t hard and the chicken wasn’t dry or rubbery, which I was originally afraid of.
I was particularly delighted by the single, large brownie I made, not expecting it to come out as evenly cooked or moist as it did; it wasn’t dry or chewy at all. Rabinowitz tried cooking chicken and said that while it was good, he’d still prefer to cook it on the stove, which allows for more control on how the chicken comes out. He, like myself, also enjoyed steaming vegetables like broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms with the cookware.
Precise, accurate recipes
Since cooking foods like boxed mac and cheese, pasta and brownies in the microwave was new to me, I used Anyday’s catalog of recipes and cooking tips. The site has a lot of helpful base recipes and cooking tips that really came in handy in testing the cookware. The brand took into account that microwaves vary in how fast they cook food, which is reflected in the different power levels and times they suggest using. The site also has notes on their recipes that anticipate different factors such as microwave wattage and serving size.
Easy to clean
I washed the cookware both by hand, and in the dishwasher with high heat — both cleaning options yielded similar results. Every bowl came out damage- and stain-free. In terms of design, Rabinowitz and I both found the bowls to be durable. “The glass and lid are quality, and have a good weight to them,” says Rabinowitz. “They don’t feel like something I will accidentally knock off the counter.”
Great ventilation release
The lids have a hole on top with a handle that you can lift up before putting it in the microwave to allow steam to escape. The recipes on the site say whether or not to do this for each dish. This helped with cooking pasta evenly and quickly. Though the bowls get very hot after being in the microwave, (which is expected), it was easy to use oven mitts to pick them up and transfer them to the counter. The outside of the bowl has a slightly rough texture so they don’t slip out of your hands when you hold them.
Drawbacks to keep in mind
Need to adjust microwave settings
As a home cook and someone with experience editing recipes, I understand that cooking appliances vary from kitchen to kitchen and the same goes for recipes. There is a lot of subjectivity when it comes to things like water temperature. One of the biggest learning curves when using Anyday, is having to adjust the power level of your microwave, as well as the cook time and measurements of whatever I was making when using it.
For example, I had a lot of trouble cooking rice. For the first three times I made it, it was either undercooked or overcooked, despite following Anyday’s directions. The site’s recommended cooking level was initially too low, but after boosting it a few levels, it was too strong. When I upped the cooking level, I also noticed that the lid also started to lift up because of the bubbling water inside, even with its ventilation handle. After some experimenting with the timing and power level, however, I eventually found a rice-cooking combination that worked for my microwave. My colleague, Morris, didn’t have any issues cooking rice, however.
Not portable
While you can use the cookware as a container for storing leftovers, it’s not meant to function like traditional portable Tupperware. “The top is not a locking-type lid,” says Rabinowitz. “You can’t put lunch in this and throw it in your backpack (the lid would get loose eventually).” You also may not be able to easily use them in a microwave at someone else’s home, since you’ll have to readjust the appliance’s power level settings.
Who is the Anyday cookware best for?
Anyday’s cookware is somewhat unique in the kitchenware space — there are not a lot of direct competitive products operating with the same concept, however, brands like Caraway and Pyrex sell food containers that you could theoretically use to steam and cook food. Caraway sells sets and individual food containers in small, medium and large sizes, however, the lids and inserts are not microwave safe so you’ll need to remove them before placing them in your appliance. Pyrex also makes microwave-safe sets, however they’re not specifically designed for microwave-exclusive cooking like Anyday’s bowls are.
Overall, I enjoyed using the Anyday cookware to prepare dessert, meat, pasta and vegetables. Almost everything I made was cooked through properly and they’re all things I would make for dinner after a long and tiring day of work when I don’t feel like turning on the stove or oven. While it takes a bit of trial and error, it’s definitely possible to get it right.
Anyday’s a great option for anyone who lives alone or only cooks for themselves, people who don’t particularly enjoy cooking in general, people who work late and are trying to cut back on ordering takeout, college students and people who like steamed food. It makes cooking quick and easy and doesn’t leave you with a large pile of dishes to clean afterward.
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Why trust NBC Select?
I am a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I cover food, kitchen appliances, cleaning and other lifestyle-related topics. I also have experience testing cooking products like Dutch ovens and air fryers. I used the Anyday cookware regularly for about a month total cooking grains, poultry, desserts and more.
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