Do you always want to eat hot on the go? Are you looking for a meal box that you can load into your vehicle or office while maintaining food quality? It's time to think about choosing an electric lunch box.
Generally speaking, working in an office or on the road without a microwave is synonymous with eating cold meals. Fortunately, technology has evolved to replace ordinary bentos with small appliances: heated lunch box. Technically, these are lunch boxes that allow you to heat and steam food with an electrical connection. Totally safe and healthy, these jars allow you to enjoy delicious freshly prepared food. Unfortunately, it must be said that the best warming trays are still quite inaccessible.
To choose the right electric lunch box for your needs, you need to think about selection criteria such as power source, type of material and lid, sealing and heating time.
Does this all sound unfamiliar to you? This article will help you demystify the world of electric lunch boxes through a 5-star comparison and a custom-made buying guide.
Top 4 best quick heated lunch boxes
The Pink Electric Lunch Box (Car/Home)
This quick warming lunch box is a top choice as it comes with unique features.
First of all, it comes with adapters for use in the car and at home. In other words, this means that you can use the electric lunchbox on the road, at school or at the office. To do this, simply fill the container with your food products. Then close the lid and plug the device into a power outlet or cigarette lighter socket and let the heated lunch box work.
In addition, it has an inner container that is completely removable and made from stainless steel. Better yet, it has three separate compartments instead of the usual two you find in most other brands. All in all, this allows the user to bring in a variety of foods for their lunch. Stainless steel is also a healthy, food-certified material, meaning it is BPA-free.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 24 cm x 17 cm x 11.5 cm
- Storage capacity: 1 liter
- Power: 45 w
- Heating time: 15 minutes
- Power source : mains plug (220v) + cigarette lighter plug (12v)
Strong points
- Fast heating bowl for a preparation in 15 minutes;
- Additional compartments for different food components;
- Electric lunch box of food quality, non-toxic, durable and ecological for healthy meals;
- Indicator light that lights up when food is heating and convenient to know if the user forgot to unplug or turn off the electric box.
- Secure delivery.
Weaknesses
- No power source for the trucks
The Green Heated Lunch Box
Even though this quick warming lunch box doesn't come with a vehicle adapter, it's still one of the editorial team's favorites. First, you'll love its appearance, which takes the form of a toolbox. Second, the electric hot box includes a power source for your trips to the office or training seminars. Of course, you can also use it at home to heat up leftovers.
Technically, you just open the food box and fill it with your meal. Then remember to add an ounce of water and finally turn on the device. Here, you can proceed to reheating or steaming. The lunch box has a device for this purpose.
Further, the electric bowl warmer also benefits from a lid design that can be completely sealed with a latch. By opting for this utensil, you are choosing a food warmer that will prevent spills and embarrassing damage. Better still, you'll appreciate the presence of a silicone handle above the lid. The latter is quite comfortable to wear and does not transmit heat to your hand.
Finally, the electric lunchbox has a double stainless steel container, so you can heat your meal without any chemicals.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 25.5 cm x 14 cm x 17 cm
- Storage capacity: 400 ml for the first stage and 800 ml for the second stage
- Material: healthy stainless steel and BPA free
- Power source: mains plug (220v)
Strong points
- Very easy to clean as you can put the jar directly into the dishwasher
- Electric bento comes with a vent hole for steam and an indicator light so you know when it is on
- A large capacity of 1.2 liter when you choose the two levels
- A carrying handle to make it easy to move around
- Great choice if you're looking for something sleek, stylish and waterproof.
- Secure delivery
Weaknesses
- This model is not an electric car lunch box, as it comes without a 12v and 24v cable
- The heating time is not specified
The Black Electric Lunch Box (Car/Home)
This electric lunchbox has everything you need to enjoy it! You can easily use it in your car or at the office thanks to its different adapters. Specifically, it is a 12v cable and a 220v adapter that are both offered free of charge by the brand. In this way, you will be able to eat hot at any place and at any time of the day.
Moreover, the 12v heated lunch box has a large 1 liter container made of stainless steel. It is completely removable and has three internal compartments for the separation of sweet and salty foods. When cooking food, the electric heated lunch box offers a uniform and constant heating. This is thanks to the high quality materials that integrate its design.
We also don't forget to mention that the electric lunch box comes with kitchen utensils: a spoon and a fork. In addition to these accessories, there is also a leak-proof lid with a foldable handle for easy handling.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 24 cm x 17 cm x 11.5 cm
- Storage capacity: 1 liter
- Power: 45 W
- Material: healthy stainless steel and BPA-free
- Power source: mains plug (220v) + cigarette lighter plug (12v)
The strong points
- 12v 220v heating bowl with food quality to keep your food tasting delicious
- High power for a quick heating of your food
- Adjustable heating design for better temperature control
- Easy to clean and dishwasher safe
- Safe delivery
Weaknesses
- This model is not a heated truck lunch box, as it comes without a 24v cable
- The heating time is not accurate
The Blue Heated Lunch Box (Car/Home)
This electric lunch box is another great option for keeping your food warm throughout the day. In fact, it has the appropriate adapters for easy use in your vehicle or office. And while it doesn't come with a convenient carry bag, you can count on the fork and spoon that Healthy Lunch offers.
Plus, it's a powerful electric warming food box, as it warms your meals in just 15 minutes. So it's the best solution for people who are frequently hungry and don't want to waste time. No need to spend hours in the queue of a restaurant or a fast-food restaurant!
The stainless steel electric lunch box offers a 1 liter container divided into three parts. With this option, the manufacturer's goal is to allow you to eat both balanced and healthy every day.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 24 cm x 17 cm x 10 cm
- Storage capacity: 1 liter
- Heating time: 15 minutes
- Power source: mains plug (220v) + cigarette lighter plug (12v)
Strong points
- Fastest heated lunch box
- Compact bowl made of premium quality non-toxic materials
- Very light and heat resistant bowl
- Silicone sealing lid to prevent leaks
- Easy to maintain
- Secure delivery
Weaknesses
- This model is not a heated lunch box for trucks, because it is delivered without a 24v cable
How to choose a long lasting electric lunch box?
When it comes to choosing the electric lunch box, there are certain criteria to consider to ensure you get the best quality. Without further ado, check out the following guide to help you choose the fast heating lunch box for all your needs.
Choose according to the type of adapter
When looking for an electric lunchbox, you will want to choose one that has different types of adapters. This will allow you to use it both in the office and when you are on the go and eating lunch in your vehicle.
To that end, most high-quality electric lunchboxes include three adapter designs. These include a :
- 220v outlet for home use;
- 12v outlet for use in a car;
- 24v outlet for use in a truck.
This way, you are sure to eat hot food anywhere and anytime.
Choose based on heat resistance
This may seem like an obvious criterion, but many consumers may miss it. In fact, it is always important that the lunchbox you choose indicates that it is heat resistant. This is understandable, as you will be putting food in it to cook hot meals.
There are also times when you may leave small appliances unattended while they heat up. Without heat resistance, it is obvious that the container will melt or cause shorting problems. So be sure to keep an eye on that.
Choose based on design materials
The main role of an electric breakfast box is to heat your preparations without going through a microwave. For this purpose, it is necessary to check whether the design materials of the warming bento are food certified. It would be a real shame to heat your dish in a jar exposed to chemicals such as bisphenol A. The risk of carcinogenic diseases in the long term would be high.
Also, there is nothing worse than cooking a meal to taste like the plastic container it was heated in.
To avoid this kind of sanitary problem, choose stainless steel food warmers with a polypropylene plastic lining. However, if the warmer is not made of these materials, just put it on the shelf in the store.
Choose based on waterproofing
When opting for an electric lunchbox, you should also think about keeping your vehicle, office or bag leak-proof. And to succeed in this challenge, you'll need to choose airtight jars. Specifically, look for brands that offer lids with an airtight rubber seal or that can be sealed.
Choose based on the level of maintenance
The best electric warming bowl should be easy to clean and machine washable. For this, it must necessarily include a removable container.
As you can imagine, electric lunch boxes cannot be immersed in water. In fact, most brands will recommend that you don't even wash the outside with water for safety. This can make cleaning a little tricky. However, with a removable container, maintenance becomes easier.
Choose based on heating time
This feature is certainly one of the most important ones, especially if you don't have much time during your lunch breaks. You will need a device that heats up your meat, rice or soup quickly. By the way, stainless steel lunch boxes are still advantageous because the material conducts heat well. Better yet, it can be used safely at high temperatures.
Many brands will tell you how long it usually takes to heat a meal in their description. If you know your box takes a little longer, be sure to plug it in a few minutes before your lunch break. At Healthy Lunch, you get the best heating times on the market: between 15 minutes and 20 minutes.
Also, the heat up time should match the way the cooker works. For the best performance, your electric heated lunch box should heat up the food evenly. From another angle, we are talking about 360° cooking and you can find this technology in Healthy Lunch products.
Choose according to the handle
Basically, an electric lunch box should have a removable handle above its lid. There's nothing worse than grabbing a handle and realizing it's hot. You could drop your entire meal from the impact and cause your jar to break in the process. Therefore, choose anti-scald handles.
Choose according to the kitchen accessories
To offer more convenience to the user, the best electric warming bowl can offer accessories in its delivery package. Forks and spoons come to mind.
While the inclusion of these cutlery items is not 100% necessary, it can be a great benefit. Often, they fit into a neat little compartment for easy storage. This way, you'll always have them on hand in case you need them.
Apart from that, you can also end up with an electric bento that includes an insulated bag. This will make it easy to carry the container and also ensure heat retention if you don't want to eat immediately.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many choices on the market if you are looking for an electric lunchbox. Some of them even come with cutlery and adapters for convenience. Therefore, it would be difficult to define one model as the best product of the year, as the final choice is up to the customer depending on their needs. However, if you are looking for guidance, the Pink Electric Lunch Box (Car/Home) and the Green Heated Lunch Box are great options.
They are heat resistant, ergonomic, airtight, food grade and heat food quickly. You can also check out other models in the store catalog and share in the comments your favorite electric box.
