Portable Hot Lunchbox

[Nachtvlinder]

I work in a community based job seeing clients in a community setting ie. library , community centres etc. I really want to eat a hot lunch and have found a food flask doesn't really keep food hot enough after about 5 hours after you've set off home (who wants to eat tepid spag bol/stew!!??) I don't drive so I would not have power source to boil a kettle or have use of a microwave. I'm so fed up with cold salads/sandwiches.

I have come across this US brand called Luncheze which is a battery powered stainless box that heats up on a pre-timed setting for an hour or so. There are other products similar to this on Amazon for much cheaper around the £40 mark, but this one is about $164 plus shipping/customs tax etc.

I'm not sure whether anyone has come across this at all but it would be such a godsend if this product does actually work and is safe enough to use.

www.luncheaze.com/product/luncheaze-lite/#select-lid-color

Or this Portable Immersion Heater Rod for making hot water so I can make a porridge pot or noodles - www.manomano.co.uk/catalogue/p/220v-1800w-immersion-heater-portable-hot-water-heater-immersion-heater-travel-kit-ideal-for-heating-boiling-chocolate-coffee-tea-drinking-water-56587513

I'm posting to see if you lot think these are safe to use. I've never heard of these before in the UK, so I do wonder if people actually use them.

My DD has one of these, she says it keeps her hot lunches hot.

www.amazon.co.uk/OmieLife-OmieBox-Insulated-Thermos-Sunshine/dp/B074BDW6D6/ref=asc_df_B074BDW6D6/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=345515156113&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10787304310134253960&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007000&hvtargid=pla-350256139173&th=1

They are not cheap but we’ve had a over 3 years now and still going strong.

www.amazon.co.uk/Zojirushi-thermal-insulation-stainless-SL-XE20-AD/dp/B01I8RJA7K/ref=sr_1_8?crid=2XB5L8O71NJT4&keywords=zojirushi%2Bfood%2Bflask&qid=1674866390&s=kitchen&sprefix=zojirushi%2Bfood%2Ckitchen%2C74&sr=1-8&th=1 I have this food flask but it didn't keep my food hot though. I guess yours would work similiar to this as well.

The luncheaze comes with a USA power cord not a uk 3 pin plug, so you will need an extra adapter to charge it.
The other item requires a power outlet. It has a 3 pin plug attached so presumably will require 240 mains (again I’m assuming you are in the uk). If you have mains for that, then surely whenever you are will have access to a staff room or a kitchenette likely with a kettle or a microwave? Aside from that, we did have a 12 volt version for the car - it was pitiful and took somewhere around 30 mins to boil a mug full of water.

I have a ‘proper’ thermos metal wide neck food flask not a cheap copy, so long as it’s preheated with boiling water, and piping hot food goes in, it’s still a bit too hot to eat 4 hours later, so likely to spot on after 5-6 hours if left unopened. I do wrap it in a spare jumper in a rucksack for extra insulation when hill walking.

I have this proper Thermos food flask: www.amazon.co.uk/Thermos-Stainless-King-Food-Flask/dp/B00DGPPY20/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=144R4VEF3K70V&keywords=thermos+food+flask&qid=1674867081&sprefix=thermos+f%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-3

It works very well, especially when prewarmed with boiling water and if the food going in is piping too-hot-to-eat hot. I'm in an office so it doesn't sit in a cold environment but it definitely keeps things warm for 5hrs.

Yes, I'm in the UK.

I found the portable immersion rod after some research as I sometimes can book rooms in a council building where there is a power source, which I would sometimes charge my laptop (I wouldn't have access to the staff kitchen as I'm not a council employee), so it'll be useful to make hot water for a pot noodle or porridge. What's 240v mains; isn't that the same for a normal UK plug socket? I'm not clued-up about electric things, sorry!

What's your brand of flask, @Alphabet1spaghetti2 ?

Oops, just realised you've already linked the product for me, sorry, didn't read your message properly!

@Nachtvlinder I have the same one that @EveryoneButSam has posted. Worth every penny. 240v mains is the electric power used to power uk 3 pin plug sockets . You cannot just plug a USA plug directly into them and will need an appropriate adapter.

When you are in a council building have you actually asked if you could use a staff room to heat up some food or have you assumed it will be an automatic no? I’ve found that most people are understanding and accommodating if asked about such things - even if you aren’t allowed access, they may well heat it up for you. (I would, as I know food is very important!)

I realised that I'd have to get an adapter for the US product (more bulk to add to an already big item that I'd have to lug around in my trolleycase).

Going by the miserable staff members on reception at the council buildings, I can't imagine they'd want to help me out (no, I haven't asked). Sometimes, they're too busy with customer enquiries. Some of the other council building staff I can't book free rooms so I have to work in a library for my meetings, and there's so few plug sockets that they're already snapped up by other fellow library users charging their own devices.

Then I would go for a food thermos flask. You will be less dependant on finding a free socket and they are less to go wrong and cheaper and quicker to obtain than the luncheaze (which is a good concept).

Are you using a decent flask? I found cheapo’s don’t keep food past warm for a few hours but the expensive ones keep it piping hot for a good 8 hours. Even brands such as Thermos have ‘grades’ with their products and you get what you pay for. I have Thermos food flasks that keep soup/pasta/stew/curry very hot for 8 hours before going to warm and a huge 2L flask that keeps boiling water absolutely hot for 12hours. Took me a while to clue on that not all thermos’s are equal and splashing the cash definitely pays off.

Also, are you pre filling with boiling water putting lid on, leaving to stand (I leave for 30min but don’t know if that’s overkill), emptying and immediately filling with piping hot contents. No point filling with something just nuked in microwave to reheat, must be piping hot.