Find the perfect gift for everyone
A few months ago, I got a sample of the Kids Konserve lunch bag, gave it to my daughter, and wrote about it. My other daughter was furious that no company had sent me an eco-friendly lunch box for her to carry. Well, that's still true, but I've at least tracked down another option to write about, even if I can't make my daughter a tester.
The PlanetBox is a funky retro-looking stainless-steel lunch box. It's slightly bento-style in that it separates food into distinct, built-in compartments. Food goes directly into the box, eliminating the need for extra containers and packaging, and the raised lid lets you pile food into your box without smushing it.
You can optionally purchase two containers for storing dips and a carry bag that fits over the whole box. In addition, the box comes with one set of decorative magnets (retro kitty, rocket, and globe are the current choices) for the outside of the box.
By swapping out the magnets for new sets, you have a box that can keep up with your child's changing tastes (tastes! Ha!) and create less waste.
The box is dishwasher safe, lead and BPA-free. A complete set--which includes the box and magnets, two dipping containers, and a carry bag--is currently $56. Pricey, yes, but it's a one-time investment.
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Coolest Gadgets)
Camping enthusiasts, lunch packers, and people who avoid cooking of all types have something to celebrate. These HotCans provide a way for you to cook meals on the go without the need for microwaves, stoves or ovens.
The technology relies on an exothermic chemical reaction that takes place when you follow the instructions. After piercing the outer layer and opening the lid, your can of food is ready to eat in only a few minutes.
As convenient as the idea is, it'll most likely have trouble taking root in markets that focus on the more central aspects of dining, like cost or taste: the intended price will be $8, and the fare isn't that much better than the stuff you can find in a standard can for less than a dollar. Maybe it's just me, but if I'm going to be eating franks and beans, I'd rather do the extra work and cook it myself to save the price difference.
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Appliancist)
As often as I brag about packing my lunch, I've lately experienced a noticeable dip in the number of days I'm bringing food in from home. Many days I get home too tired to cook lunch, but in a conversation today, I attributed my recent lunch-packing laziness to my desire for variety. As someone who gets so much enjoyment out of eating good food, a daily lunch that relies upon the standard sandwich and side theme gets old a bit too quickly.
Something that would spice up lunchtime is opening up the playing field to include hot foods. This portable food container provides an attractive package for your lunchtime nosh, and includes a hidden heating element to keep it hot.
Dubbed the Mo:Ben, the container began its life as an entry into an Australian Design Award competition. It's made of an external box complete with a silicone base and retractable handles, an embedded heating element that's powered by an external adapter plug and is thermostat-controlled, and an internal container that holds both your food and utensils. The box has separate compartments too, so your favorite foods won't end up tasting like each other.
Ah, school lunches. Brown bags, zip-top baggies, paper napkins, plastic water bottles--not the most environmentally friendly solution. And thankfully, companies are starting to realize that, and come up with innovative ideas. Like the Kids Konserve Waste-Free Lunch Kit, an eco-friendly yet stylish lunch bag that includes stainless steel containers, reusable sandwich wraps and cloth napkins--all made from the safest, nonleaching, bisphenol-A-free (BPA), lead-free, and phthalate-free materials.
The lunch kit comes with a stainless-steel beverage bottle you can fill with water or juice, 2 8-ounce stainless-steel containers with leakproof plastic lids, a reusable baggie for sandwiches, a cloth napkin, and a recycled aluminum name tag. And the entire kit is packaged in a recycled cotton canvas lunch sack.
An especially nice feature of the kit is the size of the containers--they're large enough to keep kids satisfied and small enough to ensure you won't overfill them and end up with lots of wasted food every day.
The reusable baggie, by the way, is not really a baggie. It's a square of a heavy plastic material that seals shut over your sandwich. Wipe it clean, and reuse it, day after day.
When the kit arrived at our house, my daughters fought over who would get to use it. I wouldn't recommend the kit for kids under about age 6--they might throw away the baggie or other parts--but my 8- and 10-year-old daughters are "totally into the environment" and think the kit is pretty cool. Order yours online at http://www.kidskonserve.com/.
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Envirogadget)
This Solar-Powered Lunch Box makes it possible, managing to bring hot food to the outdoors without polluting the greenery in the effort. Teo Song Wei developed the concept as a green way to keep warm foods warm until you're ready to eat them.
As the idea is still a concept, you might have to stick to sandwiches for the time being. If it ever becomes a reality, you'll find me with my heated eats by the pond in the park.
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Brando)
Those of you who've adopted frugality during this recession know that packing a lunch is one of the best ways to cut down on spending. But waiting in line to use the microwave, washing your Tupperware out, and having your lunch stolen from the company refrigerator can make saving a few dollars everyday quite inconvenient.
The USB LunchBox Warmer, by the Hong Kong-based company Brando, keeps your leftovers and homemade lunches toasty hot. Just plug it in to your computer--which acts a power source--via the included USB cable and you're ready to eat a piping hot meal at a moment's notice. Not near a computer? Switch out the cable for the included AC adapter.
Like the similar device from Thanko, the lunch box keeps your meal at a steamy 122 degrees Fahrenheit and continues insulating once it's unplugged. Thanko's version isn't available in the U.S., so when I found out that Brando was selling this at $30 (with only $3 shipping), I took a moment to rejoice.
I'm a little reluctant about buying this, though. What kind of technology are they using anyhow? It took us years to accept the fact that microwaves don't cause cancer, so I'm wondering if this product is radiation-free. I'd definitely read the fine print before using.
Building a better lunch box.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond )Thanksgiving is over, but that doesn't mean you can't take it with you. The start of the workweek may mean getting back to the grind, but it doesn't have to mean trudging off to the same old sandwich shop. Put those rapidly diminishing Thanksgiving leftovers to use and bring them to work. Not only do you get to enjoy the flavor of the holiday in your cubicle, but you can also save yourself from having to endure yet another tasteless sub.
The White Mega Food Carrier comes with three containers for separating foods. You could have turkey soup in one, green beans in another, and mashed potatoes in the last. The containers are then neatly stored inside the insulated carrier for easy transport, with little risk of soup spillage. When it comes time to eat, a utensil pouch is included, which contains chopsticks, a knife, and a spork. The containers are microwave and dishwasher safe and combine for a total capacity of 47 ounces.
Reminiscent of a cross between a Japanese-style bento box and the Indian dabba, this is a well-thought-out design. The included utensils are a nice touch. Lunch can be kept warm if needed, or thrown in the microwave if stored cold. The three containers hold a good amount of food, so you could even share with those jealous coworkers hovering around your desk.
It's back-to-school time, so we here at the CNET appliance blog are on a bit of a lunch-box jag. But who can blame us? The lunch box is one of the most ubiquitous education accessories; it's always been functional, but maybe now it can be awesome, too.
If no other lunch box has been able to satisfy your child's artistic interest, you might consider the one the Museum of Modern Art's is offering: the Modern Kids Lunch Tote. It's a soft, zippered lunch box, with lots of mesh compartments to hold drinks and snacks. It's available in bright green and bright orange.
The Lunch Tote is made from polyester, EVA, and nylon. It's easy to clean--as long as you remove the artwork decorating the front. The Lunch Tote is 9.5-inches tall by 7.5-inches wide by 3.5-inches deep. It also comes with a shoulder strap, making it easy to carry even when juggling school books or a backpack.
The front of the Modern Kids Lunch Tote is a display window, perfect for a favorite image of modern art. And if your child is less interested in those classics of American art that MoMA can provide, it's easy to swap out any postcard-size image. This week it can be a card from a trip out of town. Next week it can be an page from a favorite comic. It's all up to the child carrying it.
Most school lunches require plenty of packaging--there are brown bags, juice boxes, plastic baggies, and more. In a year, all that food packaging generates 67 pounds of trash per child, totaling 3.5 billion pounds. It's enough to make an environmentally-minded parent cringe.
But the Lunchopolis line of lunch boxes comes with four containers and a drinking bottle that are designed to be easy to reuse. The bottle, for instance, has a wider mouth than most bottles so that it's easy to pour in liquids and add ice cubes.
There's also a financial boon to packing a "garbage-free" lunch, as the Lunchopolis creators describe their innovation. You can buy lunch foods in bulk, and save on food, if you have an easy way to transport it. Even better, you don't have to pay for plastic baggies that are going to wind up in the trash after only a few hours in a lunch bag. The Lunchopolis lunch boxes are a little pricier than other lunch boxes, but their going to last through more than just one school year--unlike most of the plastic lunch boxes that are lucky to make it to December, let alone May.
The lunch boxes come in a bright green, pink polkadot, or water droplet pattern. They're insulated and guaranteed lead-free. Lunchopolis lunch bags are priced at $31.99.
