One of the things that sets this model apart is the handle that is set into the thermos jar. Plus, the heat retention of the Zojirushi is covered by a five-year limited warranty. This company literally broke the mold when it comes to food jars and over the decades, Thermos has created a wide range of containers for food and drinks that stand out from the crowd. It continues to keep foods at temperature and it has survived many commutes. The Funtainer fits neatly into smaller lunch boxes like our top pick and can hold a 10-ounce serving of noodles, veggie chili, or hot cereal. When it comes to choosing only one, the original brand remains at the top. Consider the Thermos Food Jar, 16 oz as the best hot food thermos you can rely on to keep your food hot, cold, and fresh longer. Thermos, Blue Funtainer 10 Ounce Food Jar. It should be noted that this thermos does not have a handle on the lid. Wirecutter is reader-supported. 6. We tested nine lunch boxes for kids and found the L.L.Bean Lunch Box is the best insulated lunch box, while the Bentgo Fresh is the best bento-style lunch box. Then, because both milk and tuna rose above food-safe temperatures in all of the thermoses after just 2 hours, we repeated the tuna test after prechilling the thermoses with 40 °F ice water (a few brands, like Thermos and Zojirushi, recommend prechilling thermoses, but we originally skipped this step because in real life, we would never take the time to do this). Previously she wrote food and lifestyle pieces for Saveur and Kinfolk magazines. 1.1 Best Thermos for Food - Stainless King by Thermos Review; 1.2 Cute, Small Thermos For Food – Thermos Funtainer Review; 1.3 Best Thermos To Keep Food Warm – Simple Modern Review; 1.4 Best Kids Food Thermos – Mira Brands Review; 1.5 The Most Affordable Big Thermos for Food – JSLove Review If you simply want to enjoy a quick meal on the go, you are likely to find that this set is a bit on the large side. The Stanley Food Jar is a find both for true travelers and active people who spend a lot of time traveling. However, having to settle for fast food can be rather costly and less than satisfying. If you are not careful, you may also find that the lid gets stuck on the thermos. If no bowls are provided, the cap should be large enough to serve as a bowl. Anna Perling is a staff writer covering kitchen gear at Wirecutter. We like the stainless steel foldable spoon…. It also comes in a variety of prints and colors that will appeal to kids of different ages (and adults can select a solid color option). The spoon folds up and fits into the cap for enhanced convenience and the cap of the thermos is also large enough to serve as a bowl to eat out of. This is just as well because it is best to avoid placing this thermos in the dishwasher. While Thermos has created a wide range of models, the…. It is small enough to fit inside a school bag, although the addition of a handle would have been a nice touch which we feel is missed. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Zojirushi Classic Bento Vacuum Lunch Jar comes complete with a stylish carrying bag that has a large strap to make carrying it over long distances both easy and comfortable. MIRA Lunch Jar – A Colorful Wide-Mouth Vacuum Thermos for All Types of Food. However, the Zojirushi SL-JAE14SA Mr. Bento Stainless Steel Lunch Jar is ideal for family picnics. This whole thermos has been designed with the needs and interests of kids firmly in mind. This means that it can only be used for keeping one type of food hot while you travel. Hot for up to nine hours… that’s impressive…. Take care to clean the lid thoroughly though…. Although the Funtainer kept foods hot, it didn’t do as well as the Zojirushi: after 4 hours, soup in the Funtainer had cooled from 193 ºF to 147 °F, and at 6 hours, it measured 130 °F. The folding spoon that is set into the lid makes eating directly from the thermos convenient and easy and we can also use the lid as a bowl if we’d prefer. This 16-ounce stainless steel food thermos comes with a full-size stainless steel spoon and keeps your food hot or cold for hours. It is important to store food … Choose moist foods. Of course, the overall style of the model is likely to be a primary aspect. Interested In Other Great Food Storage Options? The bowls come complete with lids to help seal in the flavors of the different foods and prevent leaking. The smooth curves and brushed steel of the Black and Blum Food Flask are sleek, and the faux leather strap and spoon attachment charmed us. The best food thermos will feature a stainless steel body with double-walled vacuum insulation and a leak-proof silicone gasket lid — all in the size that’s right for your group. You can also attach the carrying sack to the outside of your rucksack so that you can keep your hands free, which we thought was a nice touch. However, the company has created a wide range of items that are designed to make life easier and the KUUK Insulated Soup Flask is rapidly becoming popular among those in the know. The Thermos brand is obviously one of the most trusted names out there, but there are a variety of companies that also offer quality thermoses. With a 25oz (750ml) capacity, the Primus TrailBreak EX Vacuum Bottle is the largest of the vacuum flasks on review and probably the best camping thermos – especially for groups. One more reliable thermos for organized hot food is a product of Zojirushi. A screw-on cap is easy to get on and off, and the narrow container fits easily in one hand, unlike the wider and unwieldy Thermos Stainless King or the Stanley Classic. Why we love it: In our tests, the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Food Jar was one of the best at keeping soup hot. Despite this minor leak due to the missing piece, the Zojirushi has never leaked outside of the container itself. The last thing you want is for your thermos to leak while you are carrying your food. Although we like that the Zojirushi’s multi-part lid is easy to clean, it’s a bit more difficult to put back together afterwards. Solids like pasta cool more quickly than liquids, so any thermos is most effective when used with soup, stew, oatmeal, or other liquidy foods. 99 $24.99 $24.99. In summer, you can salad to the cottage, put ice cream for dessert on a picnic, pour cold kvass or lemonade. The fact that this model keeps food hot for up to twelve hours is very impressive and it is also set with a wide mouth that is easy to fill, while also enabling easy cleaning. Extra care should be taken to make sure that you don’t accidentally split the lid. The rubber gasket is tricky to get on, and keeping track of the small four parts takes effort. These models are typically modeled after the traditional Japanese bento jars. The rubber ring inside the thermos needs to be washed very carefully after use since it is possible for food and liquid can get trapped underneath it. After you dry the containers thoroughly they will be ready to use once more. They are designed to keep food hot for long periods whilst being suitably durable for travel. 16-Ounce Stainless Steel Food Thermos. Although this is not necessarily a deal-breaker, we think the addition of a handle would have made it even more appealing. The Thermos Stainless King 16 Ounce Food Jar boasts a stainless steel design that is very durable. The 18-ounce Stanley Classic Thermos Vacuum Food Jar can hold a lot of food and has a separate cap to eat from. Thermoses are meant to hold liquidy foods like soups or stews, and they shouldn’t leak. This mighty model can keep food hot for up to nine hours. It is a good alternative to your kid’s lunch box. Top 10 Best Hot Food Thermos In 2021 Reviews. However, their durable design means that this is not likely to be an issue for a long time to come. In addition to the thermos jar itself, you are also treated to three plastic containers. Reheating food in microwaves is not just harmful to the child, but also for you. Zojirushi’s travel mugs have reigned as our top pick for over three years; the company makes the best insulated mugs and thermoses we’ve found. You are likely to find that food gets trapped in the ridge of the lid from time to time. Zojirushi says that its thermos will keep foods at a safe temperature for about 6 hours, and we were glad to see that for liquids, the thermos exceeded the estimate (it will also keep foods cold for 6 hours, although we didn’t test for this). When you are ready to eat, you are provided with a folding stainless steel spoon. The food jar is BPA free and it is easy to clean and it makes a good choice for kid lunches because of its performance to keep lunch warm and healthy. 5) Thermos Stainless King 47 Ounce Vacuum Insulated Food Jar with 2 Inserts, Stainless Steel Because accidents happen, they also shouldn’t break or dent significantly when dropped. Still, this will not pose a problem if you are planning to just enjoy a hot cup of soup. Of course, such a soup thermos keeps the contents hot for a shorter period, but for the first time it can be used for soup and mashed potatoes with a cutlet, and for tea or coffee. The THERMOS FOOGO Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel 10-Ounce Food Jar is available in a wide range of different colors and the fun and friendly design of this model is sure to appeal to kids. When shaken or held upside down, the Zojirushi didn’t leak (though none of the thermoses we tested did). Whether your job ... Best Budget: MIRA Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Lunch Thermos. This will allow you to easily wash the inside by hand using hot, soapy water. Available in bright pink, purple and cyan blue, this soup thermos is especially attractive to children. While it is important to stay hydrated, you also need plenty of food. The 10-ounce Funtainer is durable and easy for small hands to open. We also tested each thermos with cold foods, filling them first with milk and then with 4 ounces of tuna salad, both at 40 °F. The last thing you want is for the container you choose to leak or leach toxic chemicals into your food. This is sure to be useful if you are hiking all day long. …stands out for us since this mighty model boasts a compact design that keeps food hot for an impressive nine hours! What Stanley offers you here is a reliable thermos for trips, traveling, or just going to work. I use the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Food Jar multiple times a week to transport my morning green smoothie to work, and I’ve also used it to hold chili, soup, and oatmeal. We also like that the Zojirushi comes in a range of sizes, including 11.8-, 16.9-, and 25-ounce jars, and an array of colors, including pink, aqua blue, dark brown, cream, and stainless steel. There are several things that you need to think about when searching for the best food thermos for hot food. With its wide opening, this thermos is both easy to fill and wash. The thermos features a contoured body shape that makes for easy grip. With its cute and compact design, this thermos will stand out from other more bulky options. The double-insulated interior keeps food hot for up to five hours. The wide mouth of this model helps to make it easy to fill and eat from and when it comes to cleaning, you simply need a little warm, soapy water to get the job done. Like most of the thermoses we looked at, the Zojirushi is not dishwasher-safe and needs to be hand-washed. We also made sure that the thermoses we tested fit in our picks for the best lunch boxes. The 12-ounce thermos kept tomato soup above a food safe temperature (140 °F) for a full 6 hours, dropping from 193 °F to 144 °F. The lid is made from a food-grade material and doubles as a soup bowl, although the thermos has a wide mouth that allows for eating straight out of the container as well. These containers are designed to fit snugly into the thermos jar which helps to keep up to three different dishes separate and warm for up to six hours. It is very important for your child’s food to be at just the right temperature before feeding. I was keeping my eyes peeled for the best thermos to keep soup hot and this one is exact and unquestioned winner! The Zojirushi Classic Bento Vacuum Lunch Jar has been designed to create the perfect solution. As a bonus, this special model is supplied with a five-year warranty. This thermos from Bklyn Steel looks high-end, but its modest price tag keeps it affordable. But it has a wider girth and a bulkier, ridged shape compared to our pick, making it harder to hold and fit in a lunchbox. This is a tough little thermos that is up for whatever. Here is a quick recap for our top five thermos picks: #1 Thermos Foogo. Not only is this special tote bag large enough for the thermos jar, but it is also stylish! Amazon's Choice for best food thermos. Our pasta tests, however, weren’t conclusive—it took us longer to fill thermoses with wider bow-tie noodles after straining them than it did to ladle in boiling-hot soup, and we think pasta may have cooled during the process. The Funtainer’s lid doesn’t get slippery when wet and is also easier to twist on and off than the raised triangle-shaped lid on the Contigo. Thermos Stainless King Food Jar Review. Most companies recommend hand-washing thermoses to preserve their vacuum insulation, but the lids and jars should be intuitive to take apart and clean. Last but not least, make sure that the hot food thermos you choose is as durable as possible. Alternatively, the cap that comes with the thermos can serve as a bowl for extra convenience. These containers are large enough for a portion of rice, a curry dish, and an accompaniment! I’ve also seen it survive trips through the dishwasher without a ding, even though Zojirushi recommends hand washing the thermos. It is designed to be fully leakproof, which is sure to provide you with extra confidence. If you are simply packing hot soup for a solo lunch, a compact model should suffice. Hand wash. A special Spork clips onto the side of the Stanley Adventure Vacuum Food Jar 18oz to make mealtimes easy. Then, we took a closer look at offerings from notable brands like Thermos and Zojirushi. During her time here, she has reported on various topics including sports bras, board games, and light bulbs. Putting it in the dishwasher can degrade its ability to retain heat. Therefore, it will be more convenient if the model that you choose comes with a fork or spoon, or even better, a spork. This means that it can be a bit tricky to open at times. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. 1 Top 10 Best Food Thermos & Containers in 2020. It also seems that the company is having trouble keeping the MIRA jars in stock in multiple colors, so we’re concerned about future availability. However, the patented MiraGuard Technology helps to make sure that the contents of the thermos stay hot. ChefsResource.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. However, if you want to be able to enjoy hot food all day long, it should be able to retain temperatures for at least nine hours. The 6 Best Hot Food Thermoses of 2020. So check out our reviews for the Best Lunch Coolers, the Best Meal Prep Bags, the Best Glass Food Storage Containers, the Best Freezer Containers, the Best Air Tight Containers, and the Best Kids Bento Boxes currently available. We preferred thermoses that come in multiple sizes and colors, and we tested smaller size options (ranging from 10 to 13.5 ounces, with a few 16- and 17-ounce sizes) when possible because we wanted a thermos that was easily portable and fit into our picks for the best lunch box or a bag. These containers have been specially designed for storing hot food and come in a wide range of different styles. The Thermos Stainless King 16 Ounce Food Jar with Folding Spoon kept soup hotter than most of the competition in our tests. You can also pack several meals so that you can enjoy hot meals and snacks all day long while trekking. The exterior is designed to remain cool to the touch to make it easy to hold and carry when full. We appreciate that this model is made from eco-friendly materials. Thermos offers a 30-day warranty period for defective products. As you are sure to have noticed by now, Zojirushi has created a wide range of different types of food jars. Useful Information; Finding the Best Way to Keep Food Warm: Insulated Food Container Buyer’s Guide; What’s the best food thermos like? Do you want to be able to enjoy hot soup and other food on the go? However, THERMOS FOOGO insulated vacuum stainless steel comes in two sizes: 7 ounces and 10 ounces. Soup thermos stores not only heat, but also cold. The overall design of the thermos jar and the bowls are leakproof to eliminate the risk of spills. With this food jar at hand, you'll never be deprived of a healthy, substantial … The Funtainer also held up better than the competition in drop tests. None of the thermoses we tested, however, did any better, even after prechilling them with ice water (Zojirushi recommends filling the thermos with cold water for one to two minutes before filling with food). For this guide, we read six roundups and articles on thermoses from publications like Good Housekeeping and Popular Mechanics and blogs like A Well Paced Life and Mighty Nest. We love that the containers are recyclable…. The lid of this jar is designed to stay firmly in place during transportation too. But it doesn’t offer a range of sizes like our pick and won’t fit in a lunch box or tote bag. Trying to find delicious and nutritious meals when you travel can be a bit of a challenge. The Zojirushi SL-JAE14SA Mr. Bento Stainless Steel Lunch Jar solves this issue, perfectly. When you are ready to eat, you can use the large lid as a serving bowl. To keep foods hotter for longer, both Thermos and Zojirushi recommend preheating your thermos by filling it with hot water for five to 10 minutes before dumping it out and adding foods. The best thermos for hot food should be backed up by a decent warranty. Generally speaking, the longer the warranty, the more durable the thermos is likely to be. The solid stainless steel design of this model helps to make it more durable too. We’ve also found that the finish on Zojirushi’s travel mugs develops small nicks and scuffs over time, but this wear and tear doesn’t affect performance. Kuuk is a brand that you may not have been familiar with up until now. This means that you will not be able to tie it to the outside of your backpack when you travel. The only thermoses that did better were the 17-ounce Stanley Classic (larger volumes of liquid take longer to cool) and the Black and Blum Food Flask (which has an awkward strap around it). The stainless steel lid is fully insulated and large enough to serve as a bowl. Anna is a mentor at Girls Write Now and a member of the Online News Association. $19.99 $ 19. You are also treated to a stainless steel Spork that can be used to eat with and the containers double as serving bowls to make eating on the go even more convenient. It is often the case that the only food that is close at hand is fast food which can make sticking to a healthy and balanced diet rather tricky. Foodblogalliance.com is part of ChefsResource and is controlled by Ask The Experts LLC. 1. This means that your child will be able to enjoy piping hot soup and other food at lunchtime. 10-ounce container with double wall insulation. In fact, this model is even easy enough for children to open! The Zojirushi has a four-piece lid that comes apart, which allows you to deep-clean all its crevices. This hasn’t affected heat retention, but sometimes foods will leak into the thermos’s cap, so I prioritize unscrewing all of the parts of the lid to make sure I can get it really clean. We prefer it for kids over the 12-ounce Zojirushi because it comes in an array of fun prints and colors, and we think the slightly smaller size will be easier for kids to use. In our tests, we considered how long thermoses kept soup and plain bow-tie pasta warm, how long they kept milk and tuna salad cold, whether thermoses leaked, durability, and how easy they were to clean. Keeps food hot for 5 hours or cold for 7 hours. All of the containers fit together inside a stainless steel thermos that keeps them piping hot for hours. Flaws but not dealbreakers: We found that after just 2 hours, cold milk in the Zojirushi rose to 46 °F (after 6 hours, it was 52 °F). What other experts liked Stainless King is known as a performance leader in insulated food and beverage products. First launched in 2007 the iconic Thermos King range is the best-selling Thermos collection throughout the world. 8 Best Thermos Food Containers | Perfect Thermos Jars for School or Office Lunches and Camping | Buyer’s Guide 2021 Whether you’re packing for a hike, preparing a go-to lunch, or getting your kids ready on a cold winter day, a great thermos is a must to keep your foods hot so that all of you can enjoy coffee or a soup while driving or camping. You also need to make sure that all of your dishes are easy to carry. The sack is set with a long, adjustable strap that helps to make it especially easy to carry. Even if you are perched on a log or rock, you are sure to find that eating will be both easy and enjoyable. None of the thermoses, including the Funtainer, leaked in our tests. Here’s a straight forward travel mug for taking your tea or coffee to go. If you are on a hiking trip, you will want to carry your thermos with you. Our list of the 10 Best Thermoses will help you narrow down your selection. It is made of double wall stainless steel that not only retains food temperature but also promotes long-lasting performance. However, this will not be an issue if you are only looking forward to hot soup or another single dish. What We Liked. Enjoying your meal will be easy thanks to the stainless steel spoon that comes with this model. Because the food jar remains separate from your food containers, cleaning this model is very easy. It should be noted that this food thermos and the accompanying bowls are rather heavy and bulky. If you enjoy eating full, hot meals at lunchtime, finding the right thermos can be tricky. We also checked out best-selling models from kitchen and home stores like Amazon, IKEA, Target, Walmart, the Container Store, and Storables. Unlike most of the models in the Zojirushi range, this thermos does not come with separate containers. This lunch thermos jar comes packed with four different bowls and they are large enough to contain several separate meals. With its uniform, cylindrical shape, the Funtainer fits easily into all of our lunch box picks. This will not be an issue when you choose the MIRA Lunch Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Lunch Thermos. Best Food Thermos Thermos Stainless King 16oz Food Jar The Thermos Stainless King 16-Ounce Food Jar has it all; vacuum insulation to keep liquids and food at optimum temperatures for up to seven hours, a hearty steel shell to keep the insides safe and even a spoon to eat your food with. As you saw in the video, we chose best thermoses based on durability, easy use for kids, and how well they hold up for school and office lunches. If you search for the best thermos for keeping food hot and wish to have something extraordinary for around $20, then the stainless thermos by BoldSteel is an impeccable choice. The set also includes a foldable spoon. The Funtainer has a removable rubber ring to seal the thermos, but since it doesn’t totally come apart, the lid has more receded nooks than the Zojirushi Food Jar, so it’s a little harder to clean. It also lends itself nicely to family picnics or winter road trips with the stainless steel insulation keeping hot drinks hot for up to 8 hours. It is not dishwasher safe, but this shouldn’t pose too much of a problem as you can wash the Thermos Stainless King 16 Ounce Food Jar by hand very quickly with a little soap and warm water. The stainless steel thermos jar is designed to keep all of the dishes hot for several hours at a time and you are also provided with a stainless steel Spork to eat your food with. This model is also available in a wide range of cool colors. The last thing you want is for your separate dishes to become mixed during transportation. Compared with smaller travel mugs, food thermoses, or tumblers, a thermos … Trying to find a convenient way to carry your food thermos with you can be tricky. After filling thermoses with soup, we shook them in a backpack and held them upside down to check for leaks. A great thermos should keep foods at a food-safe temperature—below 40 °F for cold foods and above 140 °F for hot foods—for long periods of time. The containers should ideally be made from BPA-free materials and, of course, be certified as being food-safe. We like the fingerprint-resistant design…. 1. No problems with food leakage in your bag…. More Buying Choices $17.70 (12 used & … We’ve added long-term test notes for the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Food Jar. Excellent. This can be problematic if you are planning a picnic in the park after your walk, and while you may want to be able to enjoy several dishes, you won’t want to have to struggle with a large and bulky thermos. Stanley Classic Vacuum Insulated Wide Mouth Bottle - BPA-Free 18/8 Stainless Steel Thermos for Cold and Hot Beverages – Keeps Liquid Hot or Cold for Up to 24 Hours 4.8 out of 5 stars 23,547 $19.82 - … We liked it better than the single-piece lids on most of the other thermoses we tested, which have hard-to-reach threads that look like they would trap gunk. Its plastic lid didn’t break, whereas the lid on the kid-friendly Contigo Food Jar fractured to reveal styrofoam below an outer plastic layer. Read more here. The easy to twist lid makes this jar the best kids thermos for hot food. © 2021 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, Thermos Stainless King 16 Ounce Food Jar with Folding Spoon, Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle (2.5 Quarts). As far as temperature control goes, the best thermos cups are designed by YETI or Hydro Flask. Learn more. Easy to open for younger kids. The wide mouth of this modern lunch jar makes filling and cleaning the jar a simple task. If you are eating on the go, you are unlikely to have access to cutlery, bowls, and other items. You will be able to carry this thermos in your bag all day long without the fear of leaks or spills. The wide mouth of the thermos helps to make it easy to clean. After 2 hours, tuna salad that started at 40 °F rose to 49 °F; at 6 hours, it measured 63 °F. All Rights Reserved. But here are some of the other key factors that you should consider when searching for your ideal model. First and foremost, you will want to make sure that the thermos keeps food hot until you are ready to eat it.