Abhishek Mahajan is a businessman specializing in wholesale kitchen products for 8 years. He is always on the move to follow the new trend and ever-changing demands of the consumers in his work line.
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Table of Contents
There are many factors to think about when choosing a lunch box as they come in various shapes, sizes, and layouts for different people. To select the right lunch box for yourself, you must consider what kind of meals you would like to pack and how much you eat. Also, this buying guide is curated under the expert's advice, Abhishek Mahajan, do not forget to miss out on any points or suggestions.
With innovations in designs and materials, lunch boxes have improved vastly to store food fresh for a longer duration. When selecting a lunch box, one of the essential points to check for is, the lunch box is airtight. Airtight lunch boxes do not let the aroma and heat of food escape and let it go stale.
Airtight capacity varies from material to material. Certain lunch boxes natively come with airtight lids, whereas some come with insulation cases like a bag or soft container to retain heat and freshness for longer hours.
Nowadays, you get leakproof build lunch boxes, ideal for food like dal roti, sandwiches with salsa dip, and more. You can be assured the food shall be safe and doesn't leak into things around it when carrying around. These tiffins are ideal for school and office goers.
Getting a leakproof lunch box is a must because nobody wants to ruin a day because of a spill. We should look for containers that come with a silicone ring in the lid as it’s the best way to make it airtight and 100% leakproof.
There are various shapes available for lunch boxes; the choices are plenty, from the square to the circular. If you're looking to send multiple dishes at once, For example, you pack rajma chawal along with mixed veg, you definitely need more compartments available; one big container will mix up all and spoil the taste.
There's an option between fixed compartments in lunch boxes and removable containers. If you wish to shuffle between dishes overtime, For example, Aloo parantha one day and dal roti the other, look for removable boxes as they are a much more optimal choice.
There are a lot of companies that provide an extra compartment space in the bag itself, making it very handy to carry salads, pickles, yogurt, and whatever we like to have with our meals. So, you can also look for such sets rather than only looking for extra compartments in the lunch box.
There are many choices with designs; there are many choices with the material. Each method has its pros and cons. Let's look into it. There are many options today, like glass, stainless steel, and plastic. To know more about them, keep on reading!
One of the downsides is packing oily food in them is more prone to spill, and the oil stains on the boxes don't go away smoothly. If you're going to pack oily food more often, better opt for other options.
Another crucial aspect to take care of is the tiffin you select should be food-grade plastic and have a BPA-free tag. BPA is a chemical used to treat plastic; it is not acceptable to store food in BPA-treated plastics. Your lunch box should definitely be BPA-free. Check with the manufacturer thoroughly and buy.
Kids love to buy plastic lunch boxes as they come in different colors and prints, but to keep our kids away from harmful plastic, we should check if the product is food grade and BPA-free. Generally, companies mention it on the product itself to let the buyers know about the genuine quality of the product.
Stainless steel lunch boxes have been used for a very long time. Almost everyone remembers the famous steel dabbas, with circular containers stacked atop each other. They are still used a lot by many households and famous dabbawallas in Mumbai.
One of the advantages of them is they are free from any chemicals. Stainless steel also doesn't let bacteria grow quickly on its surface due to its nonporous nature. Individual boxes are available with a plastic casing to enhance airtight quality and keep food warm for longer.
These boxes are suitable for office goers and travelers on the go. They are usually large in size and can store more quantity. There are now smaller sizes available as well for small tiffins for kids. Check and compare them with different lunch boxes for sure.
Steel lunch boxes might seem unattractive to us, but it’s the best way to go. As we might not know, but stainless steel (SS) comes in a lot of qualities. Before buying, one should know the grade of SS used in it. One such grade is 304 as it's very pure and will last longer than any other qualities available in the market.
As the world moves away and looks for a more plastic-free world, glass lunch boxes gain traction with time. They are more durable than plastic, easy to clean, and free from chemicals, unlike plastic. One of the downsides is they are heavy and require more care.
Many brands have now started to provide toughened glass to bear more rough handling. Specific lunch box variants come with boxes or pouches for more safety. Glass containers have been widely used at homes, and new glass lunch boxes are a good plastic-free alternate.
Glass lunch boxes are still very new for the consumer as we all hesitate to buy them because they are tough to handle and a bit heavy to carry. Here is the solution, buy glass containers that come with a handy bag as it makes it easier to carry. When it comes to the quality of glass, prefer borosilicate glass as it's light in weight plus it's microwave-safe hence making it easy to re-heat our meals.
When you select a lunch box, how easy it is to clean should be a priority. Lunch boxes with small or multiple compartments are difficult to clean up, and remaining food stains can give rise to bacterial or fungal growth, leading to several diseases.
Depending on the material kind, stainless steel and glass lunch boxes are easier to clean than plastic ones. Consider opting for the one which is more comfortable to clean and safe for food.
Almost all the lunch boxes are easy to clean. But the trick is we should clean them as soon as we can because leaving the leftover in the lunch box for a long time can damage the containers and leave a bad smell afterward. While cleaning, always remember to clean them with lukewarm water; some lemon drops can also help with the smell.
There are case covers available to store food for more heat. For example like a flask for storing tea. Individual bags or insulation covers are available to keep the food warmer and let it remain fresh for longer.
The cases also act as protection against any spills or shocks. Many lunch boxes come with the covers. For office goers, if there is a microwave facility available at offices, it is not very important. Whereas school goers or people on the go, lunch boxes with covers can be really helpful.
While buying lunch boxes, it’s advisable to check the bags as some come with cloth bags, some in plastic and some in steel. For me, the best ones come in steel as they are more durable and retain more heat than any other material. So if when looking for spill protection and heat retention, it’s recommended to look out for those that come in thermosteel cases.
₹449.00
Glass lunch boxes are a great upcoming alternate to plastic lunch boxes. This lunch box is made of 100% borosilicate glass; this glass type is more resistant to thermal shocks and is lead and BPA-free. The lunch box has a special casing, which makes it airtight and spillproof for liquid dishes.
It is a great option for college students, school kids, and even office goers. The transparent glass adds a shining look, and these tiffins are easy to clean as well. It is microwave safe as well to preheat the food when needed without removing the box. This lunch box is one of our top recommendations with its great build and usability.
₹999.00
This lunch box is a versatile one. The glass is made from borosilicate, which durable and heat resistant. The glass lunch box can be used to store food safely as containers at home as well. The set of 3 can pack different dishes of adequate size.
The lids can be easily stacked upon each other; they are spill-proof and airtight as well. The bag available along with it is a trendy one and is easy to wash. For people looking for a lunch box option for school or office, this is a great choice. The lunch box is easy to clean too.
₹347.00
Although, it does keep your food warm for 3-4 hours easily anyway, so you might not even need to microwave it! It has amazing reviews and is very easy to use, plus the price is an absolute steal, which is why this has made it to our top picks!
₹3,199.00
This lunch box is one of the best choices for multi-meal lunch, with a solid stainless steel build, 3 containers, and a bag. With its vacuum insulation, the lunch box allows food to be warm for up to 6 hours and for cold dishes to retain coolness for up to 9 hours.
The versatile bag allows you to carry the food safely and can be used as a mat to place food and eat anywhere. This lunch box is a great considerable option for Travelers and office goers. You can carry it easily without any spill worry.
₹529.00
₹1,095.00
₹1,140.00
₹479.00
₹999.00
₹561.00
Are you looking for new hand blenders or new sandwich makers for easy prep. or something totally different like a hair conditioner for women. Search and explore our additional buying guides equipped with various aspects to help you be a wise buyer.
Reviewer: Abhishek Mahajan
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