Review on 🥡 YBOBK HOME Thermal Lunch Box - Stackable Stainless Steel Bento Boxes with Insulated Bag - Large Hot Food Container for Adults (Blue) by Debbie Daly

Why I use this: 1) my kid loves it and 2) I usually pack a hot main meal and appetizers that need to be cold (like cheese) so this tiered lunch box lets me pack them separately. Ease of Use: This set is great for my third grader who never had trouble opening or closing the set. I made sure she tried it the day before I gave it to her for the first time so she knew to always line up the clasps before snapping the lid. I showed her how easy it is to open the transparent inner lids that allow the heat of the food to be sucked in (first open the valve, then put your thumb on the side of the metal bowl and your fingers in the middle of the bowl, making it more transparent lid for pressing and tilting). Cover open). Background: I've been looking long and hard for an insulated lunch box that has a stainless steel interior and closes with clasps (for easy opening as twist lids are too heavy for her to open on her own) and her school lunch boxes for kids asked to open independently). Understandably, I've finally come to terms with the knowledge that there's no such thing. Except for a thermos with a hard-to-open twist-top lid, no other food container can hold the temperature for 4 hours (it takes 4 hours from school to lunch). This is not possible as it needs to be heavy and thick due to the insulation of the entire container and lid, and also difficult to open to maintain vacuum/suction and temperature like thermos flasks. I realized that most lunch boxes rely on a Lunch BAG to insulate and maintain temperature (either cold or hot, but obviously not both). But most of the included "insulated" cases are just foil-coated and thin (like this case) that don't really do much good. You need a very thick and well-insulated bag to keep the temperature, but this lunch box shape doesn't really fit in those bags and it won't fit in a school backpack. Well, this lunch box has everything I wanted except for the insulation. Pocket: As said above, this is a thin foil lined pocket. It doesn't hold the temperature well so it's not really insulated. But it's perfect for a lunch box and fits in a school backpack (not counting other books). Dishes: I don't like opening drawers for dishes. We use a container for dishes and dishes from another brand. Capacity: I measured exactly 2 cups of water into one of the bottom bowls, up to the indentation where the clear lid rests. I didn't measure the top bowl which has a handle top lid and it may have slightly less capacity. Durability: Used every school day for 1 month and still no failure. Stains: The stainless steel bowl doesn't smudge, but as expected, the silicone rim around the clear inner lid gets smudged with tomato sauce. I'm used to this from other silicone rimmed lunch boxes so it wasn't a surprise to me. It doesn't bother me either, since it's just aesthetic. Cleaning: I hand wash it every school day and it's easy to do. It's just bowls and a few lids. Insulation: As mentioned earlier, it has no insulating properties. Just like the slim, foil-lined bag that comes with it. I heat the main course until it screams, then I bag it all up (hot bottom, cold starters on top). Depending on the product and its density, this affects how long it is kept warm. When I packed a lot of hot rice, after 4 hours it was "slightly warm, slightly cold". Other dishes such as Foods such as Swedish meatballs with egg noodles or spaghetti are considered "room temperature/cold” at the time of consumption. Fortunately, my child eats well at room temperature. On the top tier, where I put cold snacks (like cheese), I place about 5 frozen reusable (BPA-free) plastic ice cubes (filled with purified water) next to the cheese. For this appetizer we only need to have them chilled for a snack for 2 hours and the cheese is as "cold as if straight out of the fridge and there is still ice floating in the reusable ice cubes but until dinner in 2 hours." completely thawed after a meal. This is just a small solution to keep cheese at food safe temperature for 2 hours. For me and my kid this lunch box works great! For those who want to keep their food consistently hot, look for thermoses because you won't find anything in this easy-open style that can hold the temperature despite its "insulation" claims, unless you can find a really good one Super thick heavy duty insulated lunch bag included.