Zojirushi SL-NCE09 Ms. Bento Stainless-Steel Vacuum Lunch Jar

Comment: I didn't think I could enjoy a lunchbox so. I have the mini Zojirushi and that is fine (but small -- ergo "mini") and several other bento type lunch boxes. I have only used this once since getting it (yesterday) and I have to say the size is perfect for me (plenty of room for veggies), the temperature stayed cool (I pack it at 5:30 a.m. to eat 6 hours later) and the engineering of the lunch jar is a thing of beauty. I know I'm going to be enjoying this for quite a while.

Comment: I love this lunchbox for its looks, practicality, and functionality - but boy, is it SMALL!
I bought this as one of the presents for Father's Day, but ended up giving it to my mother instead!

I'm not a cook so I don't have a good sense of volume - when the description stated "microwaveable bowls measure 10.5, 11.2, and 6.8 ounces," I didn't think much of it and thought those were decent enough sizes.
The photos don't really show much correlation to the actual sizes either.
It is barely 8" for the lunchbox itself. Each container is about 3 inches in diameter. The bottom container is just over 2" high, the middle container about 3" high, and the top container about 2" high.

If you are a Western-raised guy, this lunchbox will be too small for you (I'm Asian but was raised in the States so for me it is too small).
You need to realize that in Japanese culture (along with many other non-US cultures), lunch is not meant to be stuffing your belly like us. People eat mainly high-carbohydrate products as opposed to high-protein like us, so therefore, it's mainly starches (rice), vegetables, fish, and soup.
If you go on that plan, then you can use the bottom container for your rice (people say they use it for soup, but since rice can be compacted, unlike liquid, it would make more sense to use this container for rice), the middle container for soup or meat, and the top container for vegetables and/or fruits (the top container has a separator compartment to store 2 different food items).

It is made of very high-quality material plastics and a stainless steel outer wall. You can always trust the Zojirushi brand (I remember now that I first saw them from their world-renown rice cookers when I was a little kid in the 80's).
It comes with a silver spork with a nifty enclosure for the head portion, and a carrying bag that has just enough extra space for a small bottle of water or a 12 oz. soda/juice can.

If you're a guy, maybe you can try the Mr. Bento Lunch Jar Set instead (and even with that, it'd be good for a small lunch, so maybe it'd be excellent tool for a diet regimen).
Otherwise, get this for the woman in your life who doesn't eat much, or for your little ones.

Comment: I bought this lunch jar for my 1st grade daughter to use at school. She later joined a ski team and used the jar for her lunch break on the mountain. We have been extremely impressed with the durability and performance of this lunch jar -- after a full year of daily school use plus a full winter of ski team, it still works great!

For ski team use, the jar spends the morning OUTSIDE, tossed in a huge, non-insulated bag with all the other lunches and carried up the mountain by snow mobile in below freezing temperature. After about 4 hours my daughter opens it to have her lunch. She said everything was always hot and perfect inside every day. I warmed the jar with hot water for 10 minutes or so each morning before putting her lunch inside, but still I was surprised and pleased with the great results.

My daughter has dropped the jar (as expected given the heavy use by a 1st grader), and it has been through a lot of rough treatment in the year and a half we've had it. The only visible effect of all this -- a dirty carrying bag (bummer it's not washable!) and one small dent in the exterior of the jar (which hasn't affected functionality).

Comment: I was very nervous to make this purchase, since this is way more than I would typically spend on a lunch bag. However, it seemed like a quality product, so I went ahead. I am so glad I did. The canister is durable and well made, and the inner containers are a great size for a small eater. I pack cold food, and then heat up portions as necessary. It couldn't be simpler or easier. I do wish the containers were dishwasher safe, but so far rinsing out the containers after use cuts down on cleaning time later. The whole product is sleek, and the little tote bag is adorable. It looks like a little purse though...I'm not sure all men would appreciate that (or the small container size).

Comment: Takes work much more than I thought to prepare foods that would make this lunchbox worthwhile. When it is done right, all the three-layer foods are steaming hot or warm. However, most foods will not taste the same after kept hot/warm for hours.