There is a saying in Cantonese: "The purpose of working hard is so you can eat.” Nothing helps you regain your mood and energy more than a nice relaxing lunch. Nowadays, many companies’ pantries are busy at lunch time as more and more colleagues choose to bring their own lunches. There is a long queue in front of the microwave oven and it takes longer to get your lunch heated. Not really a very relaxing lunch, is it?

Want a better choice? Why not bring your own heated lunch box? Set a time beforehand to pre-heat the meal and when it’s done, enjoy! As a matter of fact, the market is already reflecting this demand by introducing all sorts of heated lunch boxes for you to choose.

1. Safe and hygienic
Food safety is paramount. The lunch box should be sealed or even vacuum sealed to retain freshness. Next, it should be made of certified food grade materials to ensure it is suitable for heated and hot food. It should also have safety functions such as anti-dry, anti-burn and an auto overheat shut-off feature.

2. Easy-to-carry
The lunch box or food container must be lightweight with a leak-proof lid and safety latch. You could be walking along a street, a breeze comes along and you don’t want your lunch box to tip over and spill all the contents.

3. Healthy and time-saving

Many people think microwave ovens produce radiation or cause loss of nutrients when food is cooked in them, but there is no scientific evidence to support these theories. On the contrary, prolonged steaming produces a lot of water vapour which results in a greater chance of losing valuable nutrients. Select a lunch box that allows food to be heated evenly within a short period of time in order to preserve the freshness and nutritional value of the food. Some models even have a preset timer or mobile app so you can accurately estimate heating temperature and manage cooking times better.

4. Easy-to-clean

Since you don’t have a long lunch break, and you would probably like to take a rest after eating your meal, an easy-to-clean lunch boxe is definitely a plus. Before you buy one, check to see if the inner compartment of the lunch box or food box can be easily disassembled and if it is made of stainless steel, ceramic or other easy-to-clean materials.

5. Wide range of cooking features

Some steaming rice boxes not only heat food but are very suitable for office workers to enjoy fresh and hot meals at the office. Prepare a few ingredients at home the night before, add rice and heat them all up at the same time. If you don't want rice, use a steam box to cook congee, noodles, steamed dim sum and more. Be creative. In fact, many users share their recipes online with delicious looking meals including desserts. Whether you have the freedom to eat at any time in the office, or you have to work overtime or a night shift, make use of a steam box to cook for yourself or make a snack to cheer yourself up.