Crock-Pot Lunch Crock Food Warmer, Black Medium

UPDATE (8/23/14): Both warmers that I have still work really well. I used them less this summer since we have had a hot one. I do use one about once a week and am very pleased with it. UPDATE (12/16/13): The warmer is still going strong! I have two inserts and alternate them almost daily. Still love having this to use at work. :) UPDATE (7/25/12): One of the commenters posted a link where you can buy extra food containers for $5 off the crockpot website. Sweet! ORIGINAL REVIEW: Pros: * It looks cool. It made a couple of my co-workers "ooh" and "aah". * It is compact, light, and easy to carry. * It warms food great as long as you remember to plug it in! On average, it warmed my food to comfortable eating temperature within 1 ½ hours. This has included all kinds of foods from basic pureed soup to liver and onions. (I like liver). * There is no smell from the food until you take the lid off to eat. * The inner bowl cools quickly. I unplug the warmer, leave the inner container in the warmer while I eat so I don't have to mess with how to remove a hot metal bowl. By the time I finish eating my lunch, the inner bowl is cool enough at the top for me to remove it. * I like the fact that I don't have to use the work microwave. It saves me time because I used to take a Lysol wipe to the office kitchen counter and a soapy paper towel to the microwave before using it. My office has a high population of folks who bring their own lunch (maybe around 70), which is great for budgets, but not so great when you get skeeved out over the residual gunk that was all over the microwave over the course of the week. With this little warmer, I put my food in the container, and plug it in and it's done. I rinse out the container at work, but it goes in the dishwasher at home. I save 5 to 10 minutes of pre-cleaning the office kitchen space, and I don't have to wait until it's past the "lunch rush". Cons: * It would be great if you could buy extra containers for it. I could see myself packing a whole week's worth of containers on Sunday night. There are also some days when I work past dinner, and it would be nice to be able to bring food in a second container. I did buy a second warmer, but I'd rather pay half the price and get extra inner containers. * Don't heat spinach in it. Turns out bitter. Other information: * The lid on the inner container usually pops up slightly after 10 minutes of warming. The instructions did note this might happen and to not try to put the lid back on. Based on a couple of other reviews stating concerns about bacteria and food safety, I decided to do a little experiment. I put tap water in the inner container and tested the temperature of water every hour for three hours. I also decided to test the temperature of actual food, again testing the temperature every hour for 3 hours. I used a Thermapen Instant Read digital thermometer to measure the temperatures. The results are in the table below. According to the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) website, precooked foods need to be reheated to 165 °F when using a microwave. The FDA website states that hot foods at picnics should be kept at 140 °F. As you can see from the results I got, the water temperature surpassed the 165°F within an hour. The food surpassed the 140°F within 2 hours, and was just under 165 °F at about the 3 hour mark. Time ----- Temperature Water ----- Temperature Food 9:45 am ----- 67.4°F ----------- 36 °F 10:47 am ---- 168.5°F ---------- 126.2 °F 11:45 am ---- 170 °F ---------- 145.1 °F 12:50 pm ---- 170.8°F ---------- 164.9 °F

Great little item for having a hot lunch. It doesn't cook anything; just heats it up and keeps it heated. I have even heated things in the microwave early in the morning and then put it in the crock pot to take to work because sometimes, I don't know when I can carve out time to eat... (I am a nurse). Added convenience is that I can eat right at my desk, and if I happen to be in my car - no problem. I also love that food smells do not waft over my office so that people OBVIOUSLY know they interrupted my lunch when I open my door. UPDATE: As of now (March 2014) I have used this individual crock pot almost daily. I no longer microwave things in the morning because my lunch (depending on solid to liquid ratio) heats up in as little as an hour to hour and a half. No kidding. But here is the REAL reason I wanted to update. I put this thru the ultimate pace. I tried leftover deep dish pizza. The outside crust was not soggy and the cheese.. ummmmmm! Warm and gooey! It was amazing! There is absolutely NOTHING this little pot cannot do. But I do have one "learn by experience". If cheese or cheese sauce is going to touch the metal part of the container spray first with PAM or some such thing. The cheese can get crusty and make it just a little harder to clean. If you like REAL food for lunch rather than grabbing something somewhere, pack the container at night and put in the refrigerator. Drop it in the crock pot and go. Plug it in when you get to work, or if you "forget", just remember to give yourself at least an hr before you want to eat. Since it doesn't "cook" anything, and just warms and maintains the temp at "nice and hot", just remember to give yourself at LEAST an hr plugged in to get it hot enough to eat. If your lunch gets interrupted (not that it would EVER happen!), just put the lid back on and plug back in. I ordered one for my daughter (librarian); she loves it and gratefully avoids the lunch line at the microwave. Today I am ordering one for a friend of mine who is tired of "grabbing something" in his workday and wants to just eat healthier. You should do the same!

I had been taking my hot lunches to work in a thermos, but this is much better. With a thermos, I had to take time in the morning when I was rushing to get out the door to heat the food in the microwave, then transfer it to the thermos, wash the microwave container, and get out the door. When it was time to eat, it's awkward to eat out of a thermos. I didn't like to microwave my food at work because the microwave is always dirty, and sometimes someone else is using it. If I'm in a hurry that can be a big problem. With the crockpot, I fill the inner container with food the night before, stick it in the fridge, grab it in the morning and go. I leave the crockpot itself at work. I stick the inner container in it when I get to work, plug it in, and by lunchtime it's piping hot (but with no hot spots like soup heated in the microwave). I've tested it even sooner, and with some soups it only takes 60 minutes for it to get hot. After I finish eating, I allow the inner container to cool a little, then wash it out and take it home for the next day. (The inner container is a cylinder bowl shape, so it's easy to eat out of with a spoon (unlike a thermos) and it holds about 20 ounces). As other reviewers have noted, the lid for the inner container snaps on but is not a super tight fit. It's designed that way so it can release within the crockpot when your food gets hot to allow steam to escape. In order to make sure nothing spills on my way to work, I put a strong rubber band around the inner container and put the whole thing in a ziplock bag. I haven't had a spill yet, but I do make sure to carry it upright in my lunch tote. This is not the kind of container you want to be banging around roughly or turning upside down. If you wanted to, you could leave it at your desk while it's plugged in and carry the whole thing to the lunch area when you're ready to eat. There is absolutely no smell while it's heating up your food. Even when the lid for the inner container releases, the outer lid is still tightly on. You can't smell the food until you open the outer lid when you're ready to eat. In addition to doing a great job, the crockpot itself is very cute. I bought the bright turquoise one. I wish I could buy extra replacement inner containers but the crockpot website is always sold out when I've checked. This is a great product and you won't be disappointed!

For years I have tried (in vein) to find a travel container that would keep my husband's lunch at a temperature greater than 'luke warm'. Until two weeks ago I was still boiling water and filling thermos containers in the hopes that if I then put the container in an insulated bag inside a plastic bag and he kept it in the truck....maybe just maybe...his lunch would be some temperature other than the usual 'luke warm'. I stopped sending soups because they were barely warm and began sending only foods that wouldn't be too intolerable to eat in that 'luke warm' state. THEN one day I accidently stumbled upon this product and I decided to give it a try. Some reviews said it took all day to heat up others said and hour or two. There were complaints about how difficult it was to get the inner lid off once the food was heated, and I thought...'are you kidding me, you apparently found a product that actually gives you hot food at lunchtime and you're complaining about the tightness of the lid???' Well, it takes only an hour or two and the lid is good and sealed when you try to open it after it's heated but...so what! The food inside is actually HOT and not dried out and tastes like it did when it was first made. This product is spectacular!! It does exactly what it says it does...it heats your food slowly and wonderfully and your soup is HOT. My husband said he actually had to blow on it before he could eat it!!! I can't tell you how happy I was to hear him say that. Mind you he never once complained about barely warm food he just resigned himself to the fact that the only way to get a hot meal at lunch was to go out and buy it. AND as an added bonus, if we dont' have access to electricity where we're working....it heats using an inverter in the truck!!! My only warning is that the outer portion of this crock pot is plastic and was clearly made for a less harsh existance than living in a construction truck, so as long as no one lets it bang around or drops it on a hard surface...we're in like Flynn.

This is a good product. I bought it when the microwaves at work started dying and we were down to 1 working one. It actually works to reheat a lot of non-crockpot cooked food. The base is set up to transport but I found that annoying and the cord is kind of pain to wrap around it. So I just leave it plugged in at work and turn the surge protector on or off when I want the crockpot to cook or not (no on off switch). So that leaves the little inner metal actual pot. There is a rubber lid that seals, for the most part. It isn't a tight seal and I can understand it would be a hazard if it was, but I also don't trust it enough to just throw it in my bag on the way out the door like I would a regular tupperware container. I carry it separately which is a little bit of a pain but I manage. But you will want to make sure it is upright in the car and whatnot. Again the lid seals somewhat, but if much pressure is applied it will pop right off. It would be nice if there was some kind of safety latch that you could put on for transport and take off before heating it but it could be explosive if the user forgot to remove the latch so I can understand why it is that way. Once I get to work it goes right into the base and I turn it on. By lunch time everything is nice and warm. Lately I have been reheating leftover speghetti and it does reasonably well. A few noodles will end up being dried out and crunchy but that happens if it's microwaved anyways and the flavor is much better. Just like when you microwave, I find it helps to add a little extra water so things don't get dried out. The pot is HOT by lunch time so I just use a few paper napkins as hot pads which then double as my napkins for the meal and clean up. As mentioned by other reviews it would be nice if it came with 2 pots, or if they sold the metal pots separately so you could make 2 or 3 meals at the begining of the week. As it is I have to wash it out every night and then take the next day's serving from a different tupperware container into the crockpot pot. The last thing I will mention is the pot is metal, which is durable and less breakable than tranditional stoneware used in crockpots, but if you forget to turn it on, hopefully you can find a microwave safe dish to cook your meal in. There isn't really a solution to this since stoneware would be more prone to breaking in transport and the metal doesn't work in microwaves and plastic would melt in the crock pot, so just something to be aware of.

Saves me money and keeps me away from the nasty microwave and nasty cafeteria! I was so tired of the long lines and attitudes at the community work microwave!!! I was tired of the nasty cafeteria food and wanted a way to heat my food instead of always taking sandwiches as an alternative! I saw this crock pot when it was around $19.00, but passed it up, because I was thinking I did not need another crock pot I already have six plus!! The straw that broke me down was when I was in a workshop and the one micro wave that was there went out after a person had used it and left me having to eat cold food!!! I said never again, as soon as I made it home I ordered this and the on the go cereal bowl and salad unit! Working for someone else is hard as it is!!! So I said never again will I be in a position that I have to eat cold food or use a nasty micro waive that is unhealthy!!! Or pay for nasty food, that may not have even been prepared correctly! So far this unit has paid for its self, I have ate chicken, and rice, spaghetti, soups, sausage green bean potatoes, and many more! I cook in my bigger crock pots so dinner is done when I arrive home, so I take a portion of that meal and place it in the lunch crock food warmer for my lunch for the next day and what a pleasant treat for me knowing I have healthy food warming and in a clean unit!!! Someone told me that it smelled good in my work space I just said thanks because I did not want them running and telling, you know how some people can mess things up for others. (Yes, that is the type of work environment I currently have) So this unit makes my day pleasant knowing I have a great lunch waiting for me!!! I started out plugging the unit in as soon as I arrived at work, but made the mistake a couple of times of not plugging the unit in until lunch time or 45 minutes before lunch time. Well the unit surprised me because I was still able to warm my lunch and enjoy my lunch. I am so happy with this unit that I plan to purchase an adapter for our suv so that if I need to heat food up in the suv I can if I am out in workshops and there are no plugs etc (things do happen). I highly recommend this unit! For me it blesses my day because it gives me more time to also read my bible during my lunch instead of waiting in line to purchase food or heat my food. I make sure I always have something to heat in my lunch crock food warmer even if it is just a can of soup! I refuse to go back to the micro wave or cafeteria! I don't have to stand in line any or more or watch the attitudes of people waiting for the microwave or using the microwave. I am grateful, for my current environment, just speaking on how much of a blessing this unit has been for me! Peace of mind!!!! Gives me more time to also eat the word for lunch!!

As an "essential worker" during the Covid-19 pandemic we have strict safety rules while we are on-site with other workers. We are not allowed to use shared items such as coffee makers, refrigerators, or microwaves. This lunch crock pot is fantastic. Holds a large can of soup, a hefty serving of leftovers, and even prepared frozen lunches (I cook them at home in microwave, refrigerate overnight, take to work to reheat). I tested this against a traditional "Dippable" crock pot, and this item is FAR SUPERIOR for reheating /heating up meals. It holds more and is much easier to clean. (the dippable ones don't hold as much and the liner is not removable - so the entire unit heats up and can burn you when touched on the outside.) I have even heated up frozen fritatas, rolls, and sausage-egg crescent roll sandwiches. Texture is okay, nothing crispy - not much different than heating in microwave - just takes longer. Time to heat up is 30 minutes to 1 hour. LOVE the cord storage since I have to eat my food from the entire unit (metal bowl gets too hot to lift out). Even my boss decided to get one. This is a fantastic value (under $25) to achieve a suitable lunch or snack. I leave the unit at work and transport the metal bowl in an insulated lunch bag with ice pack. (I wash the bowl at home). There is no "temperature control" - this is an on / off unit when plugged in and unplugged.

I can't say enough positive things about this little gadget. My love for this Crock-Pot Lunch Warmer is so strong I never leave for a trip without it! (I travel for work roughly 20 days every month). So why do I love it so, let's count the ways! *** I'm going to start by saying I've had my first one for a year, the cord started fraying and then it kinda blew up when I plugged it in😬! The new model has a new guard to help with the fraying issue! Good for crockpot for changing the design. See photo for the difference!*** 1. It's just the right size, big enough for a can of soup (22 oz) or a single portion of leftovers! Yet not so big that it takes up too much space in my bag, in fact I can pack it in my carry on, tote, or even my lunch bag (I have a pretty big lunch bag). 2. It usually reheats my food in 30 minutes, sometimes 45 if I throw it in frozen. That's perfect if I wanna plug it in before I shower at the hotel or get a quick workout at the gym, and when I'm done my food is done! 3. Not all hotel rooms have microwaves, now I never have to worry. 4. I think most food reheats better in this than if I were to microwave it, tastes better, and has a better texture. 5. Eating out for 4 days 4-5 times a month is EXPENSIVE. Plus I like my home cooked leftovers, they taste better and I know what's really in it. 6. Ever get stuck at an airport your flight is delayed and nothing's open, or it's a small airport with no good choices... No never, lucky you. This can plug into any outlet, at the hotel, sitting in the gate area, on the plane... I've done it all! 7. If if you travel a lot I feel like this is a must have, it would be great for a workplace as well. It is ALWAYS in my bag and I usually take it on vacations with me as well. 8. At parties this works great for keeping dips warm!

I bought this for use at work during the fall and winter months. I am very happy with this little unit. I use it for soups and stews mainly. Nothing like a hot soup at work on cold day when working at your desk. Food is Hot. There is No external heat coming off it The internal flap does lift off a bit to vent steam when it is hot but outside the unit you would never know. No smells escape. I accidently for got it one day and left it on. I was so worried but it was fine. The food was a bit overheated but nothing untoward happened. The stainless liner and lid I bring home, wash and take it to work the next day, place my soup or whatever inside, pop liner kid down, screw outer lid on and turn it on. At lunch, it is hot and ready, give it a stir and eat. Watch your tongue. It is HOT.

Trabajo en un lugar donde no hay cocina, ni microondas, lo que representa un problema si quieres llevar comida preparada en casa. Tiene el tamaño perfecto para llevar mi comida, el recipiente exterior no es muy grande, cabe perfectamente en una lonchera y permite transportar la comida dentro del recipiente interior, ademas la tapa evita que se derrame el contenido pudiendo transportar sopa. El recipiente interior es de aluminio y tiene la capacidad de 20 onzas (0.6 litros), lo suficiente para la comida de una persona, es fácil de lavar. Al ser el calentador lento requiere conectarlo de 30 a 40 min antes de consumir los alimentos. La recomiendo

I bought the item from Amazon Australia. For use in NZ. Both countries are on 230/240v AC. The item is 110v so will not work without adding a voltage converter. This vital detail should be present in the advertising of the item. It is not. I am now faced with the cost and inconvenience of a return.

With Covid and the closing of kitchen areas at aces of work this is an excellent replacement for a microwave. The inside container comes out for easy cleaning and the packing of your lunch the night before. It warms your food while keeping it from drying out. I personally plug it in 1.5 to 2 hours before lunch and have a perfect meal at lunch. So very happy with this purchase.

Buena opcion para calentar la comida a falta de microondas o estufa. La tienes que encender con la comida como dos horas antes de que vayas a consumir tus alimentos para que este bien caliente. Podria mejorar el sellado de la tapa exterior, este se abre a medida que la temperatura incrementa una vez cuando ya la cerraste o pusiste en posición de bloqueo.