8 Great Electric Lunch Boxes for Teachers

By David Unwin •  Updated: 11/14/23 •  Teaching Tools

An electric lunch box is a compact, portable device to heat meals. Unlike traditional lunch boxes, it includes an electrical heating element that can warm your food comfortably. Perfect for office workers, students, or anyone frequently on the go, an electric lunch box is a convenient solution for enjoying hot, home-cooked meals anywhere, anytime.

Electric lunch boxes come in various sizes, shapes, and styles to suit different needs and preferences. Some are designed to hold multiple dishes or portions, while others are compact and ideal for individual meals. Some even include additional features such as temperature control settings, timers, and detachable cords for easy cleaning.

Why as a teacher would you want to get an electric lunch box?

One of the main benefits of using an electric lunch box is its convenience. With a traditional lunch box, you may have to wait in line to use the microwave at work or school or find yourself needing access to one while traveling. With an electric lunch box, you can plug it in and have your meal ready to eat in no time. This also eliminates the need for plastic containers and utensils, reducing waste and promoting a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

In addition to convenience, an electric lunch box also allows for healthier meal options. By bringing your food from home, you can control the ingredients and ensure your meals are balanced and nutritious. This is especially helpful for those with dietary restrictions or specific health goals. You can also save money by avoiding expensive takeout meals and instead packing your homemade meals.

Electric lunch boxes are not just limited to heating up food; they can also be used for cooking. Some models come with steaming or grilling capabilities, allowing you to prepare a wider variety of dishes while on the go.

7 great electric lunch boxes for teachers

For teachers, an electric lunch box can be a significant game-changer. Teachers often have hectic schedules, leaving them with limited time for meal preparation. Using an electric lunch box, they can bring home-cooked meals to school and enjoy them warm during their break, promoting healthier eating habits.

Crockpot Electric Lunch Box – It’s a little, portable Crockpot

Who doesn’t like Crockpot? Sure you can have this appliance in your kitchen to slow cook meals while you’re at work, but what if there was a smaller, on the go option to take with you? Well now there is!

The Crockpot Electric Lunch Box is a versatile and convenient appliance designed to make meal times more manageable, particularly for those on the go. It operates by slowly and steadily heating food, ensuring meals are thoroughly cooked and ready when you are.

Portable and compact, it’s perfect for taking to work, school, or even on road trips, allowing you to enjoy a hot, home-cooked meal anywhere. The device also features a partitioned section to keep different food items separate, enhancing your dining experience.

Vovoir Electric Heating Lunch Box – The best mid range option

This electric lunch box features two removable food containers: a stainless steel inner tray and a plastic salad box. These containers conveniently separate your different dishes. The capacity of the containers is 1.5L and 0.45L.

It’s effortless to bring along food, vegetables, soup, and other dishes school or trips. The upgraded heated lunch box includes a leak-proof sealing gasket on the lid to ensure better sealing. However, the steam vent on the lid is not sealed, so don’t turn the lunch box upside down when in use.

Finally, this electric lunch box comes with two power cables: one for home use and another for your vehicle ( 12V/24V). This versatile lunch box lets you conveniently heat your meals at home, in the school office, or while traveling.

Hot Logic Mini Portable Oven – The best small oven choice

The Hot Logic Mini Portable Oven revolutionizes the way you heat your food on the go. This compact, energy-efficient device uses low-slow conduction heat to bring food to an ideal temperature without overcooking or drying it out.

Designed for those moments when you don’t have easy access to a microwave or oven. It’s perfect for teachers or anyone who prefers a hot, home-cooked meal. Its compatibility with most flat-bottom containers, including glass, plastic, Tupperware, or metal. This well designed mini portable oven is a game-changer in portable food-warming solutions, merging simplicity and functionality in one compact design.

To get started using this Hot Logic oven is so simple, just get to work and connect it to any outlet 30 minutes to an hour before you’re planning on eating.

Herrfilk Electric Lunch Box – 3 in one option

This is another standard, budget friendly electric lunch box that provides value above it’s price point. Utilizing PTC’s original constant temperature heating, the low-consumption heat cycle keeps food at an ideal temperature within 20-30 minutes while preserving its moisture.

With this enhanced feature, you can enjoy more efficient food heating, ensuring your meals are ready to be savored in no time. With this electric lunch box you get quite a lot: 

Overall, we were quite happy with how fast this device worked, even sitting in a car on a cold day this lunch box warmed up a meal in no time.

KoolatronLunch Box Stove – The big, heavy duty option

With a name like Koolatron, you would be surprised that they have one of the best portable box stove ovens around and there’s nothing cool or cold about it. Made for a construction worker as this thing is big, durable and built to take a beating. It’s simply the best large electric lunch box we’ve tried.

Simply plug it into your 12V receptacle and watch as it effortlessly cooks or reheats your food. With its sleek black construction worker-style design, this lunchbox not only looks great but also heats up rapidly to a toasty 300°F (149°F). Cleaning is pretty easy to, as it easily wipes clean without the need for any specialized products.

If you’re looking for a big, well built electric lunch box as a teacher, the Koolatron makes a classic style you’ll love.

Corotc Electric Lunch Box – Nice, feminine design

This is a small, stylish little lunch box where you can store your utensils in the lid. It heats fast as is the perfect option for a school teacher. This multi-functional, light blue lunch box has a sleek design and serves as a food heater with four different power supply modes- 12V, 24V, 110V, and 220V. It has dual lids, ensuring your food remains fresh and warm.

The package includes a spoon and fork for convenience and a carry bag for easy portability. It’s essentially a portable microwave that provides warm meals anytime, anywhere. It’s nothing fancy, but if you’re in the need of a small portable electric lunch box that have a lovely design, then consider getting this.

Rottogoon Portable Oven – Yep, it’s literally a portable oven

Last on our list is this portable oven from Rottogoon. It opens up and has an electric cooking surface. Great for reheating a meal that’s in stovetop friendly cookware of just outright cooking directly on this device. You could technically cook up some steak and eggs on this thing if you wanted too.

With its automatic temperature control, this portable stovetop eliminates the worry of overheating. It effortlessly cooks or reheats fresh and frozen food, ensuring it remains perfectly cooked without any burnt or dry spots. Not only can you reheat leftovers, it is possible to cook raw food. Acting as a slow cooker, it gently warms most meals in approximately one hour (frozen meals may take longer).

Best electric lunch boxes for teachers – Conclusion

If you’ve never tried an electric lunch box before, try one. You’ll be quite surprised as to the quality of food you have access to once you’re able to heat left overs while at work. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to let these lunch boxes warm up and cook your food. We suggest at least 30 minutes at a minimum. 1.5-2 hours if you’re cooking food that is frozen.

David Unwin

I've taught as an ESL teacher in Thailand for 5+ years at all levels of education, from elementary to University. I was also one of the first 1000 VIPKID teachers. Here I create content on teaching abroad, online and helpful tips for the classroom. Learn more.

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