Customer Reviews
Save lots of $$$; enjoy a home-cooked meal at work or school 
2008-10-08
Buying lunch every day was getting very expensive. And eating sandwiches from home got boring quick.
That's when I stumbled across the Zojirushi Mr. Bento available on Amazon. I spent nearly seven years in Japan and enjoyed the traditional Japanese lunch bento. With a few modifications to the menu, I'm able to fill the round jar with four food bowls. The two largest bowls can hold a serving of pasta, soup or stew, or simply grilled chicken and vegetables and rice. The two smaller bowls are perfect for carrying fruit and snacks or side dishes to accompany the main course. Each bowl is vacuum-insulated, so it keeps food warm.
Don't be intimidated. You need not prepare Japanese or Asian foods to use this lunch box. The containers can accomodate many foods. More often than not, I simply collect several leftovers in the bowls and toss in some fruit to go with it and I've got a lunch that is tastier and healthier than what I used to buy.
Trust me. You'll not only save money with this lunch box, you will also be the envy of your co-workers/classmates.
Ordering sushi when not using it! 2008-10-03
Great product. Keeps the food warm and ready to eat. Depending on what you bring in, the bottom containers either keep the food warm or hot. I brought in some Maryland Crab soup one day and it was warm after 6 hours. Brought in Portabello Mushroom today and it was still hot after the same amount of time.
The only time I won't be using it are the days that I feel like ordering sushi.
Ordered the Zojirushi Mini Stainless Thermal Lunch Box, Metallic Blue
last night for my daughter.
The best lunch box! 2008-10-03
My husband used to carry big lunch box to work. Now he is using this small lunch jar for the same quantity and volume of meal. Never spills, easy to use
fun product 
2008-09-23
We use this for my 7 year old at school. It works great at keeping foods hot in the soup bowl. The only complaint I have is the larger jar can leak. The lid loosens up after a few uses. Children love the bento, but it can be a little heavy for them. She is a celiac and has to bring lunch to school. I needed something that would stay hot. It does the trick.
great lunch thermos 2008-09-21
This lunch pack is very good if you are having a hot OR a cold lunch. If you want to have soup and also some fruit, it's less effective, since the heat from the hot container escapes to keep the rest of the containers warm. It does keep the stuff nice and warm also! Other than that, it's design is good and my daughter loves using it for her lunches.
Easy to use for adults, not for toddlers or kids with small hands. 2008-09-10
I purchased this a few years ago when it came with chopsticks. My intention was to pack lunch & snacks for DS who was entering Kindergarten. He couldn't open the containers because he couldn't fit his hands over the lids, so the container was put into storage.
Now DS is in the 2nd grade and I discovered Bento Boxes. I've ordered the The Manga Cookbook Bento Box Gift Set on Amazon and am patiently waiting for it! Since I am packing DS's lunch, DH asked if he could have lunch, too. The Bento Boxes were too small for his appetite so I looked around and took this container out of storage. It works really well for him.
I will pack soup, pasta sauce or stir fry in the bottom container, rice/noodles in the big container, sautéed vegetables in the 3rd container and a fruit salad in the smallest container. DH likes it and has said he's saved lot of $$ from buying lunch.
Just got a copy of The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen!): Hiding Healthy Foods in Hearty Meals Any Guy Will Love and plan to use some of the recipes for DH's lunches.
Thermos by Zorjirushi 2008-09-08
I bought this thermos lunch container for my son. He is 10 years old and loves it. It keeps the food hot and he loves having the separate containers for a dessert. Although when you first see the size of each container (there are 4), you would think that there is not enough room to put in a fulfilling lunch. However, the containers are perfect. I use the bottom container for soup or a hot drink, the main container for hot food such as rice and chicken, the third container for salad and the fourth container for a dessert. He loves being the only kid in school with such a unique lunchbox and he also loves not having to wait in line to use the microwave!! This is an excellent product for people of all ages and I highly recommend it.
I love my Mr. Bento! 2008-09-05
I started putting my Mr. Bento to use just a few days after receiving it, and I've been very pleased with it with every use. I've used it for work, and it's great for college. As I've followed the instructions and filled the outer container with hot water before I put in soup (and I've always put in soup), the rest of my meal stays hot for the 4 hours it usually has to sit before I can eat it.
The containers are a little small upon first glance, but I was surprised that the first time I packed them all, I was full before I could even finish eating all of the food I'd packed.
All in all, Mr. Bento has already saved me a lot of money, and time that I might have wasted trying to find and wait in line to get a burger. It's also allowed me to eat healthier. It's nice to be able to have a warm meal without having to nuke something up!
Great buy for healthy lunches! 2008-09-03
I too, bought this product because the lunches they serve in the schools these days are a nightmare (chicken nuggets almost every day). My seven year old takes this to school every day and manages it quite well. He enjoys good food, is not picky and prefers my good leftovers from dinner. He has no problems taking this apart and putting it back together again by himself. I microwave the containers of warm food in the morning and they stay warm until his lunchtime with no problems. The only problem we encountered is you cannot put jello in the top container with warm food below or it will be a puddle by lunchtime. This is very minor though. I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who wants to get their child away from the breaded, processed school lunches.
Highly Overrated 
2008-08-22
First of all, don't be fooled by its appearance: This is not a Thermos. It will not keep your food warm or cold. For this reason, the instructions say to avoid using it for dairy products, and to consume food withing a few hours.
Second, and perhaps most important, all of the bowls leak. Even the soup bowl, with a screw-on lid and gasket, leaks. The instructions say to always keep Mr. Bento perfectly upright. Try doing that in your car on your commute to work. It's impossible.
In practice, the only thing Mr. Bento is good for arranging your food in pretty ways, so that you can post photos on Flickr. That's not very practical when your yogurt is spoiled not to mention spilled all over the inside of the container. I've since gone back to using a couple of $1 food containers, which at least don't leak. Also, when I put them in the fridge at work, my coworkers don't constantly ask me why I'm taking up valuable fridge space with a Thermos.
