UVI sent me their UVI Plus Self-Heating Lunch Box to tell you about, and it’s a pretty clever idea for anyone who takes lunch to work but doesn’t always have a microwave handy.
Because there are only so many cold sandwiches a person can eat before lunch starts feeling like a punishment.
A Hot Lunch Without a Microwave? Meet the UVI Plus Lunch Box
The UVI Plus is basically a reusable lunch container that heats your food right inside the box. You pack your meal, take it with you, plug it in before you’re ready to eat, and it warms everything up for you.
No waiting in line for the one microwave in the break room. No trying to heat your lunch in shifts because the plate doesn’t fit. And no discovering that someone reheated fish right before you got there.
That alone may be enough to sell some people on the idea.
It Heats Your Lunch Right in the Container
The UVI Plus holds about 34 ounces, so it has room for a decent-sized meal. It also has a divider you can move around depending on what you’re packing.
You could keep your meat separate from your vegetables, divide rice from the rest of the meal, or remove the divider when you want the whole container open.
When you’re ready to heat your food, you connect the included USB-C cord and press the heating button. UVI says refrigerated food generally takes around 25 minutes to heat, although that depends on how much food you packed and what you’re warming up.
So, no, you can’t suddenly remember lunch at 12:00 and expect it to be piping hot at 12:01. You’ll need to plug it in a little ahead of time. It’s NOT a microwave! lol
Once it’s heated, the insulated liner is designed to help keep the food warm for up to two hours. That’s helpful when your lunch break isn’t always exactly when you thought it would be.
There’s One Important Thing You Need to Know
The UVI Plus is portable, but it isn’t cordless.
It has to be plugged into a power source while it’s heating.
That’s definitely something to know before you buy, because the small charger you use for your phone may not be powerful enough.
Depending on the power setup in your vehicle, you may also be able to use it on the road with a compatible car adapter. Again, the power output matters. It can’t just be any random USB plug.
What Kind of Food Can You Put in It?
This would be great for the kinds of meals you’d normally reheat in a microwave.
Think leftovers, pasta, casseroles, rice, vegetables, meatloaf, taco meat, stir-fry, cooked chicken, or whatever else you’ve already got sitting in the fridge.
It’s also a good option for meal prepping because you can pack a full hot meal instead of trying to come up with five days’ worth of sandwiches and salads.
Of course, it heats food. It doesn’t make it crispy. (it’s not an airfryer either, lol)
French fries, breaded chicken, and other foods that really need an oven or air fryer aren’t going to come out crunchy. They’ll be warm, but this is still a lunch box, not a miniature restaurant kitchen.
UVI also says the lunch box can cook rice and steam vegetables, which gives you a few more options besides reheating leftovers.
It Also Has a UV Sanitizing Feature
The UVI Plus has a built-in UV light designed to help reduce bacteria and odors inside the lunch box.
That doesn’t mean you can finish eating, close the lid, push a button, and pretend the food stuck to the sides never happened.
You still need to wash the lunch box and your utensils normally. After they’ve been cleaned, you can place the utensils inside, close the lid, and run the UV cycle.
It’s an extra step to help keep the inside fresh and sanitized, especially when the lunch box has to sit in your office, vehicle, locker, or work bag for the rest of the day.
Who Would Actually Use This?
This isn’t something everyone needs, but for the right person it could be incredibly handy.
It would make sense for construction workers, teachers, healthcare workers, delivery drivers, office workers, college students, or anyone else who spends the day somewhere without easy access to a kitchen.
It could also be useful for someone who has access to a microwave but would rather not share it with 40 coworkers and whatever has been growing inside it since last Tuesday.
And let’s be honest, bringing lunch from home can save quite a bit of money.
A $12 lunch doesn’t sound terrible until you buy one five days a week. Then you’re looking at around $240 a month, and that’s before adding drinks, tips, delivery fees, or the cookie you definitely didn’t plan to order.
Being able to bring last night’s dinner and heat it wherever you are makes eating from home a lot more appealing.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
The UVI Plus does need to be washed by hand. It shouldn’t be submerged in water or tossed into the dishwasher, so it’ll take a little more care than an ordinary plastic container.
Foods such as tomato sauce, curry, turmeric, and beets may also stain the inside. That’s fairly common with food containers, but cleaning it soon after eating should help.
You’ll also need to remember to plug it in before you plan to eat. Setting a reminder on your phone might be a good idea until it becomes part of your routine.
There’s nothing worse than looking forward to a hot lunch and realizing the lunch box has been sitting there unplugged the whole time.
Is the UVI Plus Worth a Look?
The UVI Plus Self-Heating Lunch Box seems like a practical option for someone who regularly takes food to work, travels, works from a vehicle, or simply wants a hot lunch without depending on a microwave.
The movable divider is useful, the container holds a full meal, and the UV feature is a nice addition after everything has been washed.
It won’t replace every lunch container you own, but it could make leftovers a whole lot more exciting than another sad sandwich.
Leave a Reply