While having a hot lunch certainly is nice, it's not always possible if you don't have access to an electrical outlet or a microwave oven. That's where the Dutch-designed Heatbox comes in, as it uses an integrated battery to steam-heat your food.
Users start by pouring 20 ml (0.7 oz) of water into the Heatbox, then adding its stainless steel inner container, which contains their food. One lid is then placed on the inner container – sealing the food inside – and another lid (made of bamboo) is placed on the outside of the Heatbox, keeping the water contained. The whole thing can then be carried around, without anything leaking out.
Once it's time to eat, the outer lid is taken off, the inner lid is removed, the outer lid is put back on, and a button is pressed to activate an integrated heating element. This causes the water to boil, turning to steam which heats the food without drying it out. Two release valves allow excess steam to escape, so the internal pressure doesn't get too high.
Utilizing an iOS/Android app, users can select between Low, Medium and High heating programs, based on how much and what sort of food they're heating. Generally speaking, heating times range from eight to 12 minutes. One 90-minute charge of the battery should be good for three Low heatings. And while other food-heating lunchboxes do exist, they typically having to be plugged into an outlet, limiting their usefulness in the outdoors.
The Heatbox is the product of a successful Indiegogo campaign and is now available for preorder, priced at US$149 – shipping should commence by the middle of this year. It's demonstrated in the following video.
Source: Heatbox
