The lid can be a major functional part of any kind of flask. Just like drinks flask which utilise the lid as a miniature cup/mug, so do food flasks have convertible lids. It might be a pertinent consideration, especially if you’re getting a food flask for camping or hiking trips, to have a flask with a lid that doubles up as a bowl. Some also come with foldable spoons, meaning cutlery becomes one less thing that you have to bring. Materials On a budget – The 720°DGREE wunderJar Food Flask makes for surprisingly good value for those not wanting to overspend on a food flask. Even with its environmentally-friendly credentials, which often come with a little extra on the price tag, this particular flask is very reasonably-priced for a flask with a solid amount of volume for single portions and exceptional build quality and style. The ones that will keep your food warm for longer will generally cost more, but they can also be more versatile. For any stains or bad odours, simply add a couple of teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda to the flask and then top up with hot water. You can also get larger ones of over 800ml, which might suit one very hungry person or a lighter lunch for two.

food flasks for hot meals at work or camping trips 6 best food flasks for hot meals at work or camping trips

Best quality & features – The Thermos Stainless King Food Flask proves why Thermos are the standard when it comes to flasks. The durability and build are second to none, something which is exemplified by Thermos’ 50-year guarantee. Although not the largest flask here, the excellent heat retention times of up to 9 hours (hot) and up to 12 hours (cold) are among the best out there for a good-sized single portion of food. The colour options are a nice bonus, too. At 530ml, the SHO insulated food flask was one of the bigger ones we tried but you can get an even bigger 800ml version. Its compact size means it’s really easy to fit into lunch bags, and we didn’t have to worry about spillages.There’s no inner lid or cutlery with this one, nor does it promise to keep your food warm or cold for a specific amount of time. Because of this, we decided to go with a minimum keep-warm period of 6 hours.

SHO Original 2.0 Water Bottle SHO Original 2.0 Water Bottle

INSULATED food flasks are perfect for hiking trips where you don’t have anywhere to heat up your meals but they can also be great for the office or school. However, the silky smooth stainless steel finish made tightening and loosening the lid much harder. On the plus side, this made cleaning it super easy - handy as it can’t go in the dishwasher. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Czech Republic Our Lifetime Guarantee is ultimately our promise that if you have a problem with a product we will find a solution for you.It’s on the smaller side though, with a capacity of just 300ml, so depending on how hungry your kids are, it might just be part of a meal rather than the whole thing. You get an outer lid that can double as a cup while the inner lid is sealed for waterproofing and insulation. The inner lid also holds a foldable spoon so you have everything you need to take it on the go.

SHO Food Flask - Vacuum Insulated, Double Walled Stainless SHO Food Flask - Vacuum Insulated, Double Walled Stainless

Obviously heat loss is still possible from the point where the two layers join up, and the seals, which is why even the best vacuum flasks will lose heat eventually. How much are food flasks?Best for big meals – SHO’s Ultimate Food Flask is not the biggest flask out there, but it is bigger than most. 2 sizes are available for the Ultimate, both of which are bigger than comparable flasks. The smaller is 600ml, which beats out other similarly sized flasks which are usually around 500ml, and the 800ml compares with others usually around 700ml. So unquestionably, if you’ve got a big appetite (or are carrying food for two) then the Ultimate should be your flask of choice. An honourable mention does go out to Pioneer’s 1000ml food flask, however. Thermos is the most well-known brand for making insulated flasks so they’ve got it down to a fine art. This food flask by Prime Horizon is available in two colours, either stainless-steel silver or a deep (and very smart) blue. Utilising a bold, almost utilitarian design, its 500ml capacity should prove enough for a couple of small servings or one generous serving. The flask is double walled stainless-steel, with vacuum insulation as well as an internal copper coating designed to minimise heat loss. Heat retention time is claimed at a massive 24 hours for hot food, as well as up to 36 hours for cold food (subject to outside temperatures), making it a great choice for any all-day affairs. There are a couple of different ways a vacuum flask can keep the contents warm and it starts with the double-layered base.

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In testing, we found that the contents of the jar had cooled significantly by the end of the 6 hours. It was still warm to the touch, but you would probably want to reheat it depending on what you’re storing. Of course, one of the main reasons to buy a flask is to keep hot food hot. As such, heat retention is another of the most important factors to consider before buying. This heat retention time can vary hugely between around 4 hours, up to 12 hours and potentially even longer than that. This means that you have to factor in how, where and when you intend to use your flask. For single portions, a few hours is probably fine, but on longer expeditions with multiple meals, you’re naturally going to need one that’ll hold onto that heat for longer. The Hydro Flask insulated food jar was one of the simplest designs we tried and the 28oz (828ml) version offered some serious capacity. You can also get a smaller 20oz (591ml) version, though. Plus, the tapered top of the flask means it’s much easier to drink out of - but of course, you can use the foldable spoon as well. How does a vacuum flask work?Some flasks are also designed with the intention of maintaining a low temperature for cold food. While not fully refrigerating them, flasks designed for this purpose will usually keep things cold longer than they keep things hot. But, some flasks are not meant for this, so bear that in mind. The Ultimate Food Flask by SHO is a colourful range of flasks available in 2 sizes; 600ml and 800ml; and the 5 different colours pictured; ‘Brilliant Blue’, ‘Sunset Orange’, ‘Gorgeous Green’, ‘Original Stainless Steel’ and ‘Perfect Pink’. The large carry handle makes it a convenient choice for even the tiniest hands, and provides a solid lever to open the flask with. Using a layer of vacuum insulation between two walls of stainless-steel, the Ultimate promsies to keep food hot for between 8 and 12 hours, and cold for between 18 and 24 hours. The vacuum flask also has a screw-top lid with a seal that helps to stop heat from escaping from the opening.