I’m an elementary teacher, and one of my duties is monitoring the lunchroom during kindergarten and first grade lunches. Parents, whatever bento or traditional lunch box you buy, for the love of goodness gracious get one that is leak proof! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to help a kid clean up after something in a lunchbox leaked, not to mention anything that gets wet or damaged if said leaking happens in a backpack.
For the modern American market, I would say this is a great test as we have more of a "ready to eat" mentality in one convenient container. Leak-proof is great for those who have uses for dressings and durability tests for the clumsy. But, I find that taking a cloth napkin around the bento box can help eliminate some issues of durability and some leakage, and bringing dressings/liquids in a small bottle can help prevent leakage. This may be more of a hassle but can prevent any issues in cleaning.
I mean, to be fair, the bento box wasn't designed with an American style lunch in mind. You're supposed to put rice and various smaller side dishes inside so of course a sandwich isn't going to fit. In that case just use a brown paper bag lol.
what about vacuum lunch jars or bento equivalents? These seem to be more interesting because they retain cold or warm temperatures for far longer than standard lunch boxes or bento boxes.
I've been using rectangular and square Monbento boxes for a few years. I bought especially for their ability to not leak. They are a French company and you can buy spare gaskets and accessories from them directly.
Usually love ATK but... testing bento boxes with sandwiches? You wouldn't buy a paella pan then use it to make soup, buy a pressure cooker to bake fish, or buy a kitchen knife to stir a soup. Why ?
I think the rationale is that the bento box configuration is a decent all purpose lunch box for a western style lunch. I doubt many ATK viewers take rice/karage/tonkatsu/tempura/tsukemono/miso soup/nori for lunch. But a bento box is a good way to reduce the need for a half dozen various sized zip top bags. I normally use mine to keep some of my sandwich components separate, because I hate soggy bread and wilted lettuce.
@@tiacho2893 If I'm bringing a sandwich to work I just use a generic glad tupperware. Buying a bento box with internal dividers then critiquing its inability to hold a sandwich is just really odd. Once again - you wouldn't buy a knife to stir a soup, or a pressure cooker to bake a fish.
Thank you. I have looked at so many bento boxes and haven't been able to decide which to buy. This episode helps. I should add that I have never heard 'turmeric' pronounced that way. I pronounce it with the stress on the first syllable. Maybe it is an East coast vs West coast thing.
The bento style of boxes are nice, but it really depends on what you like for lunch. And how old the person is who is eating the lunch. Wrapping a sandwich with wax paper or aluminum foil works fine - but keep mustard, mayo, lettuce & tomatoes separate. Or for a lot cheaper price, use Oxo sandwich containers which are leakproof & their brand of small silicone squeeze bottles for condiments & salad dressing also don't leak. Put 'em all in a thermal-lined bag bc some people use public transportation so our food is subject to 90+ degree heat or below zero cold during morning commutes.
@@GpD79 All that plastic may seem like a lot however, if you buy a bento box you'll probably use it every day. Also depending on use and care, it can last you many years. If you compare this to using a 30cm size piece of aluminium foil a few days of the week for 3+ years that is creating a lot of waste. Hope that helped!
@@leenahibilola9513 I understand that. But aluminum is already found in the soil and is not toxic to the planet and all of its ecosystems the same way that plastics are. They're not apples to apples. Personally, I prefer using glass pyrex for my lunches.
Not really a fair test since you won't have liquids, salad dressing, or sandwiches in a bento lunch. The box's size is meant to be a way of controlling portions sizes: so many grams of rice, veggies, and meat. You might as well just use one of the many tupperware type products.
These boxes aren't designed to hold these types of foods without them being portioned differently. Rice, meat or fish don't behave like salad dressing or a bunch of grapes. Not a fair test.
My biggest problem was finding both a leak proof case but also a case that comes with space to bring chopsticks. Chopsticks. All the cases that came with chopsticks were expensive or not leak proof. 🤷♀️ I understand that in the US we don't use chopsticks as often but I love them. I ended up getting Snapware, a thermos, and an insulated kids soft sided lunchbox.
We use an elastic bento box band around our containers, and slip chopsticks (in a cloth sleeve my wide sewed with a snap to seal it) to slide under the band. Keeps them very secure. None of our 5 children have ever lost a set, and neither have I and I’m clumsy 🥴
I'm confused by some of these tests. I have never seen or a herd of anyone trying to put wet things like water or salad dressing into a bento box. The test is asking the box to do something that it is not designed to do.
Love my Inomata Picnica (Japanese) and my Lock & Lock (Korean). Going on six years now... no smells, no discoloration, no leaks, no scratches, etc. BUT, I use them as intended with Asian food, not western food.
My wife and I always enjoy your videos, the only way to improve them would be to have a blooper reel at the end. I’d bet you both have too much fun behind the scenes...😎 Thanks!
Imagine the smell of a microwaved mixture of sardines in tomato sauce, turmeric, and blueberries. I think there is a limit to what ATK staff should have to endure.
@@tiacho2893 I wasn't say they should have cooked that, what i was mentioning. If a person make a meal and wants to take it for lunch and microwave it.
I was just looking at Lunchbots and their website has a size that fits a sandwich. Check company websites for optional sizes and leak proof accessories. However the video has me interested in the MB square now just because of the drop test. I’ve had it happen before opening a stuffed fridge of lunchboxes at work and someone’s lunch box falls out.
They tested the LunchBots (.com) brand and the other metal box. LunchBots boxes are made from 18/8 stainless steel. The only plastic is separate silicone containers that are included with some of their larger multi section boxes.
The LunchBots brand very specifically says that their products are NOT LEAK PROOF. Acting surprised that something not leak proof - leaks shows a bais more appropriate to a paid commercial sponsorship.
I guess I'm crazy, I just use pyrex glass bowls with the plastic lids. They're great, they're big and can old all of my food, they clean up easily, they're reusable, AND I don't have to worry about any chemicals leaching into my food. Yes they are heavy and yes they can break, but if you're an adult, and you're careful, you should be fine. Especially if you're using an insulated lunch bag to carry them in.
Every so often there's a really good sale price at Target for sets of varying sizes and shapes. I compare their prices to the sets available at Walmart. You wouldn't believe the number of people willfully ignorant about plastics chemicals absorbing into both hot and cold items, and particularly the damage done by acids.
@@miat789 ...That's totally reasonable. I understand where you're coming from. Even for klutzy me, as an adult, it's a risk to move about with glass or ceramic. LOL I do my best with crossed-fingers anyway.
You should do a budget must have - all the equipment needed in a kitchen, but without any one thing that cost more than 50 dollars. A student set-up kind of thing, something to start and than upgrade piece by piece
Mattan Faber The equipment reviews are for buy once and last for years with rarely having to replace and it's durability and ease of cleaning saves time, which is irreplaceable. I wish ATK had been around when I was a teenager as it would've saved me a ton of money and time over the last 40 years. Nothing is worse than having a hand mixer or other piece of equipment quit working or break in the middle of preparing a recipe or a cheaper kitchen knife fall apart after a year or two. If you saw all the pots, pans, and utensils I've had over the years plus what my mother-in-law had that I inherited, it would be the times what the recommendation cost. Save all the equipment reviews into an Amazon wish list named ATK Equipment Reviews and share it with family and friends. Then you'll always get something you've always wanted as a gift.
@@Avacarho the Amazon wish list is an awesome idea. What I meant in my comments is that, as a student, or simply someone without a lot of money, but who still wants to cook at home and get better at it, building a kitchen from scratch is too expensive without buying the cheaper products, and then upgrading them when you can afford it and by use (if you use a mixer a lot, save to upgrade that first and so on...). I just thought it will be a good idea to get the best "cheap" products, and that it can be a good topic for ATC to do a video about
I have used the Monbento for a while and it works great. I have a few of them, different sizes and for breakfast and lunch. I'll admit that I skipped the last bit of the video but what I think you missed pointing out is that the band that holds it together? It sucks... that's why it's a relief that the boxes don't open so easily because I have dropped several times until I finally bought a bag to carry them... which I'm not thrilled about but I guess it's better than balancing them along with all my stuff.
Timely test! My son starts kindergarten in a month and I've been thinking about a Bento lunch box. The durability test is probably the most important one regarding his use of it. Now the question is: do I trust him to not lose any pieces? Thanks!
I just bought my boys (ages7 & 4) the Bentgo kids lunch box, with 5 compartments. The arrangements seem small but I think it will be really good for portion control. Got them on Amazon Prime Day though. Not sure exactly what you're looking for, but just wanted to give you another idea. Good luck!
The best thing you can do for both your kindergartener and the lunch helpers is to buy standard rubbermaid leak proof containers and a lunch box and ziplocks. It’s just not smart to expect a 5yr old to manage all these bits and pieces, when as you saw in the video, it stumped and caused two grown women to squeal at getting wet.
Bento boxes are designed for portion control and balance of protein, carbs, sweets, and savory not as a hold it all Tupperware. That’s like shoving a whole steak in a happy meal box and wondering why it’s not appetizing.
Personally, I recognise that plastics are a very versatile light weight material for food storage/transport. But I always opt for stainless steel containers whenever possible as more durable. Though, SS nesting containers can become useless if some of the containers get dented or misshapen. While more expensive and possibly not widely available, I use a Korean made SS bento style box with a water proof gasketed snap lid.
This is very bad reviewing. Bento "Boxes" are not intended to be leak proof. Nor are they intended to contain a whole sandwich. You slice it. Like millions and millions of Japanese have done. Also...you dress your salad from small container of dressing...along with soy sauce and other seasonings. Why would you dress a salad and store it for hours for lunch because it's going to wilt in the heat. Bento's will also not contain soup. And you ignored zojiroshi and other 'thermos' style bento boxes that are leak proof and DO contain soup.
Yeah, I'm mystified why they are testing bento boxes with American food... Like, use traditional American Tupperware if you want to put a whole sandwich in. I wish they had had people test these who are used to putting bento box lunches together daily.
The tests are not very reliable - some boxes are designed with different priorities in mind. You don't want plastic - you choose steel or wood. Simple and has consequences. I don't like stainless steel boxes myself, but I love the winner (I have several of this company :)). I believe they are dawn just made as the perfect box for a European / American / ... ONLY INSPIRED bento. I am the one who buys the container I like and packs whatever I like there - rather sandwiches and salads than rice and meat. There is no obligation to stick to Japanese food only when you make a lunchbox - I don't live in Japan and I have no ties to this country, but I like beautiful, healthy lunches. . In addition, the box that won is really great. For those who write that everything fits there because the box is huge - you can take only one part with you instead of two and it is really tiny :)
Chrissy Cox the version I have is. Mine was a special edition from ten years ago and is a little smaller than the current version but the lid configuration seems the same.
Nope, it's a mispronunciation like people who say chuh-POL-tay, when it is chee-pote-leh. The word Turmeric is pronounced exactly how it looks TER-mur-rick. Coming up with unique mispronunciations is fairly common, but no less incorrect. Great for personal branding though!
Traditional bento's are not, but this is a test for western users. We don't put "traditional" bento items in these boxes. This is how we're using these... DUH.
Lisa can you do a review on Xtrema / ceramcor pans. I bought some 3 years ago and they were expensive but well worth it. I didn’t buy a set .. I only bought a quart pot with lid , a 2 1/2 quart pot with lid and a 10 inch skillet for $288. They are 100% non toxic and can be put in the oven and microwave along with the stove which is common sense but they are non stick pans so you have to baby sit or watch what you cook if you don’t know how to use them. What I like the most is that they clean up well and they are 💯 non toxic and no leaching of chemicals possible like most non stick pans are. This cookware is very fancy and well worth the cost. Please do a review on them. These pans will last for life if you don’t break them cause they are made of a special glazed ceramic that is fired and can take as much as 2500 degree temperatures before they start to melt or are damage. No one cooks anywhere close to that temperature so I think it will be ok lol. Thank you
I used a stainless steel tiffin for 20 years (same one) until a seam gave out. I’d always think, it needs a seal to be perfect. I’ll definitely check out Blue Water. Thanks!
What is the advantage of a bento box vs Tupperware ? Tupperware is now cheap, durable, seals well, easy to wash, and available in a wide range of sizes. This seems like evaluating horse and carriage options for my daily commute.
I used to cut the sandwich in half, and stack the two halves to make them fit. It could have fit as a whole, but, stacking left room for a piece of fruit.
anyone who has researched bentos, which these ladies have NOT, know that bentos are made for dry ingredients. If you want sauces and dressings, you have them in smaller bottles or containers that are leak proof and put them inside the bentos. And a lot of sandwiches are cut smaller to fit in bentos. Normal whole sandwiches Don't go in bentos. This whole video made me cringe a LOT. being a bento maker for years these women are doing a disservice to bentos and bento makers in general.
I find that ATK is running out of useful products to review. Now they're evaluating fringe items or niche market things, like odd or goofy gadgets. I'm waiting for chopstick and skewer reviews.
THANK YOU!!! You put it MUCH more eloquently than I was capable of. I started watching this and immediately felt embarrassed for these two! It was very apparent that they did ZERO research into the history of bentos or what foods typically being packed these days. You're right - they are doing a disservice to bentos and bento makers in general. I've been a bento enthusiast for a little more than 10 years and have a pretty fine collection of bentos, tiffin tins, thermoses, and a huge collection of bento accessories - including furoshikis. The benefits of bento'ing go far beyond just a lunch; it's a peace of mind thing... and goes far beyond slapping a pb&j together, tossing a handful of cheese puffs, a Danimals yogurt and some grapes into a sectioned box and calling it a bento lunch. This episode was idiotic and it's so apparent the producers and staff have taken the approach of ignorant dramatics instead of informed content.
You are right, they don't use the bento in the traditional way. On the other hand, they use them as most of their viewers will. The features they test are relevant to me because I don't cook traditional Japanese food. They are spot on.
I've been using that blue one with the fiddly utensils for years now. I just like...don't use their utensils? (Most of the food I pack in my bento is for eating with chopsticks anyway?) The winning box is like, enormous...if I was bringing a sandwich I'd just wrap that in foil and skip the box?
Are you asking questions, or did you just put question marks at the end of declarative statements for fun? I bet all your sentences go up in pitch at the end.
Video crew: Buy a gimbal for your hand helds. You can't just slap a warp stabilizer on any footage and call it a day. It doesn't work well for clips with a lot of multi axis rotation.
Love these video's - but how are you keeping them cold? In the heat of the summer sun; how are you keeping your kid's ham and swiss properly cold for lunch? My kids live in hot temperatures, and require containers that are able to hold ice packs (that take up a-lot of room), as-well as food. Would love to see a Gear Head's video addressing this in a convenient not so heavy way!
HI America's Test Kitchen, as a young group of designers and product developers , we admire your input and are real guidelines to add value to the UX feedback. We would like to find out how do we send you some of the products we will be developing and launching in the near future and we would be grateful to receive your input
I love you all, but what were you thinking with this white food space colonialism review?! Your food test of a JAPANESE BENTO BOX was a sandwich and a salad?! You wouldn’t test a ziplock to hold soup. You are the ones constantly saying you need the right tool for the right job. You really missed the mark here and it shows why you need people of color doing this work with you.
They complain about the one having 8 parts with the plastic cutlery. But they failed to mention that if you eat anything that requires those items, you have to carry them as well. And that would add to the "parts".
I wish you would’ve tested a little more fairly/covered what the box was designed to do. The Eco Lunchbox is advertised as not being leak proof and they offer a leak proof option, that being said they were designed to be an alternative to plastic lunch containers.
Why not just buy two tuppers tho, perhaps stackable one, and maybe, only if you want, you just use cardboard and parchment paper or something to separate the things? You can also, if you want, make you own "elastic band".. Im pretty sure that would be waaay cheaper, more versatile and probably lighter too.
I have many bentos, including Monbento and Lunchbots (which doesn’t claim to be watertight). I’m just addicted to cute lunch stuff. No kids, just for me.
Seriously....? A sandwich and salad in a bento lunch? If your going to review bento lunch boxes then test them with traditional bento lunch items. Your lack of research is showing. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Episode 8 and applicable Begin Japanology and Japanology+ episodes
Did you not hear at the beginning when they said the bento box had evolved to hold different foods. Plus why would you use a bento to only hold one type of food, that's redundant. That's like saying I bought this shoe box but only to hold my tennis shoes , my slippers are not allowed to go in and never my dress shoes.
Daniel Corral not quite, more like saying you don’t buy tennis shoes to wear with your dress. The op response was exactly what I was thinking as I watched. Who buys a bento 🍱 style lunch box? Those who are familiar with the type of cuisine one usually eats within one. I agree japanology on bento would be a great starting point. It wouldn’t hurt to actually watch a few people’s videos widely available here on YT to see what is regularly packed. It’s not limited and quite broad, but the unique to bento style eating.
Daniel Corral Bento have never been meant to be leak-proof and hold liquids. They still are not meant to. The tests were not appropriate for the product.
For lunch, I use a Zojirushi insulated bento thermos. It’s more “manly” looking and doesn’t look like a kid’s school bento box. It can carry a good amount of food and variety (liquids, hot and cold food). The only thing it couldn’t carry was square sandwiches so I had to be more creative with my food so I ended up with more variety and not the same lunch day after day.
Have these two ever heard of putting the dressing in a little separate container and adding the dressing when eating? These two remind of those infomercials where they try to do anything to make the one that they are trying to sell look bad.
I’m an elementary teacher, and one of my duties is monitoring the lunchroom during kindergarten and first grade lunches. Parents, whatever bento or traditional lunch box you buy, for the love of goodness gracious get one that is leak proof! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to help a kid clean up after something in a lunchbox leaked, not to mention anything that gets wet or damaged if said leaking happens in a backpack.
One of the big problems are that traditional Bento boxes are not meant to hold western style lunches.
Allison Wu
Yeah, as in things like soup.
Interestingly monbento does sell an insulated sealed bowl
Or, gee, dont put liquids in a bento.
sorry to bust bubbles here.. but leak proof stuff will leak at some point as it ages
@@catherinebond7474 That's great except a LOT of people want it for that, so you might as well know which ones are most leakproof?
Honestly this was one of the better reviews I saw for bento boxes, and it's helpful to see how they handle being used and handled as a whole.
I wish the winner wasn't plastic. I like everything else about it.
For the modern American market, I would say this is a great test as we have more of a "ready to eat" mentality in one convenient container. Leak-proof is great for those who have uses for dressings and durability tests for the clumsy. But, I find that taking a cloth napkin around the bento box can help eliminate some issues of durability and some leakage, and bringing dressings/liquids in a small bottle can help prevent leakage. This may be more of a hassle but can prevent any issues in cleaning.
This whole episode was so ridiculously contrived it was nauseating. These two should get into infomercials 🙄
@@April4YHWH Well, how do you think product testing companies should test products?
I mean, to be fair, the bento box wasn't designed with an American style lunch in mind. You're supposed to put rice and various smaller side dishes inside so of course a sandwich isn't going to fit. In that case just use a brown paper bag lol.
3xsXs Exactly. I don’t know why they’re reviewing bento boxes if they’re not going to put appropriate foods in them. It just doesn’t make sense.
Microwave( ability)and temperature test would've been good along with bph and other toxicity leakage into food test.
Angie Tyndall heads up: probably the metal one failed the nuke test
Charity Dutton Your comment made me laugh.
Traditional bento boxes were meant to serve room temp food, but I think that I’d buy some kind of leakproof Tupperware if I wanted to heat my lunch.
@@MoPoppins you are correct.
what about vacuum lunch jars or bento equivalents? These seem to be more interesting because they retain cold or warm temperatures for far longer than standard lunch boxes or bento boxes.
garith21 the zojirushi Mr. Bento is great.
I've been using rectangular and square Monbento boxes for a few years. I bought especially for their ability to not leak. They are a French company and you can buy spare gaskets and accessories from them directly.
Ik this was commented two years ago but if you still know and don't mind what was the name of the company?
Monbento is the company name
Usually love ATK but... testing bento boxes with sandwiches?
You wouldn't buy a paella pan then use it to make soup, buy a pressure cooker to bake fish, or buy a kitchen knife to stir a soup.
Why ?
this! i'm so confused.
I think the rationale is that the bento box configuration is a decent all purpose lunch box for a western style lunch. I doubt many ATK viewers take rice/karage/tonkatsu/tempura/tsukemono/miso soup/nori for lunch. But a bento box is a good way to reduce the need for a half dozen various sized zip top bags. I normally use mine to keep some of my sandwich components separate, because I hate soggy bread and wilted lettuce.
@@tiacho2893 If I'm bringing a sandwich to work I just use a generic glad tupperware.
Buying a bento box with internal dividers then critiquing its inability to hold a sandwich is just really odd.
Once again - you wouldn't buy a knife to stir a soup, or a pressure cooker to bake a fish.
@@shinybaldy I was thinking along the lines of a sandwich, crackers, a few vegetables, grapes, etc.
100%
Thank you. I have looked at so many bento boxes and haven't been able to decide which to buy. This episode helps.
I should add that I have never heard 'turmeric' pronounced that way. I pronounce it with the stress on the first syllable. Maybe it is an East coast vs West coast thing.
I felt the same! So odd, we pronounce it toomeerik in Michigan
The bento style of boxes are nice, but it really depends on what you like for lunch. And how old the person is who is eating the lunch.
Wrapping a sandwich with wax paper or aluminum foil works fine - but keep mustard, mayo, lettuce & tomatoes separate. Or for a lot cheaper price, use Oxo sandwich containers which are leakproof & their brand of small silicone squeeze bottles for condiments & salad dressing also don't leak.
Put 'em all in a thermal-lined bag bc some people use public transportation so our food is subject to 90+ degree heat or below zero cold during morning commutes.
Aluminum foil takes 400 years to decompose.. Time to be looking for less destructive options
@@ljd1031 And all of these plastics are better?
@@GpD79 All that plastic may seem like a lot however, if you buy a bento box you'll probably use it every day. Also depending on use and care, it can last you many years. If you compare this to using a 30cm size piece of aluminium foil a few days of the week for 3+ years that is creating a lot of waste. Hope that helped!
@@leenahibilola9513 I understand that. But aluminum is already found in the soil and is not toxic to the planet and all of its ecosystems the same way that plastics are. They're not apples to apples.
Personally, I prefer using glass pyrex for my lunches.
Not really a fair test since you won't have liquids, salad dressing, or sandwiches in a bento lunch. The box's size is meant to be a way of controlling portions sizes: so many grams of rice, veggies, and meat. You might as well just use one of the many tupperware type products.
These boxes aren't designed to hold these types of foods without them being portioned differently. Rice, meat or fish don't behave like salad dressing or a bunch of grapes. Not a fair test.
My biggest problem was finding both a leak proof case but also a case that comes with space to bring chopsticks. Chopsticks. All the cases that came with chopsticks were expensive or not leak proof. 🤷♀️ I understand that in the US we don't use chopsticks as often but I love them. I ended up getting Snapware, a thermos, and an insulated kids soft sided lunchbox.
We use an elastic bento box band around our containers, and slip chopsticks (in a cloth sleeve my wide sewed with a snap to seal it) to slide under the band. Keeps them very secure. None of our 5 children have ever lost a set, and neither have I and I’m clumsy 🥴
I'm confused by some of these tests. I have never seen or a herd of anyone trying to put wet things like water or salad dressing into a bento box. The test is asking the box to do something that it is not designed to do.
Can you test thermo lunch jars? Like the Zojirushi Mr Bento Lunch Jars? Am very interested in their use, heat/cold retention, and durability.
Love my Inomata Picnica (Japanese) and my Lock & Lock (Korean). Going on six years now... no smells, no discoloration, no leaks, no scratches, etc.
BUT, I use them as intended with Asian food, not western food.
The way they pronounced TUMERIC gives me anxiety 😬
You spelt it the way they said it though....it’s turmeric. 😮
Marie I know... they say it like “numeric”
The older one didn’t want to say it correctly prolly to not embarrass the millennial 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Can you use them in a microwave? Would have been an important one for me.
My wife and I always enjoy your videos, the only way to improve them would be to have a blooper reel at the end. I’d bet you both have too much fun behind the scenes...😎 Thanks!
I didn't see you use any food the was hot and is the winner of the test microwaveable?
Imagine the smell of a microwaved mixture of sardines in tomato sauce, turmeric, and blueberries. I think there is a limit to what ATK staff should have to endure.
@@tiacho2893 I wasn't say they should have cooked that, what i was mentioning. If a person make a meal and wants to take it for lunch and microwave it.
I have MonBento now and it's the best bento (lunch box in general) I ever had ✨ It was interesting to see it reviewed! 🙈
I was just looking at Lunchbots and their website has a size that fits a sandwich. Check company websites for optional sizes and leak proof accessories. However the video has me interested in the MB square now just because of the drop test. I’ve had it happen before opening a stuffed fridge of lunchboxes at work and someone’s lunch box falls out.
Do you have a stainless steel alternative? We are trying to minimize plastic usage
They tested the LunchBots (.com) brand and the other metal box. LunchBots boxes are made from 18/8 stainless steel. The only plastic is separate silicone containers that are included with some of their larger multi section boxes.
One of the things people use turmeric as is a dye. Whatever you put it on WILL BE dyed unless you're very lucky.
DoNot Need my grandfather fingered my hole too hard
The LunchBots brand very specifically says that their products are NOT LEAK PROOF. Acting surprised that something not leak proof - leaks shows a bais more appropriate to a paid commercial sponsorship.
Oh I loved the staining test and you used the right things that really stain
The Rubbermaid brilliance make the perfect bento boxes!!
I guess I'm crazy, I just use pyrex glass bowls with the plastic lids. They're great, they're big and can old all of my food, they clean up easily, they're reusable, AND I don't have to worry about any chemicals leaching into my food. Yes they are heavy and yes they can break, but if you're an adult, and you're careful, you should be fine. Especially if you're using an insulated lunch bag to carry them in.
Every so often there's a really good sale price at Target for sets of varying sizes and shapes. I compare their prices to the sets available at Walmart. You wouldn't believe the number of people willfully ignorant about plastics chemicals absorbing into both hot and cold items, and particularly the damage done by acids.
Alas I don’t want little ones traveling with glass
@@miat789 I totally understand that. I wouldn't want my children with that too. Good thing I'm grown!
@@miat789 ...That's totally reasonable. I understand where you're coming from. Even for klutzy me, as an adult, it's a risk to move about with glass or ceramic. LOL I do my best with crossed-fingers anyway.
my bento is R2D2 the head is a bowl and the lid for the bowl makes a Death Star imprint on the sandwich bread
Link?
Scotty Haines On Amazon: Star Wars R2-D2 Bento Box www.amazon.com/dp/B015AT2B98/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_aFcwDbH62PCDC
Great video. How did they do in the dishwasher?
You should do a budget must have - all the equipment needed in a kitchen, but without any one thing that cost more than 50 dollars. A student set-up kind of thing, something to start and than upgrade piece by piece
Mattan Faber The equipment reviews are for buy once and last for years with rarely having to replace and it's durability and ease of cleaning saves time, which is irreplaceable. I wish ATK had been around when I was a teenager as it would've saved me a ton of money and time over the last 40 years. Nothing is worse than having a hand mixer or other piece of equipment quit working or break in the middle of preparing a recipe or a cheaper kitchen knife fall apart after a year or two. If you saw all the pots, pans, and utensils I've had over the years plus what my mother-in-law had that I inherited, it would be the times what the recommendation cost. Save all the equipment reviews into an Amazon wish list named ATK Equipment Reviews and share it with family and friends. Then you'll always get something you've always wanted as a gift.
@@Avacarho the Amazon wish list is an awesome idea. What I meant in my comments is that, as a student, or simply someone without a lot of money, but who still wants to cook at home and get better at it, building a kitchen from scratch is too expensive without buying the cheaper products, and then upgrading them when you can afford it and by use (if you use a mixer a lot, save to upgrade that first and so on...). I just thought it will be a good idea to get the best "cheap" products, and that it can be a good topic for ATC to do a video about
I have used the Monbento for a while and it works great. I have a few of them, different sizes and for breakfast and lunch. I'll admit that I skipped the last bit of the video but what I think you missed pointing out is that the band that holds it together? It sucks... that's why it's a relief that the boxes don't open so easily because I have dropped several times until I finally bought a bag to carry them... which I'm not thrilled about but I guess it's better than balancing them along with all my stuff.
I wish when you were done with the testing you would give a close up look at the winner.
What configurations and etc?
There’re Amazon links in the description box.
Timely test! My son starts kindergarten in a month and I've been thinking about a Bento lunch box. The durability test is probably the most important one regarding his use of it. Now the question is: do I trust him to not lose any pieces? Thanks!
I just bought my boys (ages7 & 4) the Bentgo kids lunch box, with 5 compartments. The arrangements seem small but I think it will be really good for portion control. Got them on Amazon Prime Day though. Not sure exactly what you're looking for, but just wanted to give you another idea. Good luck!
The best thing you can do for both your kindergartener and the lunch helpers is to buy standard rubbermaid leak proof containers and a lunch box and ziplocks.
It’s just not smart to expect a 5yr old to manage all these bits and pieces, when as you saw in the video, it stumped and caused two grown women to squeal at getting wet.
Okay, but how easy are they to wrap in furoshiki?
Bento boxes are designed for portion control and balance of protein, carbs, sweets, and savory not as a hold it all Tupperware. That’s like shoving a whole steak in a happy meal box and wondering why it’s not appetizing.
Personally, I recognise that plastics are a very versatile light weight material for food storage/transport. But I always opt for stainless steel containers whenever possible as more durable. Though, SS nesting containers can become useless if some of the containers get dented or misshapen. While more expensive and possibly not widely available, I use a Korean made SS bento style box with a water proof gasketed snap lid.
There's lots of those on eBay, and some very affordable ones, too.
The BIGGEST issue with metal is you cant microwave it! Yes durabilty is great but it also limits you alot
bigger bento's can hold more then 1 meal!
This is very bad reviewing. Bento "Boxes" are not intended to be leak proof. Nor are they intended to contain a whole sandwich. You slice it. Like millions and millions of Japanese have done. Also...you dress your salad from small container of dressing...along with soy sauce and other seasonings. Why would you dress a salad and store it for hours for lunch because it's going to wilt in the heat.
Bento's will also not contain soup. And you ignored zojiroshi and other 'thermos' style bento boxes that are leak proof and DO contain soup.
Yeah, I'm mystified why they are testing bento boxes with American food... Like, use traditional American Tupperware if you want to put a whole sandwich in. I wish they had had people test these who are used to putting bento box lunches together daily.
Don't love the handheld camera for the wider shots. Are tripods and monopods really that hard to come by?
I feel like these reviews are becoming less usefull and more like a hammed up infomercial.
From the beginning it was easy to see who their favorite was...I didn't even watch the whole thing.
The tests are not very reliable - some boxes are designed with different priorities in mind. You don't want plastic - you choose steel or wood. Simple and has consequences. I don't like stainless steel boxes myself, but I love the winner (I have several of this company :)). I believe they are dawn just made as the perfect box for a European / American / ... ONLY INSPIRED bento. I am the one who buys the container I like and packs whatever I like there - rather sandwiches and salads than rice and meat. There is no obligation to stick to Japanese food only when you make a lunchbox - I don't live in Japan and I have no ties to this country, but I like beautiful, healthy lunches. . In addition, the box that won is really great. For those who write that everything fits there because the box is huge - you can take only one part with you instead of two and it is really tiny :)
The Zojirushi Lunch Jar is my favorite style. Been using it weekly for years.
Is it leak proof?
Chrissy Cox the version I have is. Mine was a special edition from ten years ago and is a little smaller than the current version but the lid configuration seems the same.
zorijishi makes a good bento stacker.
Wait a minute. All my life I've been saying tur-mer-ic. Are you telling me I should be saying too-MARE-ic?
Just wait until you hear about cumin.
Another variation of the PAH-pri-kah/pa-PRI-kah or TO-may-to/to-MAH-to debate.
Nope, it's a mispronunciation like people who say chuh-POL-tay, when it is chee-pote-leh. The word Turmeric is pronounced exactly how it looks TER-mur-rick. Coming up with unique mispronunciations is fairly common, but no less incorrect. Great for personal branding though!
@@brondellecummins4314 - yes!
commatoes No. There’s only one correct way to pronounce this one. 🤷♀️
Have you guys ever tested ULU cutting knives.. which one is the very best
Bento Boxes are not generally made for liquids DUH
Traditional bento's are not, but this is a test for western users. We don't put "traditional" bento items in these boxes. This is how we're using these... DUH.
If they aren't watertight they're not going to be airtight
Yes!!! They need to research more what's Bento box usage is...
Lisa can you do a review on Xtrema / ceramcor pans. I bought some 3 years ago and they were expensive but well worth it. I didn’t buy a set .. I only bought a quart pot with lid , a 2 1/2 quart pot with lid and a 10 inch skillet for $288. They are 100% non toxic and can be put in the oven and microwave along with the stove which is common sense but they are non stick pans so you have to baby sit or watch what you cook if you don’t know how to use them. What I like the most is that they clean up well and they are 💯 non toxic and no leaching of chemicals possible like most non stick pans are. This cookware is very fancy and well worth the cost. Please do a review on them. These pans will last for life if you don’t break them cause they are made of a special glazed ceramic that is fired and can take as much as 2500 degree temperatures before they start to melt or are damage. No one cooks anywhere close to that temperature so I think it will be ok lol. Thank you
It makes me very happy that America's Test Kitchen uses Mrs. Meyers dish soap 😊
Blue Water Bento is way better then these. They are stainless steel with leakproof silicone lids. Indestructible, doesn't leak and looks great.
I used a stainless steel tiffin for 20 years (same one) until a seam gave out. I’d always think, it needs a seal to be perfect. I’ll definitely check out Blue Water. Thanks!
Awesome vid! The kids have been bugging for bentos and you made my life easier!
What is the advantage of a bento box vs Tupperware ? Tupperware is now cheap, durable, seals well, easy to wash, and available in a wide range of sizes. This seems like evaluating horse and carriage options for my daily commute.
I used to cut the sandwich in half, and stack the two halves to make them fit.
It could have fit as a whole, but, stacking left room for a piece of fruit.
You should do a test episode for different fondue sets
This was hilarious!😂🎉 Loved it! Lol!😊
請問有沒有三層金屬午餐盒的連結？
畢竟我們喜歡吃熱的食物，那個可以用蒸煮的方式加熱。
鄧運霖 - Maybe, maybe not?
What about the ones that also steam food?
anyone who has researched bentos, which these ladies have NOT, know that bentos are made for dry ingredients. If you want sauces and dressings, you have them in smaller bottles or containers that are leak proof and put them inside the bentos. And a lot of sandwiches are cut smaller to fit in bentos. Normal whole sandwiches Don't go in bentos. This whole video made me cringe a LOT. being a bento maker for years these women are doing a disservice to bentos and bento makers in general.
I find that ATK is running out of useful products to review. Now they're evaluating fringe items or niche market things, like odd or goofy gadgets. I'm waiting for chopstick and skewer reviews.
THANK YOU!!! You put it MUCH more eloquently than I was capable of. I started watching this and immediately felt embarrassed for these two! It was very apparent that they did ZERO research into the history of bentos or what foods typically being packed these days. You're right - they are doing a disservice to bentos and bento makers in general. I've been a bento enthusiast for a little more than 10 years and have a pretty fine collection of bentos, tiffin tins, thermoses, and a huge collection of bento accessories - including furoshikis. The benefits of bento'ing go far beyond just a lunch; it's a peace of mind thing... and goes far beyond slapping a pb&j together, tossing a handful of cheese puffs, a Danimals yogurt and some grapes into a sectioned box and calling it a bento lunch. This episode was idiotic and it's so apparent the producers and staff have taken the approach of ignorant dramatics instead of informed content.
You are right, they don't use the bento in the traditional way. On the other hand, they use them as most of their viewers will. The features they test are relevant to me because I don't cook traditional Japanese food. They are spot on.
They're cute, but I can't think of any good reason to use one of these over what I use now.
What do you use now?
Thank you so much!! I’ve been wanting to buy one of these but didn’t know which one was the Best Buy, now I know! ❤️❤️❤️ your show and your channel🥰🥰🥰
I've been using that blue one with the fiddly utensils for years now. I just like...don't use their utensils? (Most of the food I pack in my bento is for eating with chopsticks anyway?) The winning box is like, enormous...if I was bringing a sandwich I'd just wrap that in foil and skip the box?
Are you asking questions, or did you just put question marks at the end of declarative statements for fun? I bet all your sentences go up in pitch at the end.
Please do a comparison on steel boxes like PlanetBox.
maybe make an actual bento when testing a bento box?
zeta555 they can’t pronounce tumeric... doubt they can handle preparing a true bento lunch 🤷🏻♀️
Exactly! This video was entirely pointless.
Rachel Thomas No kidding. I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking that. 🤦♀️
Incredibly ignorant episode; the more I watch, the more I just don't like ATK anymore. These two...🙄
Termerek queen 👑
Who else saw the pink one being the winner at the beginning of the video but stayed and watched the whole clip anyways
Up date this test please!!
Video crew: Buy a gimbal for your hand helds. You can't just slap a warp stabilizer on any footage and call it a day. It doesn't work well for clips with a lot of multi axis rotation.
Love these video's - but how are you keeping them cold?
In the heat of the summer sun; how are you keeping your kid's ham and swiss properly cold for lunch? My kids live in hot temperatures, and require containers that are able to hold ice packs (that take up a-lot of room), as-well as food.
Would love to see a Gear Head's video addressing this in a convenient not so heavy way!
HI America's Test Kitchen, as a young group of designers and product developers , we admire your input and are real guidelines to add value to the UX feedback. We would like to find out how do we send you some of the products we will be developing and launching in the near future and we would be grateful to receive your input
I love you all, but what were you thinking with this white food space colonialism review?! Your food test of a JAPANESE BENTO BOX was a sandwich and a salad?! You wouldn’t test a ziplock to hold soup. You are the ones constantly saying you need the right tool for the right job. You really missed the mark here and it shows why you need people of color doing this work with you.
The winner choice is too bulky for a backpack. Plus, bentos are not supposed to be used for soup.
They complain about the one having 8 parts with the plastic cutlery. But they failed to mention that if you eat anything that requires those items, you have to carry them as well. And that would add to the "parts".
What about how well they insulate? How well are they to transport? They left off a lot of tests that they could have done.
Bento boxes are not insulated. They were already testing for things that bento boxes aren’t made for. That would have been just one more useless test.
@@jameshardison5618 - Most of the tests that they do are skewed so that the losers are shown without any effort to be fair when they show testing.
my one and only brand for bento box: zojiroshi. everything else i tried paled in comparison
Monbento mb square for the win! My favorite! I have 2 of them. I will say spaghetti sauce stains
I love these videos. Thank you!!! 😎
I wish you would’ve tested a little more fairly/covered what the box was designed to do. The Eco Lunchbox is advertised as not being leak proof and they offer a leak proof option, that being said they were designed to be an alternative to plastic lunch containers.
Zojirushi Lunch Jar is the absolute BEST made by Japanese.
Why not just buy two tuppers tho, perhaps stackable one, and maybe, only if you want, you just use cardboard and parchment paper or something to separate the things? You can also, if you want, make you own "elastic band"..
Im pretty sure that would be waaay cheaper, more versatile and probably lighter too.
Firts time you actually review something I have, Mombento i have another version than yours but I love mains.
Love these reviews, thanks
I have many bentos, including Monbento and Lunchbots (which doesn’t claim to be watertight). I’m just addicted to cute lunch stuff. No kids, just for me.
Another silly thing for us to spend our money on, plus the extra chore of washing..
This was a great video.
I hate it when my yogurt comes out of my yeti mug
Turmeric (TUR• MUR• RICK)
Best meal prep equipment?
I'd rather see a best meal prep containers video.
I’m surprised YumBox didn’t make the cut to test.
Hmmmm...I guess you could have cut the sandwich?
Seriously....? A sandwich and salad in a bento lunch? If your going to review bento lunch boxes then test them with traditional bento lunch items. Your lack of research is showing. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Episode 8 and applicable Begin Japanology and Japanology+ episodes
Did you not hear at the beginning when they said the bento box had evolved to hold different foods. Plus why would you use a bento to only hold one type of food, that's redundant. That's like saying I bought this shoe box but only to hold my tennis shoes , my slippers are not allowed to go in and never my dress shoes.
Daniel Corral not quite, more like saying you don’t buy tennis shoes to wear with your dress.
The op response was exactly what I was thinking as I watched. Who buys a bento 🍱 style lunch box?
Those who are familiar with the type of cuisine one usually eats within one.
I agree japanology on bento would be a great starting point.
It wouldn’t hurt to actually watch a few people’s videos widely available here on YT to see what is regularly packed.
It’s not limited and quite broad, but the unique to bento style eating.
Daniel Corral Bento have never been meant to be leak-proof and hold liquids. They still are not meant to. The tests were not appropriate for the product.
Nice testing, you guys! Very informative!
For lunch, I use a Zojirushi insulated bento thermos. It’s more “manly” looking and doesn’t look like a kid’s school bento box. It can carry a good amount of food and variety (liquids, hot and cold food). The only thing it couldn’t carry was square sandwiches so I had to be more creative with my food so I ended up with more variety and not the same lunch day after day.
Variety is one of the beautiful aspects of bento'ing 💜
Too Mehr Ick driving me crazy?
OK so the winner was 2 square boxes... yeah thanks I'll stick to my two glasslock containers.
Plus you can use glass to reheat - win win
SUCH IMPORTANT WORK YOU DO HERE. Jesus fucking Christ, atk.
Have these two ever heard of putting the dressing in a little separate container and adding the dressing when eating? These two remind of those infomercials where they try to do anything to make the one that they are trying to sell look bad.
Just shows watery stuff is not made for bento's!
The bento's i have i plan on only dry goods!
thanks for the video tho!
Sounds like a tiffin
Did anyone dress their salad prior to lunch?