Product test

Testing the heatable lunchbox by Koenig

24.6.2021

Is your short lunch break sacred to you? The smart HeatsBox promises no more standing in line at the cafeteria. Your hot food is served directly to your table whenever you desire.

When I’m hungry, things have to go fast. Otherwise, I turn into a fury. I don’t like waiting around for the microwave in the small staff kitchen at lunchtime. To avoid long lines in front of dingy microwaves, I only ever ate salads I brought from home. Then came Covid, and I became an amateur cook. I heated up leftovers for lunch while working from home. Since a hot meal keeps me full longer than a few lettuce leaves – and puts me in a better mood – I don’t want to go back to my old habits. So I was in dire need of a time-saving and hygienic solution for the office. One like the smart HeatsBox by Koenig.

Lunch boxes

CHF130.–

Koenig HeatsBox

How it works

Developed in Switzerland, the lunchbox is designed to heat up food and keep it warm. The sides, bottom and lid of the box are heated. According to Koenig, the food retains its fresh flavour and nutritional values. Mind you, I couldn’t check the nutritional values during my test.

The scope of delivery includes the HeatsBox, which weighs just under one kilogramme, a removable stainless steel inner tray, a transport lid made of BPA-free and hygienic plastic, a 1.5-metre power cable and a divider to separate individual dishes.

I can deposit the actual heating device in the office and transport my food separately in the removable inner tray. This way I have to carry less. The inner bowl has a volume of 650 millilitres. At just under 300 grammes, it’s half the weight of my previous container made of glass, which I used to transport my salads in.

People who travel a lot by car for their job can buy an adapter (not yet available from us). This changes the 12 volts (direct current) of the cigarette lighter into 220 volts (alternating current).

First impressions

You can control the lunchbox at the touch of a button or with the app of the same name (iOS and Android). While the on/off button only allows temperatures up to 75 degrees Celsius, the app allows me to set several parameters at once: the exact target temperature (up to max. 85 degrees Celsius), the portion size, the timer and the heating mode. I can either choose the pre-programmed «fast heating» or «gentle heating», or I can use the manual «cooking» mode. «Cooking» simply means that I determine how long and how hot I want my food to be.

Depending on how large the portion is and which heating programme I choose, it takes just under 30 minutes. Since I can time when I want my food to be hot, I set the HeatsBox timer for noon.

For my first attempt, I warm up leftover parmigiana. I tap 70 degrees Celsius (target temperature), medium (portion size) and fast heating (heating mode) in the app. The app now shows me the box needs 16 minutes and 12 seconds to warm up. Now I have the choice of starting the device immediately or setting a timer. I’m hungry and decide to start it immediately. My smartphone notifies me via push notification when my food is ready. The first bite shows: my parmigiana is hot throughout (even inside), but not too hot. Just enough so that I don’t burn the roof of my mouth. Taste-wise, it’s flawless (after all, I cooked it myself...).

This is what the app looks like: the unit warmed up my medium parmigiana portion in just under 16 minutes.

Set in the app: thanks to the timer, my lunch is warmed up on time. — This is what the app looks like: the unit warmed up my medium parmigiana portion in just under 16 minutes.

In the following days, I try reheating soup and leftover carbonara. And it’s good. Both meals are evenly hot. What doesn’t work is the toast function: after a full 30 minutes, my slice of bread is warm, but not crispy. It’s soggy. The device isn’t good for hot sandwiches.

My personal highlight is the keep-warm function. It reliably keeps my food warm for 30 minutes after reheating. This is handy when I can’t get to lunch on time due to a meeting or call.

Verdict

Admittedly, the HeatsBox isn’t cheap. Anyone who doesn’t have a microwave in the office (or simply doesn’t want to compete for it with the entire workforce every lunchtime) or is on the move for job-related reasons is well served by this device. Since I don’t have a microwave, I’ll use the lunchbox not only at the office, but also at home.

I was particularly impressed by the odourless heating, the standard «fast heating» function and the easy-to-use app. I also like that the transport lid sits rock solid on the inner shell. Nothing leaks. Not even when I filled the bowl with water (as a test) and placed it at an angle in my pocket. I’m less happy with the toast function and the fact that I have to plan ahead if I don’t like waiting 16 to 30 minutes for my food. The timer function at least makes scheduling easy. And the fact that I can sit comfortably in the kitchen with my warm lunch while everyone else has to wait for their microwave slot makes the pasta taste even better.

The lid for the inner tray is absolutely watertight and survives being transported, even when stored at an angle. Both can be washed in the dishwasher, by the way.

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Vanessa Kim

Editor

vanessa.kim@digitecgalaxus.ch

When I’m not exploring the depths of the sea as an open water diver, I enjoy plunging into the world of fashion. On the streets of Paris, Milan and New York is where I keep my eyes peeled for the latest trends. And I’ll show you how to take them from the catwalk to your everyday life.

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Testing the heatable lunchbox by Koenig

How it works

First impressions

Verdict

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