LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box review: a hot lunch for big appetites
A 2.8-liter, two-layer heated lunch box with a stainless-steel main bowl, a separate tray for sides and cords for the wall and the car. I plugged it in, waited about half an hour and ate a proper hot meal at my desk. It's bulky, though, and it rewards a bit of planning.
In this review
Yes, if you bring a real meal to work and not just a snack. The LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box heated my lunches well in about 25 to 35 minutes, kept rice, pasta and saucy dishes moist, and gave me room for a main course and a side. It's bulkier than compact warmers and it needs a power outlet, but for big homemade lunches at the office or in the car, it's one of the most practical options I've used.
LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box at a glance
LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box pros and cons
- Large 2.8-liter capacity for substantial meals
- Separate upper compartment for sides and snacks
- Home and vehicle power cords in the box
- Removable stainless-steel food container
- Food stays moist with the lid closed
- Includes a fork, a spoon and a carry bag
- Bulkier than compact lunch warmers
- Needs a power outlet or a car socket
- Upper tray can be awkward to remove after heating
- Heating takes planning, especially with cold food
- Check the lid and seal carefully when carrying liquids
Who should buy the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box?
- Office workers who bring a full homemade lunch
- Drivers, truckers and field workers who eat in the vehicle
- People with big appetites who want a main course and a side
- Workplaces without a microwave, or with a long microwave queue
- Meal preppers who cook rice, pasta and stews in batches
- Anyone who needs a slim box for a small bag
- People who eat outdoors with no power nearby
- Anyone who decides on lunch two minutes before eating
- People who mostly carry soup and want a fully sealed thermos feel
Our picks at a glance
EAST OAK Cordless Electric Lunch Box
Battery-powered, with a 1.3-liter container and a schedule function, so you can heat lunch without an outlet.
LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box
A 2.8-liter, two-layer box that keeps the main dish and sides apart, with cords for the wall and the car.
Drafin Electric Heated Lunch Box
A cordless 100W box with a 6.3-cup container and a 20,000 mAh battery. Roomy and portable, but slower to heat.
TRAVELISIMO Electric Lunch Box
A 100W, 1.5-liter warmer with 12V, 24V and 110V cords, so it works in a car, a truck or at the office.
Prices change often. Click through to see the current price on Amazon.
First impressions of the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box
I've eaten a lot of lukewarm lunches at my desk.
Either I waited in line for the office microwave, or I gave up and ate leftovers straight from the fridge.
The LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box is meant to solve exactly that.
You pack your meal in the morning, plug the box in before lunch and let it warm the food slowly while you keep working.
The first thing I noticed when I unpacked it was the size.
This is not a dainty bento box. It's a proper container for a proper meal.
The black body with gray trim looks tidy on a desk, and the two big buckles on the front tell you it's built to stay closed.
My second impression was that it looked like it had been designed by someone who actually eats lunch.
There's a deep stainless-steel bowl for the main dish, a separate tray on top for sides, and a spot in the lid for the fork and spoon.
Everything you need for a hot meal travels in one box.
On my desk, the LISHZEN is big but tidy, and it sits next to the keyboard without drama.
What the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box actually is
The LISHZEN is a plug-in electric lunch box, sometimes called a portable food warmer.
It doesn't have a battery.
Instead, it comes with two power cords: one for a regular wall outlet and one for the 12V or 24V socket in a car or truck.
Inside, a heating plate at the bottom gently warms the food through the stainless-steel container.
The heater is rated at 100 watts, which is common for this category.
That's far less than a microwave, so it heats slowly and evenly rather than blasting the food in two minutes.
What sets the LISHZEN apart is capacity.
The total volume is 2.8 liters, split between a 1.8-liter stainless-steel main container and a 1-liter upper tray.
Many popular electric lunch boxes hold 1.5 liters or less, so this one has room for a lot more food.
The main container is made from 304 stainless steel, the same food-grade steel you'll find in many pots and pans.
The upper tray and the outer body are plastic.
The box comes in a black and gray finish, and the version I tested is the 2.8-liter double-layer model.
Design and what's in the box
The LISHZEN arrives with everything you need to start using it straight away.
In the box I found the lunch box itself, the stainless-steel container, the upper tray, a home power cord, a car power cord, a fork, a spoon and an insulated carry bag.
That's a complete kit, and I didn't need to buy anything extra.
The lid closes with two plastic buckles, one on each long side.
A silicone seal runs around the lid to keep moisture and smells inside.
There's a carry handle on top, and the cord plugs into the side of the base.
The whole unit weighs about 1.31 kilograms, or roughly 2.9 pounds, without food.
That's heavier than a plastic lunch box, but it's not a burden in a backpack or a tote bag.
The footprint is the bigger issue.
At roughly the size of a large shoebox cut in half, it fits in a commuter backpack or the carry bag, but it won't slide into a slim laptop sleeve or a small handbag.
The utensils clip into the lid, which is a small detail I came to appreciate.
On the days I forgot to pack cutlery, the fork and spoon were already there.
The two side buckles and the silicone seal keep the lid firmly closed on the way to work.
How I used it day to day
My routine was simple.
In the morning, I put my main dish in the stainless-steel bowl, placed the side in the upper tray, closed the lid and snapped both buckles shut.
At work, I put the box back in the fridge if there was room, or kept it in the carry bag.
About half an hour before lunch, I plugged it in at my desk.
There are no settings or timers to fiddle with.
You plug it in, an indicator light comes on, and it starts heating.
When it's time to eat, you unplug it, open the buckles and eat straight from the container.
That simplicity is a big part of the appeal.
There's no app, no menu and nothing to learn.
If you can plug in a phone charger, you can use the LISHZEN.
Plug it in and the indicator lights up. There are no buttons or settings to learn.
LISHZEN heating performance: how long does it take?
This is the question everyone asks about electric lunch boxes, so I paid close attention to it.
In my testing, the LISHZEN heated a typical meal in about 25 to 35 minutes.
That's a realistic number, and it's in line with what you can expect from a 100-watt heater.
Cold food and large portions take longer
Two things made a clear difference to the heating time.
The first was the starting temperature.
Food straight from the fridge needed noticeably more time than food that had been sitting at room temperature for a while.
The second was the portion size.
When I filled the big steel bowl almost to the top, the center took longer to get hot than the edges.
With a full, refrigerated portion, I'd plan for the upper end of that range or a little more.
Stirring halfway helps
The heat comes from the bottom, so the food closest to the base warms first.
I found that opening the lid halfway through and giving the food a quick stir distributed the heat much more evenly.
It takes ten seconds, and it made the difference between a meal that was hot all the way through and one with a cool center.
Spreading the food in an even layer instead of piling it up in the middle helped too.
Plan ahead, and it just works
The slow heating is a trade-off, not a flaw.
You can't decide you're hungry and eat five minutes later, like you would with a microwave.
But once I got into the habit of plugging it in before my last meeting of the morning, lunch was simply ready when I was.
For me, that was better than queuing at a shared microwave.
Food quality: does it taste reheated?
Fast heating means little if the food comes out dry or rubbery.
This is where the slow, gentle approach of the LISHZEN pays off.
Rice, pasta, vegetables and saucy meals all reheated well in my testing.
As long as I kept the lid closed, the food kept its moisture.
The steam stays inside the sealed box, so instead of drying out, the meal warms in its own moisture.
Saucy dishes like curries and stews were the clear winners.
They came out evenly hot and tasted close to freshly cooked.
Pasta with sauce and rice dishes were nearly as good.
Drier foods needed a little help.
Plain rice or food with little sauce benefited from adding a small splash of water before heating.
That gave the box enough moisture to create steam, and the result was softer and more even.
My tip: if your lunch would dry out in a microwave, add a tablespoon of water before you close the lid.
Food that's meant to be crispy, like fried food or pizza, won't come out crispy, but that's true of every electric lunch box I know of.
Keep the lid closed and the steam stays inside, so rice and pasta don't dry out.
Capacity: room for a real meal
Capacity is the strongest part of the LISHZEN, and it's why I gave it a perfect score in this area.
The 2.8 liters of total space gave me plenty of room for a main course and sides.
The 1.8-liter stainless-steel bowl easily held a generous portion of rice and curry, or a large serving of pasta.
The 1-liter upper tray was big enough for vegetables, bread, fruit or a snack for the afternoon.
The two-layer design is more useful than it sounds.
Keeping the main dish and the sides apart means the sauce doesn't soak into the bread and the salad doesn't end up wilted on top of hot rice.
It also let me pack lunch and a mid-afternoon snack in one container.
If you have a big appetite, or you work long shifts and need more than a small portion, this is the box to look at.
On the other hand, if you usually eat a small salad or a single sandwich, most of that space will go unused.
Portability: office, car and truck
The LISHZEN was manageable for my commute and my workday.
At about 1.31 kilograms empty, it's noticeable in a bag but not heavy.
The carry handle on top and the included bag made it easy to carry from the car to the office.
The two power cords are what make it truly versatile.
At my desk I used the home cord in a regular wall outlet.
In the car, I plugged the vehicle cord into the 12V socket, so the box could heat my lunch while I was parked.
The car cord also supports 24V, so it works in trucks and other heavier vehicles too.
That makes it a good fit for drivers, delivery workers and anyone who spends the workday on the road.
The size is the main limitation.
It fits in a commuter backpack or a tote, but it's less convenient for smaller bags.
If you carry a slim bag to work, plan to use the included carry bag as a separate lunch bag.
With the 12V/24V car cord, the LISHZEN heats lunch on the passenger seat while you're parked.
Ease of use: simple, with one quirk
Day-to-day use is very easy.
The plug-in operation needed almost no setup, and I never had to read the manual twice.
The two-tier design kept different foods separate, which made packing quick and logical.
There is one quirk to know about.
The upper tray needs to sit in exactly the right position for the lid to close securely.
If the tray is slightly off, the buckles don't close properly, and you'll notice it when you try to snap them shut.
After a few days it became second nature, but it's worth checking every time, especially if your lunch has sauce.
Removing the upper tray after heating can also be a bit awkward.
It sits snugly, and when it's warm it doesn't always lift out smoothly.
Other owners have mentioned the same thing, so it isn't just my unit.
I found that lifting it from two opposite corners at the same time worked best.
Make sure the upper tray sits flat before you close the buckles, or the lid won't seal properly.
Cleaning the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box
Cleaning was easier than I expected, at least for the most important part.
The removable stainless-steel container lifts out of the base and rinses clean quickly.
Sauces and rice didn't stick badly, and a sponge with some dish soap was all it needed.
The upper tray and the lid need a bit more attention.
Food can collect in the corners of the plastic tray and around the silicone seal in the lid.
I made a habit of removing the seal now and then to rinse underneath it, so it wouldn't hold on to smells.
The base with the heating element should never go under the tap.
I wiped it with a damp cloth when needed, and that was enough.
My routine was to empty and rinse the containers right after lunch, then wash them properly at home.
Doing it straight away keeps leftover sauce from drying on, and that saves a lot of scrubbing.
Build quality and leaks
The stainless-steel insert felt practical and sturdy for everyday use.
Steel is also a better surface than plastic for oily, strongly flavored food.
The plastic outer body and the latches are a step below that.
They felt solid enough, but they need careful handling.
I didn't force the buckles or drop the box, and I'd recommend treating it the same way.
The silicone seal kept smells and moisture inside during my commute.
Still, I'd be careful with very liquid foods.
If you carry soup or a thin stew, check that the upper tray is seated correctly and that both buckles are fully closed before you put the box in your bag.
Keep it upright when you can.
For thick sauces and curries, I never had a problem.
Is the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box worth the money?
I think the LISHZEN is good value for what you get.
You get a generous 2.8-liter capacity, two compartments, a stainless-steel food container, utensils, a carry bag and both home and vehicle power cords.
That makes it a complete all-in-one lunch solution rather than a box you need to accessorize.
The real savings come from how you use it.
If it replaces a few takeout lunches a week, it can pay for itself quickly.
Bringing leftovers from home is cheaper than buying lunch out, and a hot meal makes those leftovers far more appealing.
It also has no battery to wear out, and nothing to replace apart from the occasional seal if it ever gets damaged.
Prices move often, so check the current price on Amazon before you buy.
No microwave queue: pack it at home, plug it in at work and lunch is ready when you are.
Tips to get the most out of it
After using the LISHZEN for my lunches, these are the habits that made the biggest difference.
- Plug it in early: give cold food at least 30 minutes, and a little more for a full bowl.
- Stir halfway: a quick stir spreads the heat and avoids a cool center.
- Add a splash of water: dry rice and food with little sauce come out softer.
- Spread the food evenly: a flat layer heats faster than a heap.
- Check the tray: make sure it sits flat before you close the buckles.
- Keep the lid closed: the steam is what keeps the food moist.
- Rinse right after lunch: it stops sauce from drying on the steel and the seal.
LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box specifications
From the Amazon listing and my own testing.
LISHZEN vs TRAVELISIMO vs EAST OAK
The TRAVELISIMO and the cordless EAST OAK are two of the electric lunch boxes I compare it with most. The LISHZEN wins clearly on capacity, while the EAST OAK wins on freedom from the outlet.
| LISHZEN | TRAVELISIMO | EAST OAK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 9.0 | 8.6 | 9.2 |
| Capacity | 2.8 L (two layers) | 1.5 L | 1.3 L |
| Power | Home + 12V/24V car | 110V + 12V/24V | Battery |
| Separate side tray | Yes, 1 L | No | No |
| Best for | Big appetites | Drivers | No outlet at work |
Best LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box alternatives
If the size or the cord of the LISHZEN doesn't suit you, there are good alternatives.
The EAST OAK Cordless Electric Lunch Box is our overall pick.
It runs on a battery, so you can heat lunch without an outlet, but it holds less food.
The TRAVELISIMO Electric Lunch Box is a smaller 1.5-liter warmer with car and wall cords, and it's our pick for drivers.
If you want cordless and a bit more room, the Drafin Electric Heated Lunch Box has a 20,000 mAh battery, though it heats more slowly.
And if you mostly eat soup, the compact Crock-Pot 20oz Portable Electric Food Warmer is made for a single small portion.
How I tested and scored the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box
I used the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box for my own lunches at the office and in the car.
I heated rice, pasta, vegetables and saucy meals, from both the fridge and room temperature, and in small and large portions. Each area gets its own subscore.
- Heating (9.0): how long a typical meal took to heat, and how evenly.
- Food quality (9.0): whether food stayed moist and tasted freshly made.
- Capacity (10): how much food fits, and how useful the two layers are.
- Portability (8.0): weight, size and the home and car power options.
- Ease of use (8.0): setup, packing and closing the lid.
- Cleaning (9.0): how easy the containers, lid and seal are to clean.
- Build quality (8.0): the steel insert, plastic body, latches and seal.
- Value (9.0): what you get in the box for the money.
The overall score of 9.0 is an editorial rating. I also checked LISHZEN's published specifications and compared them with the other electric lunch boxes in our guide. BrasQ editor-in-chief Ryan Mitchell reviewed the facts and figures before publication.
LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box FAQ
Is the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box worth it?
Yes, if you bring big homemade lunches to work or eat in your car. It scored 9.0 out of 10 in our hands-on review thanks to its 2.8-liter capacity, two compartments and even, moist reheating. If you want something small and cordless, look at a battery model instead.
How long does the LISHZEN take to heat food?
In my testing, about 25 to 35 minutes for a typical meal. Larger portions and food straight from the fridge took longer, and stirring halfway helped the heat spread evenly.
How much food does it hold?
It holds 2.8 liters in total: a 1.8-liter stainless-steel main container and a 1-liter upper tray for sides or snacks.
Can I use the LISHZEN in my car?
Yes. It comes with a 12V/24V car cord as well as a home power cord, so it works in cars, trucks and at the office.
Does it have a battery?
No. It's a plug-in lunch box and needs a wall outlet or a car socket to heat food.
Is the LISHZEN leakproof?
It has a silicone seal and two buckles that kept thick sauces and curries inside during my commute. With very liquid foods like soup, make sure the upper tray sits flat and both buckles are fully closed, and keep the box upright.
Is the LISHZEN easy to clean?
Yes. The removable stainless-steel container is easy to clean. The upper tray and lid need extra attention around the corners and the seal. Never put the heating base in water.
Can it cook raw food?
I used it to reheat cooked meals, and that's what it's designed for. I'd always pack food that's already cooked.
What's included in the box?
The lunch box, the stainless-steel container, the upper tray, a home power cord, a car power cord, a fork, a spoon and a carry bag.
- Hands-on testing of the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box (2.8 L double layer) by Thomas Walker
- Amazon product listing for the LISHZEN Electric Lunch Box (ASIN B0FNQZ7S3R), October 2026
- Manufacturer specifications for the TRAVELISIMO, EAST OAK, Drafin and Crock-Pot electric lunch boxes
- Review published.
