How to Stop Eating a Cold Lunch at Work

By Editorial Team | April 2026

A proper hot lunch is not a luxury if you spend half your week in a car, van, site cabin or desk queue. The Anykuu Electric Lunch Box is our pick because it solves the real problem cheaply: one box that works from a car socket, truck socket or wall plug, without forcing you to buy a separate setup for each place you eat. At £22.99, it is also priced like a practical fix, not a hobby.

Our pick: Anykuu Electric Lunch Box

Anykuu Electric Lunch Box — £22.99

This is the simplest way to turn meal prep into a hot lunch without depending on a shared microwave. The score is 7.4/10, and that feels fair: it does the core job well, gives you rare plug flexibility, and comes with enough capacity for a real meal.

Why it works:

• The 12V / 24V / 220V-240V support is the headline. You can use it in a car, truck, office or home without buying separate lunch heaters.
• The 1.8L stainless steel liner is genuinely roomy, so you are not stuck with a sad, child-sized portion.
• The 100W PTC heating system is meant to bring food up to about 70°C in 20 to 30 minutes, which is fast enough for a commute or lunch break.

The honest trade-off: It is still corded, so if you want a fully wire-free lunch solution, this is the wrong category.

If you want the straightforward option, buy the Anykuu Electric Lunch Box and stop gambling on reheated leftovers.

Best upgrade: HeatsBox GO 2.0

HeatsBox GO 2.0 — about £149

The premium buys you freedom. Unlike the Anykuu, the HeatsBox GO 2.0 is battery-powered, so it makes sense if you heat lunch in places where sockets are unreliable or nonexistent, like trains, outdoor jobs, long site visits or trips away from the car.

Worth it if: you want cordless convenience and are willing to pay a lot more for it.

Best budget pick: Crock-Pot Electric Lunch Box

Crock-Pot Electric Lunch Box — about £48.89

This is the cheap fallback if you want a simpler branded option and do not care about the Anykuu’s bigger 1.8L capacity or its 12V / 24V versatility. The trade-off is obvious: you pay more than the Anykuu while getting less flexibility, so the value case only works if you prefer the Crock-Pot name and a more basic lunch-box format.

Worth it if: you want a familiar brand and plan to use it mostly from a wall socket.

How we chose

We focused on the things that matter for this product type: plug compatibility, capacity, heating speed, and whether the design actually suits commuting or worksite use. We also checked real current alternatives to separate the genuinely useful corded models from the pricier cordless upgrades.

Frequently asked questions

Can you use an electric lunch box instead of a microwave?
Yes, if you plan ahead. It will heat pre-cooked food well enough for lunch, but it is not a last-minute replacement for a kitchen.

Is £22.99 good value for this kind of lunch box?
Yes. That is cheap for a model with 12V, 24V and mains support plus a 1.8L stainless steel liner.

Is it easy to clean?
The removable stainless steel liner is the part you wash, which is the right setup for daily use.