bento boxes

Lock & Lock 'bento boxes' now available at Migros in Switzerland

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This is mainly of interest only to readers in Switzerland or in regions of France and Germany close enough to Switzerland to go shopping here. I couldn’t pass it up because it finally gives me a chance to talk about one of the most practical lines of bento-appropriate containers available, Lock & Lock. continue reading...

Bento boxes of the week: Onigiri bento boxes

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This week’s bento box is an example of a type of bento box which is designed to hold onigiri or omusubi (rice balls) securely.

While onigiri are very portable, they can get smashed around if you just carry them loose, and fitting them in a regular flat bento box can be a bit awkward sometimes. This is where the onigiri bento box comes in. continue reading...

Weekend poll: Your favorite source for bento supplies is...

Online from eBay merchants
22% (51 votes)
Online from J-List.com/JBox.com
15% (35 votes)
Online from other merchants (Ichibankan.com, Japancentre.com, Sugarcharms.com, Amazon etc. (Your favorite?))
20% (47 votes)
At a local 100 yen / $1 shop (e.g. Daiso)
13% (30 votes)
A local Japanese grocery or household wares shop (not a 100 yen shop)
13% (29 votes)
From a regular (not Japanese) housewares/kitchenwares shop (Target, Walmart, Ikea, etc.)
7% (16 votes)
More than one! Don't make me choose! (tell us in the comments)
8% (18 votes)
Other (tell us in the comments)
3% (6 votes)
Total votes: 232

An also-ran bento: Packing a Fit & Fresh Breakfast Chiller with lunch

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Last time, I mentioned how I thought the Fit & Fresh™ Breakfast Chiller, which is decidedly not a bento box in the traditional sense, could serve as a bento box. I put this into practice with some leftovers. It doesn’t look that photogenic so I’m putting it in the also-ran category of bentos, but it’s here since I thought it might be useful to see how to use a container like this. continue reading...

Bento box of the week: Fit & Fresh Breakfast Chiller

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This week’s bento, or rather food-on-the-go, box is from the popular Fit & Fresh™ line from Medport. Fit & Fresh™ products are plastic containers with a cooling element included in some way. This makes them interesting for use with food that needs to be kept chilled, especially in the warmer months. continue reading...

Weekend poll for you since I'll be gone until Monday: Do you prefer one tier, two tier or more-tiered bento boxes and why?

One tier
13% (29 votes)
Two tiers
53% (120 votes)
More tiers
6% (13 votes)
I love them all!
26% (58 votes)
Other (tell us what in the comments)
3% (6 votes)
Total votes: 226

Expanded bento supply stock at Japan Centre

Good news for bento fans in Europe and the UK in particular: as reported previously, Japan Centre’s online store has expanded their bento box and accessory lineup from Daiso. Accessories are priced at £1.45 to &1.49, and bento boxes like the popular Lube Sheep Dragonfly model are £2.50 - pretty reasonable I think. While Japan Centre, who are based in London, only ship food items within Europe, they do ship non-food items worldwide, Always figure in the shipping costs and shop around for the best deals! See Where to buy bento items. (*Disclaimer: Japan Centre is an advertiser on Just Bento, but I’m also a very happy repeat customer.)

Bento boxes of the week: Stainless steel

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After a brief hiatus, Bento Item of the Week is back! This week the spotlight is on bento containers made of stainless steel. continue reading...

Reader question: How to get rid of that plastic taste in bento boxes?

Reader Sandy sent in this question recently. She’s having trouble with certain bento boxes, which are making her food taste like plastic!

Hi. I’ve recently begun collecting and using bento boxes (which I adore), but I’ve had some troubles when eating out of them. Everytime I eat something, it tastes like plastic.

Read more about Sandy’s dilemma after the jump. continue reading...

Bento boxes of the week: Lube Sheep and Bay Asuka

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If you’ve ever bought an inexpensive small bento box at a 100 yen shop or via eBay, the chances are pretty high that it was made by one company, Nakano Co.. They are the ones responsible for the bento boxes carrying the mysterious Lube Sheep logo. After visiting their company web site, I still have no idea what it actually means, and it probably doesnt mean anything at all - it’s just a cute piece of Japanglish that someone in the company thought sounded good. (Yes, I know it sounds a bit dirty, but let’s try not to go there.) continue reading...

Bento boxes of the week: Lacquered with bitter persimmon juice

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The last couple of featured bento boxes have been strictly practical. This week I’m returning to the realm of the sublime, with these handcrafted wooden and lacquered bento boxes from Akita prefecture in northern Japan. continue reading...

How many bento boxes do you own?

Just one
21% (93 votes)
2 to 5
38% (171 votes)
6 to 10
10% (45 votes)
11 to 20
5% (22 votes)
More than 20 (tell us how many in the comments!)
1% (6 votes)
I don't own any yet...
25% (110 votes)
Total votes: 447

Bento boxes of the week: Ikea 365+ food savers, a great budget or starter option

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The sturdy, microwave-safe Ikea 365+ food savers are great inexpensive bento boxes. They look good too. continue reading...

Help me to assemble a comprehensive Japanese grocery store and bento source list!

In case you read Just Bento but not Just Hungry - I’m finally embarking on a project I’ve always intended to tackle, but never got around to: putting together a good listing of Japanese grocery stores around the world. I’ll include bento supplies too, since many people who are interested in bento making are also interested in Japanese cooking, and vice versa.

If you have any stores, mailorder sources, and so on to recommend, please head on over here. With your help I’m hoping to assemble a really useful list!

Bento box of the week: A 150,000 yen bento from Nikko

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This is not your everyday bento for sure. Offered by a bento maker in the town of Nikko, the Nikko maizoukin (Nikko treasure) bento costs 150,000 yen, about US $1340 at today’s exchange rates. It can only be ordered in Japan of course, and must be pre-ordered. continue reading...

Take a virtual bento shopping trip in Japan (part 1)

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Recently, Mark from CalorieLab went shopping armed with a camera in Japan, and took some pictures of the bento supply displays at several stores. He’s very kindly allowed us to share them with you here. So come along for a virtual bento supply shopping trip in some typical stores in Japan. continue reading...

The care and watering of wooden and lacquerware bento boxes

Since I’ve recommended two wooden boxes as the Bento Box of the Week so far, a few people have asked how practical wooden bento boxes are. continue reading...

Bento box of the week: Magewappa bento box from northern Japan

magewappa1.jpgMagewappa means bent woodware; it’s a traditional hand craft of Odate, which is located in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan. Straight grained pieces of Akita cedar are bent in circular shapes to form the sides of containers. The bent wood is then fastened with a contrasting dark bark or wood strips.

There’s been a resurgence in the popularity of magewappa ware, so it’s made around the country, but this box comes from Akita, where I think the craftsmanship is still the best.

continue reading...

Bento box of the week: Hand carved and lacquered Japanese elm

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Hey, a new series! Every week on or around Wednesday, I’ll be featuring a bento box or bento accessory that has caught my eye for some reason. I’ll try to stick to items that can be ordered online as much as possible, unless it’s something truly exceptional.

Important notice: This bento box can be selected as your prize in the Menu for Hope drawing! continue reading...

Selecting the right bento lunch box

How to select the right bento lunch box for you. continue reading...

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