Some flasks are also designed with the intention of maintaining a low temperature for cold food. While not fully refrigerating them, flasks designed for this purpose will usually keep things cold longer than they keep things hot. But, some flasks are not meant for this, so bear that in mind. It’s lightweight and compact, with insulated walls that are designed to keep your food hot for 9 hours or cold for 14. We also had to wrap the spoon to make sure it stayed clean before use as it’s on the outside of the flask rather than the inside. The one thing that this jar does have going for it is its extra wide opening, which makes adding food in and washing up afterwards that much easier.

SHO Original 2.0 Water Bottle SHO Original 2.0 Water Bottle

We've tested the best food flasks that will keep your food warm - or cold - for hours, without you having to worry about spillages. What to look for in an insulated food flask Food flasks vary in price depending on how big they are and how long they will keep your food warm. INSULATED food flasks are perfect for hiking trips where you don’t have anywhere to heat up your meals but they can also be great for the office or school. The leak-proof design also promises to keep your food hot for up to six hours or cold for up to eight.Next, think about how long you would need to keep your food warm for. Look for ones that will retain heat for at least six hours.

SHO Food Flask - Vacuum Insulated, Double Walled Stainless SHO Food Flask - Vacuum Insulated, Double Walled Stainless

You get a foldable spoon with this food flask, which is stored on top of the inner lid. The inner lid also features a secret compartment just below the spoon, which can be used for storing salt and pepper if needed. The ones that will keep your food warm for longer will generally cost more, but they can also be more versatile. There’s no inner lid or cutlery with this one, nor does it promise to keep your food warm or cold for a specific amount of time. Because of this, we decided to go with a minimum keep-warm period of 6 hours. Obviously heat loss is still possible from the point where the two layers join up, and the seals, which is why even the best vacuum flasks will lose heat eventually. How much are food flasks? When we tested this flask, it kept the contents piping hot until we were ready to enjoy it and the slimline frame meant it was easy to store in our lunch bags or take on the go.The amount of food you can get into your flask should be one of the main considerations you make when looking for the right food flask. Nobody knows your appetite and eating habits better than you do, so take a close look at the volumes of the flasks you’re considering and weigh that up against how much you’d be looking to carry. After all, it defeats the point somewhat if you can only fit half a lunch portion in what you’ve bought, or on the other end of the spectrum, buy one that’s too big and realise you’ve wasted money on flask volume you just won’t fill. Also bear in mind how many people you’re feeding – one large flask might feed two, if you’re going on a trip somewhere and are trying to economise on how much to take with you. Lid For drinks flasks, you’ll need an elongated brush that can reach the bottom, whereas for food flasks, which are shorter and have wider openings, it’s generally possible to wash it as you would a mug. What we particularly liked about this one was the range of colours it’s available in, meaning it’s easy to get a shade you like. The vacuum flask also has a screw-top lid with a seal that helps to stop heat from escaping from the opening.

Food Containers - SHO Food Containers - SHO

There are a couple of different ways a vacuum flask can keep the contents warm and it starts with the double-layered base. The Hydro Flask insulated food jar was one of the simplest designs we tried and the 28oz (828ml) version offered some serious capacity. You can also get a smaller 20oz (591ml) version, though.For any stains or bad odours, simply add a couple of teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda to the flask and then top up with hot water.