Food Storage

Lunch boxes and thermos flasks – for a hot meal at work, on the go and whilst travelling. Stainless steel with vacuum insulation.

Food jars and containers at RunColors

A mess tin is a thermos designed for food, not drink: it has a wide opening through which you can scoop up soup or stew with a spoon, and is designed to retain heat for several hours. It’s ideal wherever there’s no access to a microwave – when working in the field, on the move, on a trip, and during long days away from home.

How is it different from a thermos flask?

The key difference is the diameter of the opening. In a drinks flask, it is narrow to minimise heat loss; in a mess tin, it is wide so that a spoon can fit inside and it can be washed properly. Mess tins also usually have a simpler, more spacious shape and a lid that can double as a bowl.

What works well in it

One-pot dishes work best: soups, stews, curries and grains with sauce. Dry dishes cool down more quickly because they have a lower heat capacity. Placing hot food into a pre-warmed mess tin extends the time it stays warm by up to several hours.

Cleaning

It’s best to wash the lunchbox as soon as possible after emptying it – food residues in the seal are the most common source of odours. Wash it by hand and store it with the lid off so that the inside can dry out. The seal is a replaceable part.

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