Bento boxes to browse

For the budding bento enthusiasts out there curious about what's out there in terms of bento boxes (i.e. other than the Container Store offerings), here is a page that might be fun to peruse (on this lovely snow day, or any day):

I Love Obento

Here's a sample single tier box from their site:


And a two-tier box (you pack the rice in one layer and the sides in the other):


One of my favorite stores in Tokyo is Tokyu Hands. I probably spent the good part of an hour in their bento box aisle(s) last time I was there, in June 2008.

If you're curious, here are some photos of Tokyu Hands and other bento products, from Flickr (some of the pictures have notes):

Bento-making tools
Kits for cutting shapes out of nori (the toasted seaweed used to make rolled sushi)

And here's another cool site (I know, so many sites...):

Bento Business

It's easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer variety of supplies and boxes out there.

As the first week of bento delivery approaches: More bento box notes

~For society members~

Thank you for all of the orders so far! It's been fun to see all the excitement that this is generating. As we are coming up on Friday (tomorrow, when I will collect your boxes from you for next week's delivery) I had a couple of things that I wanted to address.

A note about the size of your container:
I will be putting the same portion of everything in everyone's box, regardless of the container size, so if you give me a larger box, the contents will not fill the container to the brim.

For example, I will be using a cup measure to measure out rice for rice bentos (1.5 cups most likely) and for things like chicken everyone will get the same number of pieces. Everyone will get the same amount of food.

About foods touching each other:
I am not one of those people who is really particular about different types of food touching each other, and as a menu planner I try to include foods in the same box whose flavors complement each other. That being said, if you are someone who really doesn't like their foods touching each other, I would get a bento box with separate compartments. The Laptop Lunchbox is one that I know of (click on the name to go to the product page on their website).

About purchasing a box especially for bento:
It's fun, but not necessary if you have, for example, a shallow tupperware container of the appropriate size (about 20 ounces). Shallow containers are good because I arrange the food horizontally, not vertically (more pleasing to the eye).

Hope you're having fun with this, I certainly am!

Bento Box Example

A few of you were asking me at work today about which bento box to purchase for your lunches, and someone suggested that I post pictures of the box that I use on this blog, so here they are - Lustroware brand:


This is actually Jess K's box, which is a little bigger than mine, but it's the exact same brand and design and can be purchased at the Container Store, in the section where the food storage containers and thermoses and etc. are located. I recall that mine cost a little over $11.


What I love about this box is the tight-fitting lid, as well as the removable divider.

It's also dishwasher safe (both box and lid), and microwave safe if you take off the lid.


Happy bento box hunting!