I'm honestly loving this thing! It's great for those days when I'm limited on what I can pack for my lunch break at work, as I can cook up a pot of soup or pasta at home in the morning, pour it piping hot into this container, and then enjoy my lunch at work later at a nicely tempered still-hot-but-won't-burn-my-mouth temperature without having to deal with the filthy break room microwave. I typically have roughly 5-6 hours between filling the jar and opening it up for lunch, and that seems to be the limit for still having pleasantly warm food to eat. Any longer, and it would get down to a less enjoyable semi-lukewarm state, though I've never gone long enough for it to get cold!

Where this jar really shines, though, is with dehydrated backpacking meals, i.e., those pouches to which you simply add boiling water. On a field work trip a couple of months ago, during which we had breakfasts and dinners provided but had to fend for ourselves for lunches, I would pour the contents of a backpacking meal pouch into this jar (minus the little dehydration packet, of course) in the morning after breakfast, then add the recommended amount of boiling water, stir it up really well, and then screw the lid on tight and stow the jar in my backpack for later. By the time we were ready for lunch, I was able to open up my pack, pull out this jar and a spork, open it up, and enjoy a nice hot meal while my colleagues would be unenthusiastically munching on dry snack bars, cold jerky, and whatever trail mix they happened to have.

Cleaning is pretty easy. Soapy water and a bottle brush do the trick nicely, and while the rubber o-ring in the lid does seem to retain some mild odors, the stainless steel jar itself doesn't do so at all. The o-ring is easily removeable for more thorough cleaning, as well. I've never had any issues or concerns with leaks or spills from this container, and while I haven't actually tried using it for anything cold (e.g., yogurt, ice cream, etc.), I can at least attest to it's usefulness for hot stuff, and especially foods with a more uniform consistency such as soup, pasta, rice, and backpacking pouch stuff.

The lid is not well insulated. I filled it with boiling water for several minutes, emptied it, then filled it with hot food. I can feel the heat coming through the lid. I do this before I leave for work and by lunchtime it's lukewarm. I contacted customer service and they promptly replaced it with another that had the same problem, so I don't think it was a one-off issue. I contacted customer service again and they told me that it's only designed to keep food hot for four hours. The website doesn't say this anywhere, and mine didn't even keep food hot that long. I had a similar food jar from a different company that kept food hot all day, at much colder temperatures, until it stopped working after about twelve years. Customer service won't give me a refund, they only offer to send me another replacement that I'm sure will have the same issue. If you only need to keep food hot for a couple hours, this will probably be fine for you. Otherwise you'll wind up with a really expensive flower pot like me.

I recently had the opportunity to use the 12 oz Hydro Flask Insulated Food Container and I must say, I quickly fell in love with this! It has become a staple in my daily routine. The insulation on this container is top notch. I packed hot soup for lunch and it kept my food at the perfect temperature, for hours! Sealed up tight!! I loved not having to worry about my food spoiling or leaking all over the place. Its stainless steel construction is durable and incredibly sturdy. The size is perfect for my schedule, 12 oz is a lot lol! I’m always on the go and I generally walk with my belongs downtown to my job so my stuff is sloshing around but this little container packs a punch, it stays sealed up tightly. I eat lunch then go back for seconds a couple hours later, it was still hot! Since it was a gift from my mother I didn’t pay for it, however I was looking for another one because it works so great and to help switch out to make lunches easier- they are a bit expensive. Cleaning up was a breeze, easy to wipe out, dishwasher safe which is very convenient and the stainless steel comforts me that mold can’t grow in the crevices. The Hydro Flask, 12 oz, Insulated Food Container is very versatile, durable, and reliable. It’s a great option for keeping food the right temperature, secure, and safe. Highly recommend!!

I bought this for my daughter as a lunch container after extensive searching for almost 2 years. Very happy to have finally found it. It works well and keeps the food warm for long. Have not tried for cold stuff but I’m sure it works great. Would work well for kids as a similar width jar with 16oz capacity. But this is a great size for older kids and youth or even adults. Have tried other products too and am very happy with them. Glad to see they are making different versions to fit varying needs and users.