Physical Address

304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124

This Reviewer-Beloved Food Warmer Is Perfect For Taking Leftovers To Work

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change.
It’s about that time… to start thinking about Thanksgiving leftovers, that is. If you’re already preparing your belly for a heaping of macaroni and cheese, hearty soups, turkey, mashed potatoes and more delicious vittles, you definitely need a game plan for how you’re going to get the maximum freshness from your highly anticipated leftovers. This is especially true if you commute to work every day and plan on putting your leftovers to good use for lunch. That’s where having the portable Crockpot Lunch Crock food warmer comes in handy.
I first became familiar with this rather interesting gadget when my mom sent me a link to it on Amazon and asked if it was worth buying for her to take to work every day. Being the shopping-obsessed person that I am, I of course set out to find an answer for her and everyone else counting down the days until work lunch means leftover Thanksgiving turkey stew.
This adorable yet super useful small appliance holds 20 ounces and is ideal for heating up leftover soups, chili, stews, roasts and more. It comes with a detachable cord that you simply connect to the warmer and then plug into an outlet whenever you’re ready to eat.
With over 6,300 5-star reviews, an overall Amazon rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars and the fact I bought one shortly after my mom put me onto it — I can confirm the hype is definitely deserved. I’ve found it to be incredibly useful for reheating leftover delivery dishes or cooked meals without having to use my stove or oven. The sweet spot for how long it takes to heat most of my meals is between 30 minutes and an hour. It comes in four colors: black, pink, blue and green.
And if you’re concerned about your food spilling all over the seat of your car or inside your bag, fear not. The warmer has a removable storage container and a tight-sealing lid to put your anxieties to rest. You won’t even have to worry about burning your hands by touching it as the outside stays cool and all the hot goodness stays inside. In addition to the top handle, which makes it easy to carry on the go, this leftovers essential is super easy to clean. Both the interior storage container and lid are dishwasher-safe.
And if you still aren’t convinced that you need the Crockpot Lunch Crock, let these reviews — which make me really hungry — sway you:
“I bought one for my husband and he loved it so much I got one for myself and our son who takes it to work. We own it in three different colors which is convenient when someone forgets to bring theirs home we know where to look. It’s great and makes life convenient to not have to heat food in microwave. It fits in our regular lunchbox. The seal is great- it even has a little air valve to get a tight seal and to release the air to make it easier to open. It’s well thought out. I recommend it for anyone who has access to an outlet at work.” — V. L.
“This thing is tiny but serves its purpose! It’s light weight and easy to store. It does hold 1 can of soup-I was scared the can was going to be so much so I was pleasantly surprised I pored the whole can in it. I plug it in when I get to work and by lunch I have hot soup. I’ve put cooked rice in it and by lunch it was hot and ready to eat. Our work microwave sucks since it doesn’t turn and this has been a great way to eat warm meals!” — CFollen
“I bought this to bring to work. Works amazing. I plug it in about an hour before I want to eat and it warms it and keeps it at a perfect temperature. Does not burn if I can’t get to my food right away. Love how the crock comes out for quick cleaning and the top securely screws on to prevent spillage. I loosen the top a bit when I plug it in. Love, love, love this so much!” — Brian & Sky
“So I don’t eat fast food and ingested lunches can be boring. This thing has been a lifesaver! I can pack my food of choice and plug it in and have a hot lunch. I recently used it during a 10 hour class and my chili was piping hot within an hour! It holds a generous amount of food. I’ve experienced zero leaks with it. It’s easy to assemble, disassemble, & clean. It doesn’t require much space! This is one of the best purchases I’ve made. I only wish it had a car cord too!” — Jessica
“This has helped me so much in not eating out for lunch. I always want quick and easy, but also hate some of my food reheated in the microwave.This is the perfect size to take for lunch, no spill in the car. I can plug it in while I finish my morning appointments and it’s ready for when I want to eat. Highly recommend if you are trying to stay in a budget or keep from eating out but still want hot good food. Works good with meal prep as well.” — Amazon Customer
Though she doesn’t reside by herself, I deem shopping writer Tessa Flores an honorary member of the Live Alone club, because she has such great recs for small gadgets and appliances. Most recently, she’s got us on to the the Wonder Oven from Our Place. It’s a stylish, compact electric oven that can air fry, bake, roast, toast, reheat and broil. “It looks so good and is an appliance I actually enjoy displaying on my kitchen shelf,” she said. “It makes toast to perfection, crisps items perfectly on the air fryer setting and reheats leftovers incredibly fast. There’s literally no warm-up time compared to a traditional oven.”
The toaster that started it all — this compact machine literally makes one slice at a time. It has a single dial for operating and comes in four fun colors. It’s also great for toasting bagels (shown), cooking mini pizzas and heating other tiny treats like muffins or scones. The included baking tray, oven rack and crumb tray are all removable and dishwasher-safe.
Also, bonus: You can get 20% off at Kohl’s by entering “BIGDEAL” at checkout. Welcome!
Promising review: “Sister loves it as there is no counter space in her kitchen , it fits well, she says it is fast and perfect for quick breakfast for one person.” — Bonita Sova
Have you ever seen anything as cute as this tiny slow cooker? I think not. With a removable ceramic insert pot and heat-tempered glass lid (both dishwasher-safe), this mini slow cooker is straightforward and intuitive to use. Enjoy meats, stress, rice meals and more simply by flipping a switch. This comes in stainless steel and white.
Promising review: “Nice pot to use when a bigger one would be silly. Also nice for melted cheese dips at parties. My mom used to use one of these to make a Reuben dip that was awesome. I use it mostly to make spaghetti sauce from scratch. Really handy item.” — Terry Canaan
Those with a sweet tooth will delight over this countertop single mini bundt cake maker. It comes with a handy removable tool to retrieve your freshly baked cake without burning your fingers and comes with a mini recipe guide to get you started. It’s available in a round version at Target and with a heart shape at Amazon.
Promising review: “Easy to use and simple cleanup. Great for one to two people.” — Lil B.
A bit of a wildcard, but if you love the crispy taste of grilled food but don’t want to cook outside for one — this indoor grill is the thing. It’s incredibly versatile with a 12-inch flat-top griddle, a grilling grate, an air crisper basket and smart thermometer that takes the guesswork out of under- or overcooking. If you’re looking for a workhorse that will earn its place on your counter — you found it.
Heads up: It’s available at both Amazon and Target but we’ve got to flag that Target’s got the best deal with a 25% discount.Promising review: “Your going to love it. Doesn’t heat up your kitchen. I cook everything on it. , backed potatoes, grilled squash, shrimp, hot dogs, pork chops. Easy cleaning. My friend got one also.” — Placeholder
Measuring less than seven inches tall and high, this little kettle boils up to a half liter of water at a time, giving you just enough for one person. It has an auto shut-off feature for safety and the cord can wrap into the base, for easy storage.
Promising review: “This is just right for making a cup of tea. It is small and doesn’t take up a lot of room, easy to use and boils water fast. I use it every morning to heat water for tea.” — M
Make 2-4 cups of rice, grains, beans and other pressure-cooked foods with this darling compact cooker. It has a simple one-touch operating button and a warming mode to keep your rice fresh. The inner pot is removable and easy to clean and it comes in four fun colors with a spatula and water cup.
Promising review: “It’s a small rice cooker. It’s simple and easy to use, and includes a guide for how much water to use for different types of rice in the instruction manual. The inside is non-stick (teflon?). It’s easy to clean, and you can remove the pot inside. It’s small, so it’s good if you’re just one person. I usually get one meal and some leftover rice. I used it to make rice for rice balls, too.” — H
This small food processor does a variety of tasks, from chopping vegetables to grinding cheese. It comes with a 24-ounce work bowl with a handle and has an auto-reversible smart blade.
Promising review: “I like that it’s 3 pieces. Great for clean up. I use manly to make small batch of salsa. Does great job chopping into size with the tomatoes, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, green pepper. Me likes.” — Copsr303
While Breville espresso machines run the gambit in size, price and complexity, we like the Bambino model. It’s a smaller, compact machine made for making one to two shots, but also has a frother. It won’t take up your whole counter (and it’s a lot cheaper than the bigger models). If you like an espresso-based drink, this may be your machine.
Promising review: “Love the small footprint and the three second warmup as well as the auto shut off. Pulls a nice shot and makes perfect foam. Can’t imagine why I would need the more expensive version of this machine.” — Judy Rothmeyer
I use my NutriBullet single blender so much, it’s earned a spot on my counter. Which is great, because it’s a fun color and takes up very little space. (I have yellow, which I think they don’t sell anymore, but how cute is this green?) The blades themselves easily twist off and safely clean up in the dishwasher (as well as the included drinking vessels) and can whip up smoothies in less that 60 seconds. The two-cup set comes with two sippy lids (perfect for drinks on the go), two standard lip rings and two lip rings that transform your cup into a mug.
Although available at Target, Amazon and Walmart, just FYI: It’s the cheapest at Target thanks to a 25% off discount.Promising Amazon review: “It’s perfect for one person and comes with a sipping lid. I love it. So much better than using a huge blender and having to clean it.” — kathy trosclair
Another tiny rice-cooking option, this fun cooker comes in eight colors on Amazon. (There’s also a chic metallic gray option available at Target.) It cooks two cups of rice, which is smaller than the average 5.5 cups in typical cookers. But it doesn’t just cook rice; you can also use it to make two cups of oatmeal, stew, soup, quinoa or pasta. All you have to do is add water and your grain or food of choice, press the “cook” button and it will be ready in less than 20 minutes.
Promising review: “This rice cooker is so cute. I bought this for my daughter. She only needed to make rice for one person. This rice cooker is perfect for that. It only makes two cups of cooked rice. The unit is very easy to clean, easy to use and easy to store. The rice cooker does not take up much room in the kitchen. My daughter really likes it and says that it works perfect. She says that it doesn’t boil over and make a mess. This was a hit!!” — grlgksrule
When cooking for one, air fryers can take up way too much counter space. Yet, this adorable one is specifically designed to be compact and best for small meals. It fits up to 1 1/2 pounds of food and has adjustable cooking controls suitable for whatever you’re making. It’s in the “bucket” shape, letting you easily pull the cooked food out with the safety handle. This comes in three colors.
Promising review: “The price is right and the thing works like charm for some one living alone.” —Wakar
Hate ending up with old coffee in the pot? We got the fix. At just 4.5 inches wide, this small machine can fit almost anywhere, and makes just one cup at a time. By using K-cup pods, you never need to deal with wet beans or remember to buy coffee filters. The removable bottom allows you to fill 6- to 12-ounce cups and tumblers, and the secret storage compartment lets you keep nice new K-cup pods in the machine at all times so new ground beans are always in your reach. You can brew your drink strong or over ice if you prefer cold coffee. And it comes in a bunch of colors to match your kitchen.
Promising review: “This coffee maker is the perfect size for me, being a single person. It makes one cup at a time quickly. I like the auto shut off and the appearance of the machine. Very pleased with my purchase.” — Pam Matthews
With over 81,000 5-star ratings, the Magic Bullet is possibly one of the most highly-rated personal blenders on the market. This classic and compact blender comes with three various-sized blending containers with interchangeable lids so you can make smoothies, soups for lunch on the go, acai bowls and more. The 250-watt high-torque base can power through ice or frozen fruits and the settings include whip, grind, mix and blend. Plus, the cup components are all dishwasher-safe. Promising review: “This blender works and comes with a couple different mixing cup options. It’s great for blending for one person and not as much clean-up as a full-size blender.” — Everything ATV UTV Reviews
Don’t be fooled by the size — this is no ordinary pot. It’s an electric, portable cooking machine that can sear, saute, fry, boil and steam as long as it’s plugged in. It’s great for small kitchens, campers, people learning to cook or anyone that likes a one pot meal.
Promising review: “Easy to use, easy to clean, AND it makes cooking extremely simple. I also find that I’m getting creative, precisely because the pot is so accommodating.” — Etan N.
With a 1-3 minute preheat time, this handy mini panini press can make delectable grilled cheese sammies, omelets, french toast and even cookies. The safety handle stays cool while cooking, making it easy to open and close.
Promising review: “Wanted a sandwich maker for one person. This is exactly what I wanted.” — nicole sol
A single-person’s air fryer, this option from Black + Decker has two knobs for simple and easy instruction. It air fries, bakes, broils, toasts and warms food in a straightforward and compact machine. For a size estimate, this baby can fit a 9-inch pizza, meaning it will keep you fed but still allow you ample counter space around it.
Promising review: “I love this little toaster oven. It is a perfect size with my limited counter space, and makes just enough food for one person. I like that it heats up so quickly, it’s nice to not have to spend 20+ minutes preheating my entire full-size oven for a single meal or snack. Among other things, I’ve used it for reheating leftovers, baking cookies, and air frying some frozen foods. It has performed very well for all of these. I find 9” dinner plates will just fit inside, as well as 1/8th sheet pans. I keep the included pan as a drip/crumb catcher under the rack, and I thought it was a little small anyways, so I do recommend getting an additional 1/8 sheet pan for cooking on.” — Rachael Scott

en_USEnglish