Bento boxes are great for packing lunches, but maybe you don’t know all the must-have tools and accessories. Today, I’m going to share the best bento box tools and accessories.
Let us be your guide as you explore all of the best tools and accessories available so you can find (and get!) exactly what you need to make creating fun lunches easy, delicious, and enjoyable for everyone involved.
Food is a love language. It’s the way we express ourselves, how we nurture our children, and how we show others that they’re important to us. So what better way to celebrate your love for food than with a bento box?
The art of meal preparation takes a delightful twist with the introduction of bento boxes. Originating from Japan, bento boxes break away from the traditional way of serving food. Instead of using separate dishes for different food items, everything is neatly arranged in one box.
This method not only makes the meal visually appealing but also ensures a balanced diet with portions of proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables.
The concept of bento boxes has evolved over the years, and today, it’s embraced by food enthusiasts worldwide. Whether you’re packing lunch for your kids, planning a picnic, or prepping meals for the week, bento boxes offer a creative and efficient solution.
Let’s delve into the world of bento boxes and explore how they can transform your everyday meals! Find out How to Choose the Right Bento Box!
What is a Bento Box?
Bento boxes are not just an adorable lunchtime accessory but also an opportunity to pack healthy meals for your family while saving time in the kitchen!
A Bento Box is a type of container that has two or more compartments. The word “Bento” means “a box with many things put into it.” This style of lunchbox was originally popularized in Japan, and today they are available all over the world.
If you’re looking for new Bento tools, bento accessories, or just want to know what’s out there – check out this list of the best bento box must-haves and accessories on the market today!
The Versatility of Bento Boxes
Bento boxes are a testament to the versatility and creativity that can be brought into meal preparation. They have a unique ability to cater to various dietary preferences and occasions, making them an increasingly popular choice worldwide.
Firstly, bento boxes are incredibly adaptable to different cuisines. Whether you’re packing sushi rolls, pasta, or salad, there’s a place for everything in a bento box. The separate compartments maintain the integrity of each dish, preventing any mix-up of flavors.
Secondly, they are perfect for portion control. The compartments are designed to hold specific amounts of food, making it easier to balance nutrients and manage portions. This makes bento boxes a favorite among health-conscious individuals.
Thirdly, bento boxes are excellent for on-the-go meals. They are compact, easy to carry, and designed to keep your food fresh. Whether it’s for school lunches, office meals, picnics, or road trips, bento boxes are a convenient option.
Lastly, the aesthetic appeal of bento boxes shouldn’t be underestimated. The opportunity to arrange food in an attractive manner adds an element of fun to meal preparation. It encourages creativity and can make meals more enjoyable, especially for children.
Yes, the versatility of bento boxes extends beyond just being a food container. They promote healthier eating habits, make meal prep more exciting, and are suitable for a wide range of occasions and dietary needs.
Bento Box Tools and Accessories
Bento boxes are all the rage. They not only make packing lunches for work or school easier, but they also provide a healthier option to fast food.
Bento boxes also make packing lunches more fun with their cute shapes and colors. The Bento Box essentials include food picks in all sorts of shapes like animals or letters, vegetable peelers, julienne tools for carrots and cucumbers, spoons and forks if you need them — even chopsticks!
There’s no reason not to pack your bento box with these must-haves!
Bento Box
Bento Boxes can be made from a variety of materials, including aluminum foil or plastic.
One type is the disposable bento box that comes with its own carrying case and fork.
Bentos for adults include rice bowls, soba noodles, udon soup, and pasta dishes such as spaghetti carbonara or fettuccine Alfredo.
Basically, a bento is just a sectioned lunch container.
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Rice Cooker
A rice cooker is a must-have tool for any bento box. You can cook the perfect amount of rice with just the push of one button! Plus, it’s an appliance that takes up very little space on your kitchen countertop. And since you can use it to make other staples like oatmeal and soup stock as well, it can save you money on cooking appliances.
You may be thinking that a rice cooker is too much of an investment for what seems like a simple tool – but think about how often you cook the rice! A high-quality rice cooker will last your family for years and pay for itself many times over in the long run.
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Silicone Baking Cups
Silicone baking cups are a bento box must-have. They’re perfect for making sushi rolls, puddings in jars, and separating ingredients!
They’re flexible, so they can be easily shaped into any shape you want and even snap back into shape! They also come in tons of different colors, sizes, and shapes to help you make your child’s lunch a bit more fun!
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Sandwich Cutters
Using sandwich cutters can bring numerous benefits, making meal preparation more enjoyable and efficient.
They are designed for effortless removal of crusts, making them perfect bento supplies!
Sandwich cutters can be used to create a variety of different sandwich designs, adding fun and creativity to your kids’ lunches.
Using sandwich shape cutters can make meals more exciting, especially for kids, as they can make the sandwich just the right size for little hands.
You don’t have to pay regular price for bento sets, even cookie cutters can be used as sandwich cutters to make bento lunch boxes more appealing.
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Vegetable Cutter Shapes
A vegetable cutter can save you time and make meal prep much more enjoyable. Vegetables are one of the main ingredients for bento box recipes in Japan, so it’s no surprise they’re a staple product. You’ll find an assortment of different shapes like stars, hearts, pears!
A vegetable cutter is an essential tool for bento box recipes because they cut vegetables into smaller, more uniform pieces. This helps balance the dish so it’s not too heavy on one type of food and also makes cooking easier because you don’t have to prepare as many ingredients before starting.
Besides, they are what really help make a Bento box theme!
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Hard-Boiled Egg/Sushi Rice Molds
Hard-boiled egg molds are innovative tools that can transform ordinary eggs into fun and interesting shapes. They are often used in bento box preparation to add an element of surprise and creativity to the meal, making it more appealing, especially for children.
These egg molds are typically made from BPA-free silicone or plastic, ensuring safety and ease of use. Some popular options include the Silicone Egg Cooker, which allows you to make hard-boiled eggs without shells, and the Yude Tama Egg molds, which can shape your eggs into cute rabbit and bear designs. These are available on various platforms like Amazon and Walmart.
The process of using these molds is quite simple. After boiling the eggs, you place them in the mold while they’re still hot and then cool them down in cold water or in the refrigerator. After about 10-15 minutes, you’ll have a perfectly shaped hard-boiled egg.
Egg molds come in a wide range of designs. From smiley faces and animals to more intricate shapes, there’s something for everyone. They’re not just limited to eggs; some molds can also be used for shaping rice, pancakes, biscuits, edible cookie dough, and more.
Hard-boiled egg molds are a fun and easy way to enhance your bento box or any meal. They encourage creativity and can make mealtime more enjoyable for both adults and kids alike.
You can find molds all over the place for different shapes of these two foods, but these are the best Bento Box must-haves:
Sushi Rice Molds
Sushi rice molds are a fantastic and practical tool for creating perfectly shaped sushi or onigiri at home. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing you to add a creative touch to your meals.
These molds are typically made from materials like polypropylene, which is BPA-free, ensuring safe use. Some molds, such as the Onigiri Mold, are designed specifically for making traditional Japanese rice balls.
There are also molds available for making different types of sushi. For example, an oshibako, a wooden sushi mold, is used for making oshizushi, a type of pressed sushi. These molds allow you to layer sushi rice and other ingredients for a unique presentation.
Using a sushi rice mold is fairly simple. You fill the mold halfway with seasoned rice, create a small indentation for your fillings, add your chosen filling, then fill the rest of the mold with more rice. The lid is then placed on top, and you push down firmly to shape the rice. The rice is then released by flipping the mold over and pushing the button on the bottom.
Apart from sushi rice, these molds can also be used for a variety of other foods, adding versatility to your kitchen tools. They can be used with noodles, fruits, vegetables, and more.
You could even use a spring-release ice cream scoop to make simple rice balls.
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Hard-Boiled Egg Molds
There are a variety of shapes and sizes for eggs, but this is the style that Bento Boxes love to use. Just peel off the egg once it’s cooked and you’ll have an adorable little hard-boiled egg shape perfect for any recipe!
Food Picks
It’s also important to have a few food picks in your Bento Box Toolkit!
You can find a variety of shapes and sizes depending on what you need — perfect when you’re packing several types of fruit, vegetables, or even cheese in your Bento Box.
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Animal Food Picks
You can find these in all sorts of shapes like elephants, pandas, & bears!
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Alphabet Food Picks
The perfect way to pack an educational bento box! They come in many colors and sizes so you can spell out whatever word your little one prefers!
Colorful Condiment Containers
There’s no need to pack the lunch box without sauce or salad dressing. Bento Box artists know that adding a little bit of spice and flavor can really make the dish pop!
You’ll find all sorts of color options for your sauce containers like green, blue, and red.
Vegetable Peelers and Juliennes
Every meal your kids eat at school or on the go should contain some vegetables. Tools, including veggie peelers and julienne tools, will allow you to make your child’s vegetables easier to eat.
These tools are great for carrots, cucumbers, and radishes.
Utensils and Utensil Holders
American and Japanese Bento Boxes need spoons and forks to eat the food they contain! You’ll find these cutlery sets in a variety of different colors, sizes, and shapes.
In addition, Bento Boxes might also use chopsticks or other utensils depending on their culture.
You know your child and you know your child’s school rules – take both of those into consideration when you are choosing plastic, paper, or stainless steel utensils.
For example, if your child tends to lose things you may just want to buy throw-away forks and spoons!
Insulated Containers
Insulated containers are great for bento box recipes because they will keep your lunch hot or cold until you’re ready to eat, no matter how long you’re away from home.
Bento Boxes might also use a thermos (for soup!) depending on their culture and what type of dish is being packed.
Don’t forget to include a napkin and drink to round out your child’s lunch!
The art of creating bento boxes is not just about the food, but also about the process. The variety of tools available for bento box preparation adds a layer of enjoyment and creativity that makes the experience truly enjoyable.
Bento Lunch Ideas:
Now that you have your accessories, try some of our yummy Bento Box Ideas!
One of the best things about bento boxes is how versatile they are. You can pack anything from a sandwich to sushi into them
As you can see, Bento boxes come in many shapes and sizes with different colors to help you make your child’s lunch more fun!
There is an overwhelming assortment of bento box tools available for purchase on the market today, so hopefully, we have helped you to narrow down the choices!
The journey of creating a bento box, from selecting the ingredients to the final presentation, is filled with joy and creativity. It’s not just about having a meal; it’s about experiencing the art of food arrangement, the balance of nutrition, and the delight of personal expression.
The tools and accessories available for bento box preparation add an element of fun and innovation, making each meal unique. Whether you’re using colorful silicone cups to separate food items or shaping rice into adorable characters, each step presents a chance to express your creativity and make mealtime exciting.
Moreover, bento boxes are not just a treat for the eyes but also for the palate. They encourage a balanced diet by including portions from different food groups. Plus, the compact and portable nature of bento boxes makes them ideal for a variety of occasions, from school lunches to office meals and picnics.
In essence, the joy of bento box creation and consumption lies in its ability to transform everyday meals into a creative endeavor. It’s a delightful blend of tradition, nutrition, and creativity that brings pleasure to both the maker and the eater. So, grab your bento tools and let the culinary adventure begin!
We hope you enjoyed this exploration of the art and joy of bento boxes! Now, we’d love to hear from you. Do you have a favorite bento box recipe or a unique arrangement style? Have you tried any of the tools mentioned? Leave a comment below and share your experiences and tips with our community. Your insights could inspire someone to start their own bento box journey!