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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 who’s 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 12,000 five-star reviews and an overall Amazon rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, I can confirm the hype is definitely deserved. I bought one shortly after my mom put me onto it and 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 multiple colors, including black, pink, blue, green and gray.
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 ordered this as I’m an EMT and never know when I’ll get to stop to grab food or stop to warm up my food. I tried this out two days after I received it and forgot to plug in an hour before with my thanksgiving Mac N cheese leftovers and only got to plug up for about 25 minutes while I went into hospital to grab a patient and take them 6 miles away and when I got back into the ambulance and was starving my food was piping hot! I recommend this over those heating lunch boxes who may take 2 hours to get your food room temp! Love it!” — Roy Harrington
“I use it to warm up homemade soup I bring from home, pasta dishes and more for lunch at work. I even used it to heat up the gravy at Thanksgiving dinner when I ran out burners on my stove!” — Joan LaRosa
“I make a lot of soup in the winter so this is the perfect thing for me. I plug it in when I get to work and it’s hot by lunch time! I have also done leftover roast and mashed potatoes and it worked great. Everyone at work talks about how they want one now 😂” — Katy