Zojirushi SL-NCE09 Stainless Ms. Bento Steel Vacuum Lunch Jar, 28.5-Ounce

I bought 2 -one for each of girls, in 8th and 9th grade. I agonized over Mr. Bento, Ms. Bento, and Classic Bento. Finally decided on Ms. Bento because it comes with a carry case large enough to HOLD A DRINK! The issue I had with Mr. and Classic is that the girls would have to fumble around with a separate drink, or get yet another bag to hold the canister and the drink. With Ms. Bento, it's perfectly sized to hold the canister and a bottled water. The size seems shockingly small at first, but then as you get better at packing, it's amazing how much food you can actually fit in the 3 tiers - especially pastas and rice based dishes where you can cram food into every mm of usable space. I just wish the lids were interchangable between the 2 insulated levels - the water resistant bottom cup isn't very big but sometimes you would rather have the larger cup for wet/possibly leaky items.Hot OR cold issue: You can only use as all hot or all cold for the bottom and middle insulated cups. If you read that you can combine hot and cold - what this really means is a top cup that does not need insulation. You definitely cannot put say, cold yogurt on the bottom and hot fried rice in the center. It is also misleading to say hot and cold because the top cup will take on some of the characteristics of whether it's hot or cold that day. So make sure your top cup is compatible with being on the warmer or cooler side. For warmer days, I can put most any fruit and it's ok, and something like chocolate chip cookies, which my girls report is awesome since they are soft and warm like out of the oven. On cold days, then put in crispy and crunchier items, like crispy wafer cookies and fruit they really like to have cold.STAYS hot or cold issue: Does it really work? YES. I can't explain why some people say it won't retain heat. I can tell you what I do: Boil water. Don't use tap water or water you think it hot enough. BOIL it. Do this FIRST. Let it sit in the canister while you do everything else. I let mine sit for at least 15 minutes. Perhaps others' water is not hot enough, or not warmed up long enough so it won't retain heat. Ditto for cold. My girls report very nice and warm by lunch, not scalding, but better than "just warm". I finished my daughter's meal and cauliflower (see more below) and it was still warm after school. Prep: 6:45, canisters done by 7:15. Lunches at 12 noon and 1PM. Finished daughter's lunch leftovers at 5PM.Can this make me eat better? YES. My girls aren't veggie lovers. The first day, I put all stir fried cauliflower in the bottom cup, and they said it was like eating the never ending bowl of cauliflower. The next day, I carefully served 3 types unmixed - corn, peas, and green beans. It wasn't much of each, but with the beautiful presentation, they actually ate all or nearly all of the vegetables - hahaha!!! It is true you find yourself thinking more about the proper allocation between protein, carbs, moderate treat, and fruits/veggies, and shopping this way as well. I just order more bento type stuff like the little containers for soy sauce, dressings, syrup, and cream cheese, plus a few playful picks for decoration. The bag is quite sturdy - it is not flimsy material - a thick material with sturdy straps. The spork is nice, as is the cover. If you're worried about scratching the cups or are a heavy handed jabbing type of eater, just use your own plasticware. I hand wash and hand dry everything, and it hasn't been too arduous. Use plastic wrap to line the cups for stainy items - like spaghetti/chili.Back to Mr. Ms. or Classic? It's really hard to say for others, but Ms. has been just right for the girls both size wise and because they barely have enough time to finish the volume of lunch they already have. It's lunch, not dinner, and as a last resort, you can still fit in a bit more food inside the carry bag.

I don't normally write reviews, but I love this product so much, I will make an exception. I should probably state, I am not using this Bento the way most people do. I work twelve hour shifts, and I am literally leashed to a desk the entire time. I get ten minute breaks every two hours, however I have developed severe stomach issues, and I need to eat very small meals every hour. I used to take in a large soft sided cooler, that I would pack with a bunch of Tupperware that I would grab out of my fridge. Sometimes it was for cold foods, but generally it was meals that needed to be heated. All my Tupperware is very large. My husband is six foot and two hundred fifty lbs. I am five four and one forty, so I don't need anywhere close to the same amount of food that he does. My large cooler carried too much food, in big of portions. When I heated something up, I invariably tried to eat the entire dish, which then made me sick. If I didn't eat the whole tray, I left a large amount behind, I would reheat it on my next break, and by that time, its just nasty.The Ms. Bento is perfect for me. I have a formula that I follow when putting it together. The bottom soup bowl is for my oatmeal. I make my oatmeal in the morning, stir in whatever toppings or additives I want, and then put it in my bento soup bowl. The main/rice dish container is for whatever casserole/crockpot/or main dish that we had recently. I also heat that up in the microwave, and put it in the container. The top side dish bowl, I put Greek honey yogurt in the insert, and I dice up apples. I shake the apples with a little lemon juice, move them over, slid in the yogurt and voila, I am done. BTW, I fill the bento up with boiling water while I am doing my preparations.My oatmeal stays hot for the four hours it takes me to eat it. The main dish has cooled significantly by the time I get to it, but its always at least lukewarm, and since I have been opening and closing the bento for the last four hours, that impresses me. I normally take the main section with me on break, gently reheat it, and then it too is good for another four hours of me eating it a quarter at a time. And then I eat my yogurt and apples by using a tooth pick I put in the carry case.The carry case is another lovely part. It is large enough that I can have my Ms. Bento in it, along with a 14 oz stainless steel double walled vacuumed sealed tumbler. I can also fit in two to three granola/fiber bars. If it is going to be a longer than normal day, such as a sixteen hour day, I carry my tumbler in my purse, and trade it out for an orange, or mango, or crackers.This is my first and only Bento. I am thinking of buying a second one now, so that if anything ever happens to mine I have another one. I am also trying to get my husband to agree to a Mr. Bento. So far he is resisting, but once he realizes that I am continuing to lose weight past the eighteen I have already lost since I started using this Bento, I think we will be buying one.Take my advice, if you basically want a well portioned thermos with inner Tupperware that keeps your food warm and makes you think about what you are actually eating, PLEASE PLEASE buy this!!!