Electric food warmer/lunch kit?

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Electric food warmer/lunch kit?

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Electric food warmer/lunch box. Have seen these advertised for car. My mom can only use microwave on high (legally blind among other problems). Thought maybe a food warmer/electric lunch box would be good for warming up bread, buns, etc, that are hard to get exactly right in microwave. Would need to be very simple and safe to use. Any thoughts?

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When I warm up bread, buns and things like that I wrap them in a kitchen towel. This prevents them from getting dried out. 30 seconds in the Microwave, and I use the "30 second" button so it is on High. Maybe that would work for your mom.

This might sound a bit odd but maybe a Heating Pad would work. Put the bread or rolls in the heating pad, wrap them and turn on High for a bit. Most Heating Pads turn off automatically so there is little risk that it would be left on.
I hope others have ideas that might work.

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Yes, she does know to wrap bread, etc. But I was really hoping someone might have working knowledge of the electric lunch box, maybe even some ideas that they had used it for.

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I'm a little confused, why would she need to warm up breads and buns? What's wrong with using a toaster or toaster oven?
And as for using the microwave, most people never use anything but high. You can find a microwave with quick start options - something like 30 seconds, one, two or three minutes - and mark those places on the key pad with raised stickers or puffy fabric paint. Has your mom ever had any low vision training?

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I just used bread, etc., as an example. There are a number of reasons that I thought something that would warm and keep things warm might be useful. She did have a toaster oven, but there were problems with it and doesn't want another one. Yes, she's 92 and stubborn, but honestly I don't think she needs to be using anything with a hot surface that she is not already completely familiar with. She has used a microwave with raised marks for many years, and even learned to use it at a reduced power, but got frustrated when it lost the programming I put in it. I actually had been looking at electric lunch kits for a road trip, when I read that it was sometimes helpful for the elderly. Hence, my question.

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If your only aim is to bring her prepared hot food and keep it warm until meal time then I suppose one of these gadgets might work for that, they aren't designed to actually cook or heat cold foods.

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I just saw that those mini fridges you buy that hold 6 sodas also keeps things hot. I think they come with a cord for the car and one for a reg outlet.

On my Microwave I have a cook time button and a cook power button. I hit the cook time, put in the seconds/min I need then hit the cook power which starts at 100%. Each time you push the button it goes down 10% and u hear a bing. So if Mom wants something at 50% she will get a bing for 90, 80, 70, 60, 50%. After 5 bings she is at 50%. This is how I defrost and lower the % so bread does not heat up too fast. For a roll on high at 30 sec in my Microwave, it would be tough.

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We have a small portable electric fridge that we use in the car on long trips. You can set it to freeze, cool or warm. The temperature is not high enough to cook. You could plug it into a power point with a timer on it. It should be fine for bread rolls, but cooked food shouldn’t ever be kept warm for long periods of time if it would go off. It depends on how well M can understand it.

If you can find one, a very old microwave could be good. My M had one with only one heat setting and a circular twist dial for time. Very simple. Brilliant! When M died, it went to MIL. Then I think to another older lady.

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The older microwave is a good idea, because it would be lower wattage and might be better for lower power.

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This might sound slightly daffy, but…why warm anything up at all? My husband went out of town for a week on business, and I absolutely loved not having to heat anything. Delicious egg-olive salad sandwiches, chilled cucumber-avocado soup, Caprese salad, cheese and crackers with pickles…I thought, stove, schmove! Train your mom to enjoy cold stuff!

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I've bought and used one of the electric food warmers/lunch boxes and it's worked well for what I needed. My hubby's in a memory care facility 15 mins from home. Sometimes I bring him a home-cooked entree or pick up a burger and fries from a restaurant. The lunch box I bought has two connectors, one for the car (that keeps the food warm on the way), and another cord that plugs into the wall (in case he's being dressed or showered when I get there). Read product details carefully, as some only come with the car cord. There is a plate inside that gets quite hot and reviewers have said they actually heat up meals in it (over a longer period of time). I've only used it for keeping warm food warm for a short time, so I can't vouch for the cooking part. My concerns with your mother would be: (1) touching the hot plate, (2) remembering to unplug after each use - there is no on/off switch, and (3) the risk of undercooked food if she's relying on it to actually cook something. Best of luck to you both. Sounds like you're in a tough spot.

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You can buy tactile tape with raised buttons to place on microwave one minute setting and label the start button.

Look online at a Low Vision Aids catalog.
Also a lighted handheld magnifier may be a good option.

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rb.gy/0f1f3
The above shortened link will take you to the Amazon page for the lunch box food warmer.
Walmart also carries these.

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I have an Instant Vortex air-fryer that’s a combination of the different cooking equipments, and I love, love, LOVE IT! This gadget is so much better than using the oven or microwave. It is extremely versatile in that you can use it to roast, air-fry, bake, and re-heat food. It cooks really fast, and clean up is very easy. Operation of it is simple; you just set it and it shuts off when the cooking time is up. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but it’s worth every penny. America’s Test Kitchen rated this version as #1.

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Yes, they are great. The problem, on mine anyway, is the buttons. The woman goes by feel because she can't see.

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Have meals on wheels delivered or some other Option .

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Learn, I use my toaster oven daily and I know they just don't last long enough. But, I would find one similar to what mom had and present it as a gift. She knows how to safely use one and that is the most important thing, IMO.

I looked at different lunch box warmers and I think they could be dangerous to learn for a blind elder, IMO.

I got a couple of toaster ovens, in succession, that lasted less then a year, I was tempted to find an alternative but, I am super happy I tried again. I have had the new one for several years and it still works beautifully. I do recommend buying a bigger, better quality one though. You know, room to remove and place items without catching yourself on a hot surface, it is well worth the investment, IMO.

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https://carroll.org/product-category/kitchen-equipment/

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Learn2Cope: Home Depot product - "Product Details - Easily heat up your food in this Electric Lunch Box in White Light Blue. It's easy to use. Simply plug it into an outlet and allow your food to warm up. Microwave safe removable."

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Electric food warmer/lunch kit?

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