Out With the Cold Cuts: M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer Keeps Your Food Lunch-Break Ready
When you think of how you use your M18 batteries on the jobsite, lunch time may not make the list. Milwaukee thinks it’s time for that to change with the release of the M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer, which lets you heat up a meal on any job and maximize your break time. I’ll go over what we know about this interesting addition to the M18 lineup ahead of its release to help you decide if it’s time to trade in the Wonder Bread for a hot meal.
Milwaukee M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer Overview
Milwaukee isn’t a new face in the jobsite food and drink category—they do offer a variety of coolers for keeping food and drinks cold and insulated drinkware for maintaining beverage temperatures. However, the M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer is the brand’s first foray into battery-powered food warming.
It’s not exactly a saturated category, though. One of the few other major tool brands to offer dedicated jobsite food-warming products is Makita, with options like the 40V XGT microwave and 18V LXT coffee maker. For Team Red, the powered jobsite lifestyle product line has typically focused on things like lighting, cooling, and audio until the announcement of the M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer.
So, what can it actually do? Unlike Makita’s 40V microwave, Milwaukee’s warmer is intended to help you maximize your lunch time by warming up your food while you work. Instead of quick-heating technology you’ll find in a microwave, Milwaukee designed it to heat up your food slower, starting two hours before your preset lunch time, so it’s ready to eat as soon as your break begins.
The controls seem to be streamlined and intuitive, with an easy-to-read digital display. To power on the unit, insert an M18 battery and hold the power button. Then, set your desired temperature level between low, medium, and high, which provides a temperature range of 165°F – 205°F. Finally, use the arrow buttons to set your desired meal time, and press the OK button to lock it in.
A fork and knife symbol indicates that the lunch warmer is set to start warming two hours before your target lunch time. The 2-hour span is intentional on Milwaukee’s part to ensure proper reheating of all food types in a variety of environments. It also helps to warm the food gradually to minimize burning.
Milwaukee claims you can heat up to two meals using a single 5.0Ah battery.
Milwaukee M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer Design
On the design side, there are several convenience features packed into the M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer. It’s lined with foam insulation to retain heat, which is good news for those without a structured lunch time. If you break for lunch after the time you set the unit to, the foam insulation will keep your food close to your desired temperature for up to 30 minutes.
The unit comes with two 4.75-cup stainless steel containers, which are leakproof thanks to a rubber gasket that goes around the border of the lid. Metal containers can also be hot, so Milwaukee also made the warming compartment lid removable to act as a container tray. The containers and lids are both dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning—just remove the rubber gasket from the lid before putting it in the dishwasher.
Finally, the M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer is Packout compatible, attaching easily to the top of your Packout storage build. For easy transport to and from the jobsite, it’s also equipped with a carrying handle.
Milwaukee M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer Price
The lunch warmer retails for $199 as a bare tool, which includes two 4.75-cup stainless steel containers. You can also purchase additional stainless steel containers separately for $29 each, or as a three-pack for $79. There are currently no kit configurations available, so pick up an M18 battery if you’re not already on this platform.
Milwaukee backs your purchase with a 3-year warranty.
Should You Buy It?
The 0811-20 lunch warmer is built for Milwaukee jobsites, integrating seamlessly into your Packout build and running off your M18 batteries. I can especially see it being useful on jobsites lacking consistent power or traditional heating methods. It’s clear that a lot of innovation went into the design to make it as convenient and streamlined as possible for busy tradesmen. At $199, it’s also fairly affordable, especially if you don’t need to purchase any additional M18 batteries.
While this warmer won’t be available for a few weeks, you can pre-order it now ahead of its August release.
Specifications
- Model: Milwaukee 0811-20
- Temperature range: 165°F – 205°F
- Temperature modes: 3
- Container capacity: 4.75 cups
- Weight: 3.8 lbs (bare)
- Heating time: 2 hours
- Price: $199 (bare)
- Warranty: 3 years
