I’m a Northerner, and as such I like to keep my money. One of the ways I do this is by not paying exorbitant prices for a scabby sandwich or half filled pastie when out’n’about, but if you don’t want to starve, you need proper receptacles for your food selection. Now, a quick sarnie only needs a box or tin foil, but if you fancy something a bit more exciting, that you want to keep hot or cold, you’ll probably want to get yourself an insulated container.

In the past we’ve reviewed Hydro Flask’s Food Flask, and found it brilliant (Damian still uses it for his every week for his Chilli & Rice when he works in schools), but I found them a little tall, making it difficult to eat soup or get to the bottom with a normal spoon.

Hydro Flask have now retired that range, and replaced them with these updated Food Jars in 5 handy sizes, and we got to test out the 12oz (355ml) Food Jar in a lovely deep wine colour.

When it arrived I looked at it, and thought that it didn’t look big enough for what I wanted to use it for (mainly soup), so I got my trusty, good-sized Denby Imperial Blue bowl out of the cupboard, filled it with water to soup level, and then tipped it into the jar.

To my surprise it held it all, and to a perfect level where I could close the lid, and without much of an air gap. I did a test of how good the insulation was by boiling some water to pre-warm the inside (which is always a good thing to do). I then topped it up with more hot water - the thermometer read 85° when I put the lid on, and 2.5 hours later after being left in a coldish room, the temperature had gone down to 58°, which seems like quite a loss, but it actually was still very warm, and if it had been soup I would’ve happily guzzled it.

It’s great at keeping food cool too, which I tested with a prawn salad left in a hot car for a few hours (again, I recommend pre-cooling the interior, either putting the jar in the fridge with the lid off, or adding some ice cubes and water for a few minutes).

What I do like about the Hydro Flask range is the powder coating that they use on the outside and the rubbery-feel lid. It feels like quality, and they both make the jar less slippy and easy to grip. The coating always come in great colours, which they usually change with the seasons. In the past the only thing that has made the really tough and durable coating chip is when I’ve clumsily dropped it on a rough hard surface, usually getting out of cars!

I have previously tested other makes of insulated food flasks/jars, but I think this one may have usurped the title as my favourite, not only because I like the feel and look, but because the low side and wide top make eating much easier, and this particular size is the perfect size for stashing in my bag.

As I mentioned earlier there are 5 sizes in the range: 28 oz (795 ml), 20 oz (591 ml), 12 oz (355 ml), 8 oz (237 ml) & Kids 12 oz (355 ml) which has a perforated Flex Boot to protect it, and makes it easier to open for little hands.

Now for the essential info:

• Tempshield® Double-Wall Vacuum Insulation keeps cold foods cold and hot foods hot

• Leakproof when closed

• Soft grip lid is easy to open

• 18/8 Pro-Grade Stainless Steel construction

• BPA-Free and Phthalate-Free

• Dishwasher safe

• Lifetime Warranty

more at » https://www.hydroflask.com/gb/food/food-jars/

prices: various dependent on size - from £29.95 to £43.95

Buy in the UK at amazon.co.uk & other retailers