The Bon Appétit Staff Registry for Dining al Desko
Around the BA office, bringing your own lunch is basically a competitive sport. We’ll do anything it takes to make deskside dining feel more luxurious, from stashing ceramic bowls in filing cabinets to storing tins of flaky salt next to the stapler. Our reasoning is simple: The right tools can make even questionable leftovers feel thoughtful. From reusable sandwich wraps to the ideal mug to the one utensil to rule them all (spoiler: it’s a spork), these tried-and-true products keep BA staffers prepared—and happily fed—in every kind of lunch situation.
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Photo by Alex Lau1/11Consider the Bento Box
“I’ve tried to change my ways, but I am who I am: a snacker. When I prep for the week, I’ve usually got seedy crackers in the oven, a pile of apple wedges on the counter, and a batch of hummus in the blender. Everything is going well—until I try to pack it all up. I tried using tons of teeny jars to keep things from going crispy-gone-soggy in all the wrong ways, but it always resulted in overcrowded tote bag. Then I found this sturdy, no-nonsense bento box with three layers of stainless steel “shelves.” Cutlery, a teeny Maldon tin, and a little (okay, big) square of chocolate fit in the top. Dip, a pile of crackers or vegetable wedges go into the middle layer. And my actual lunch—whether it’s a grain bowl, a sliced chicken breast over greens, or a square of lasagna—stays mush-free in the roomiest compartment at the bottom. In the end, it’s exactly what my freaky little organized Capricorn heart desires.” —Lauren Joseph, commerce editorial assistant
Buy it: Grub2Go Bento Box, $28 on Amazon
Photo by Alex Lau2/11You Only Need a Shallow Bowl
”It’s one of my deepest held beliefs that shallow bowls really are the ideal serving and dining vessels. From cardamom-peanut butter oatmeal in the morn to grain salads at lunch to creamy, miso-y noodles at dusk, they’re my go-tos for containing whatever whimsical lunch I’ve cobbled together. Right now, this ceramic bowl from Jono Pandolfi is at the top of my roster. Aside from being incredibly durable, it’s chic enough to make my noontime noodles feel like a splurge at my favorite neighborhood spot. And when I’m in the middle of the day with a rapidly growing to-do list, that simple comfort is more than enough to ensure I’m a shallow bowl stan for life.” —Jesse Sparks, editorial assistant
Photo by Alex Lau3/11Sporks Are Back (But Did They Ever Really Leave?)
“The day before I set out for a 12-day hiking trip earlier this summer, I realized (somewhat belatedly) that I'd need to bring along some sort of utensil. Otherwise, how would I eat my daily half-jar of peanut butter? Enter: the spork. More specifically, the lightweight, easy to wash Light My Fire spork, which also has a tiny knife section and comes in about a million colors and variations. I used it every single day—and continued the practice once I got back to my desk. It may not be elegant, but I don't have to poach a valuable set of utensils from my limited home collection, resort to disposables, or do that thing where I try to eat yogurt with the lid.” —Sarah Jampel, Basically editor
Photo by Alex Lau4/11Stay Hydrated With a Desk Carafe
“I’m thirsty because I'm stressed. Exhibit A: There’s a water cooler 15 steps from my desk, but I’d rather ignore my bodily needs and keep banging on my keyboard than walk over and fill a water bottle. I could give myself a hard time about this bad habit, but instead I got a carafe. It’s sleek, it’s heat-proof, it doubles as an infuser for loose-leaf tea and citrus, and, most importantly, it’s big. Big enough to get me through most of a day without moving from my chair. I keep it on my desk along with a tall glass, which I fill loudly and aggressively when I’m on deadline. (I also use it to water my desk cacti.) I’m still stressed, but at least I’m less thirsty. Now I just have to remind myself to pee.” —Amanda Shapiro, Healthyish editor
Buy it: H-Risen Glass Water Pitcher with Stainless Steel Infuser, $19 on Amazon
Photo by Alex Lau5/11Yes, You Need a Placemat at Your Desk
“Lunching at my desk has always felt wrong to me, like wearing shoes in bed or putting my gym bag on the kitchen counter. It’s something I do my best to avoid but (unfortunately) can’t always prevent. To avoid finding yesterday’s quinoa in my notebook or last week’s sandwich crumbs in my keyboard, I keep a bandana in my desk drawer to use as a placemat. I slip it under my lunch du jour, covering anything in need of protection, and when I’m done, I’ll shake it out over the bin and fold it away until I need it again. Linen table napkins or placemats that can be taken home and tossed in the wash also work well—and you can find tons of cute colors and designs to make your lost lunch hour feel a tiny bit more festive. —Alex Pastron, audience development manager
Buy it: Lush Knot Wrap, $5 at Lush.com
Photo by Alex Lau6/11Keep a Pocket Knife Handy
“On days when I can’t be bothered to meal prep but can’t afford another $14 grain bowl, I stuff my tote bag with a package of hummus, some bread, and whatever crunchy vegetables are lurking in the crisper. Then I slice those cucumbers and carrots up deskside, using my Opinel pocket knife. I know what you’re thinking: Who keeps a knife at their desk? But this one is no security risk. With a demure 3-inch blade that folds away into the handle, no one’s gonna hurt themselves rummaging through my desk in search of a stapler. It’s ideal for midday snacks too, like cut up Honeycrisp apples, or spreading some butter across a piece of toast. Just consult your employee handbook before whipping it out to serve up some Gouda at happy hour.” —Aliza Abarbanel, Healthyish assistant editor
Buy it: Opinel No. 8 Folding Pocket Knife with Sheath, $30 on Amazon
Photo by Alex Lau7/11For Lightweight Durability, Plastic Is Best
“As a bike commuter, I have a few highly specific requirements for the containers I use to pack my lunch. Glass is out of the question (I'm not trying to haul around that dead weight). Anything that's not 100-percent leakproof is out (YOU try to get tuna salad smells out of the bottom of a backpack). And I need something that can get jostled and banged around too (durability in all aspects of my life is key). For all these reasons, I stock up on Rubbermaid Brilliance plastic lunch containers so I can ride around with confidence. A few years into the habit, my apartment is now overflowing with Brilliance containers in every imaginable shape and size. And yes, I plan to buy even more.” —Christina Chaey, associate editor
Buy it: Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container, 5-Pack for $24 on Amazon
Photo by Alex Lau8/11Quit Your Lukewarm Tea Habit with an Insulated Mug
“My days always begin with a mug of tea, but they’ll often end with it too—and by “it,” I mean the exact same mug. Lunchtime will come around and I won’t have made a dent in my brew, which is one (of many) reasons I love my Keep Cup. Thanks to the tempered glass and plastic lid with a clever closure, my tea stays warm for as long as it takes me to drink it. And that’s how my morning dose of caffeine becomes post-lunch pick-me-up.” —Carey Polis, digital director
Photo by Alex Lau9/11Trade Plastic Wrap for Bee’s Wrap
“Compost? Easy. Eat less meat? No problem. But take plastic wrap and aluminum foil out of my kitchen? How?! I was skeptical that eco-friendly beeswax wrap would be an adequate replacement, but after testing them out on the “commuter sandwich” recipe I developed, I fell hard for the sticky and moldable sheets. Turns out, they actually work! Once warmed up in my hands, the wrap became pliable and tacky, snuggling my sandwich tight until lunchtime. Clean up is also a cinch as the wax-lined fabric rinses clean with a bit of soap and cool water. They can be reused for all kinds of jobs for about a year; then I’ll just cut ‘em into strips and toss them into the compost. Plastic and aluminum who?” —Sohla El-Wally, assistant food editor
Photo by Alex Lau10/11Some Lunch Decisions Are Aesthetic
“The mason jar phase didn't really do it for me. Too...rustic. That stuff's for moonshine, not overnight oats! When I want to bring a cute glass container to work for something smaller than lunch, like my rice pudding dessert or a single sliced plum, j'adore Le Parfait's jam jars with lovely painted lids. It's beautifully beveled and easy to clean, the lids seal in cold coffee, and leaving them on my desk for several afternoon hours doesn't horrify me, aesthetically. Not all lunch decisions need to be about function and utility!” —Alex Beggs, senior staff writer
Buy it: Le Parfait Glass Jam Jars, from $3 at Container Store
Photo by Alex Lau11/11Clean Up Your Act
“Call me paranoid. Call me a germaphobe. Call me a clean freak. But don’t call me on my cell phone because I’m home sick—because I refuse to use the office sponge to wash my dirty dishes. I’m happy to bring my own and stash it at my desk if it means I can avoid whatever plague is spreading among the staff. Any sponge will do, but our Test Kitchen manager Gaby Melian swears by Skura (which never smell), and I do whatever Gaby tells me to do.” —Sasha Levine, Bonappetit.com editor
Buy it: Skura Sponge, $15 on Amazon
