Hotel rooms often have no microwave. These are plug-in lunch warmers, led by the HOTLOGIC Mini in 120V and 12V, with the larger Max, Dash Hot2Go, and Bentgo Heat beside them. Compared on watts, the maker’s heat time, capacity, weight, and the price on the page.
By a working airline pilot · How we pick · Last reviewed Sep 28, 2026 (ET)
What changed: first published.
Top picks
The short version — labels come from our full write-ups below.
Watts, where printed: Mini 45, Dash 50, Max 100. Bentgo’s page does not give watts, so that cell stays empty. Prices seen Sep 28, 2026.
Lunch warmers
Every maker time on this page is measured in tens of minutes, or in hours if you start from raw meat. Plan the outlet before you are hungry.
It is slow on purpose. HOTLOGIC tells you to plug the Mini in about forty minutes before you eat, and also says chicken, fish, and most meats take about two hours from scratch. Dash says about 45 minutes. Bentgo says 45 minutes or more. Crew on r/flightattendants describe the same wait in the 45–60 minute range and buy these because the hotel has no microwave. None of these numbers is a microwave cycle.
Heat time, maker: plug in about forty minutes before eating. Cooking chicken, fish, and most meats from scratch takes about 2 hours, depending on weight and thickness. The page says it holds food around 165°F
Capacity: a container up to 8.75" W × 6.75" L × 2.5" H. You bring the container; the unit is the heated sleeve and plate
Outer size / weight: 9.5 × 7.5 × 3.5 in, 1.43 lb
Listed price: ~$39.95, compare-at $49.95, black shown available. Blue, pink, and red were the same price
1.43 lb and a 3.5 in height are easier in a tote than the Max at 2.64 lb and 17 in long, or Bentgo at 3 lb
The container limit is 8.75 in wide. Dash’s Hot2Go is a 20 oz box at $24.99, so the Mini costs $14.96 more ($39.95 − $24.99) for that wider flat sleeve
Forty minutes is the short claim. Two hours is the from-scratch claim. Crew reports cluster around 45–60 minutes for a reheat
Some crew on r/flightattendants say to wait for a sale near $30. The live black price we saw was $39.95, not $30
Choose the 120 V Mini for a hotel outlet and a flat personal container. Vs Dash: you pay $39.95 instead of $24.99, draw 5 fewer watts (45 vs 50), and get a 2.5 in tall rectangle instead of a 20 oz cylinder. Vs the 12 V Mini: same price, same 45 W, different plug.
Power: 45 watts at 3.75 amps. That is a 12 V vehicle outlet, not a USB port. The brand site we checked has no USB or USB-C Mini
Heat time, maker: the same “about forty minutes” reheat line, and the same from-scratch wording, as the 120 V page
Capacity / size / weight: container up to 8.75 × 6.75 × 2.5 in, outer 9.5 × 7.5 × 3.5 in, 1.43 lb — printed again on the 12 V page
Listed price: ~$39.95, compare-at $49.95, black shown available
Same $39.95, same 1.43 lb, and same 45 W as the wall Mini, so the only spec that changes is the plug and the amps (3.75 A vs 0.5 A)
Bentgo is the other unit here with a car cord, and it costs $59.99 and weighs 3 lb
A 3.75 A draw needs a vehicle socket. A phone charger will not run it
It does not heat faster than the 120 V Mini. The maker prints the same forty minutes
Choose the 12 V Mini when the power source is a vehicle outlet. Vs Bentgo’s car cord: Bentgo includes both 120 V and 12/24 V cords in one $59.99 box and does not publish watts. This Mini is 12 V only, at 45 W and $39.95.
Power: 100 watts (0.8 amps) — 55 W more than the Mini’s 45 W
Heat time, maker: about forty minutes, same sentence structure as the Mini. The extra watts do not come with a shorter printed time
Capacity: container up to 9" W × 13" L × 3.75" H
Outer size / weight: 17 × 11 × 4.25 in, 2.64 lb. That length is 7.5 in longer than the Mini’s 9.5 in
Listed price: ~$59.95, compare-at $79.95. Red was in stock. Houndstooth was unavailable. No black Max was on the page
The container is a 9 × 13 in pan, 1.25 in taller than the Mini’s 2.5 in limit
$20 over the Mini ($59.95 vs $39.95) buys that pan and 100 W instead of 45 W
17 × 11 × 4.25 in is a suitcase item, not a flight-bag item, next to a Mini that is 9.5 in long
The printed reheat is still about forty minutes. More power, same claimed wait
Choose the Max only when the meal is a 9 × 13 in tray and you have a place to put a 17 in sleeve. Vs the Mini: you add 1.21 lb (2.64 vs 1.43) and $20, and the maker still says about forty minutes.
Heat time, maker: food is ready in about 45 minutes after you plug in
Capacity: 20 ounces. This is a lidded cylinder, not a flat sleeve
Size / weight: 5.2 × 6.5 × 6.0 in, 1.4 lb
Listed price: ~$24.99 for Aqua, Electric Blue, Hot Pink, Lavender, and Cream, with Aqua marked available. Peanuts yellow on the same page was $34.99. There is no black Hot2Go. The photo is the Aqua colorway
$24.99 is $14.96 under the Mini ($39.95 − $24.99) and $35 under Bentgo ($59.99 − $24.99)
1.4 lb against the Mini’s 1.43 lb, in a footprint of 5.2 × 6.5 in instead of 9.5 × 7.5 in
20 oz is one portion. Bentgo’s steel container alone is 33 oz, and the Mini accepts a container 8.75 in wide
About 45 minutes is five minutes longer than HOTLOGIC’s forty-minute reheat line, at similar wattage
Choose the Hot2Go for a single 20 oz meal and the lowest price here. Vs the Mini: you save $14.96, gain 5 W, and give up the wide flat container. The photo is Aqua because that is the colorway at $24.99.
Power: Bentgo does not publish wattage for the Heat. It is not guessed here
Heat time, maker: heat for 45 minutes or more. Another line on the page says 45+ minutes
Capacity: removable stainless container, 4.1 cups (33 oz), plus a silicone container, 1.2 cups (9.4 oz)
Size / weight: 8.4 × 5.7 × 6.9 in, 3 lb
Cords: 120 V AC wall cord and a 12 V/24 V DC car cord are both in the box. Warranty on the page is 2 years
Listed price: ~$59.99. Obsidian was available. Latte was unavailable. Pink Spice was available at the same price
33 oz plus 9.4 oz is 22.4 oz more in the main container than Dash’s 20 oz, and you get a second cup
One purchase covers a wall outlet and a car outlet. The HOTLOGIC Mini makes you pick 120 V or 12 V as separate $39.95 products
3 lb is more than double the Mini’s 1.43 lb (3 ÷ 1.43 is about 2.1)
$59.99 is $20.04 over the Mini and $35 over Dash, with a heat claim that is “45 minutes or more,” not a shorter time
No wattage, so you cannot compare draw with the Mini’s 45 W or Dash’s 50 W from the listing
Choose Bentgo when you want both cords and a 33 oz steel container and you can carry 3 lb. Vs the Mini: the Mini is lighter, cheaper, and prints 45 W; Bentgo holds more ounces and will not tell you the watts.
Watts, times, sizes, and prices are from the brand pages opened on Sep 28, 2026. Crew comments are paraphrased from public threads. This site did not time a meal.
HOTLOGIC Max