Milwaukee Tool has announced a new Packout-compatible M18 jobsite lunch warmer, model 0811-20.
What does it do? It warms your lunch of course.
How does it do that? Let’s talk about this. But first, a quick rundown of the features.
The new Milwaukee M18 lunch warmer Packout cleats on the bottom and a large folding handle on top.
It has a heating temperature range of 165°F to 205°F. There are 3 heat settings (low, medium, high).
The warmer weighs 3.83 lbs without battery.
Milwaukee says the warmer is rated to IP54 for water and dust resistance, for durability and protection.
It also has a custom foam insulation to help keep meals warm for up to 30 minutes after heating.
The Milwaukee M18 lunch warmer works with reusable lunch containers. It comes with (2) containers, and more are available separately.
Each lunch warmer container features stainless steel construction with a leakproof lid.
The capacity is 4.75 cups per container, or 1125 ml.
The food containers are dishwasher safe, but you have to remember to remove the rubber gasket seal first.
The design means that you can leave it running on a variety of surfaces.
You can heat up to 2 meals per M18 5Ah battery.
From what I’m seeing, there’s a 2 hour heating time. The lunch warmer heats your food while you work, and can be preset so that your food is hot by lunchtime.
2 hours?!
Milwaukee says:
The 2 hour period ensures full reheat of all food types, environments, and heat settings while minimizing burning.
What happens if you need more time before you can eat? That’s where the 30 minute keep-warm period comes into play.
Milwaukee says that the medium setting should work for most foods, and the high setting is recommended for soups or stews.
There’s a 2 hour heat-up period regardless of the setting; setting the M18 lunch warmer to the high setting won’t speed things along.
It’s compact enough that Milwaukee shows it being used to eat lunch in a truck.
And also in the cabin of heavy equipment.
Packout compatibility allows for convenient portability.
You’ll probably need a cooler to keep perishable food cool and safe before you’re ready to heat it up. Here, Milwaukee shows a Packout-compatible cooler attached to the bottom of the M18 lunch warmer.
Price: $199 for the warner, $79 for a 3-pack of food containers
ETA: August 2026
The lunch warmer ships with (2) lunch containers. A battery and charger are sold separately.
Discussion
I think the 2 hour warm-up time is something to keep in mind, but I also think it’s a function of size, efficiency, and consistency.
Heat and heat transfer are tricky to control, especially in battery-powered gear. This seems like a clever approach while maintaining a compact and lightweight lunchbox-scaled sized.
That you can preset your meal time might help make up for the heating time.
Thoughts?
