Rachael Ray Lunch Bag Review

The Rachael Ray lunch bag -- officially called the Rachael Ray Double Decker Lunch Carrier -- is one of my favorite new additions to the lunch box market. What makes this lunch box so special is that it allows you to pack hot and cold foods in the same lunch container, and it's designed to keep both at the proper temperature for hours. For that reason alone, this is one of my favorite lunch boxes I've seen in a long time.

You want the kids to eat a good lunch. And you want to make sure they actually eat the lunch you pack for them. One of the best ways to prevent the PB&J blues is to send creative lunches to school. My kids take everything from leftover chicken tenders to turkey paninis to tomato soup.

But up until now, it hasn't been easy keeping hot foods hot. Sure, there are thermos containers, which work for soups and chilis, but what about hot sandwiches, pizza and leftover meatloaf? And many of these vacuum packed insulated containers are difficult for kids to open.

What's more, these containers can be heavy, and if kids want to bring anything cold, like maybe a piece of fruit, some yogurt or a cold drink, they have to carry it in a separate container.

It's as if the world of lunch manufacturers couldn't conceive of the fact that people might actually want to pack cold and hot foods together in the same lunch box.

But not the folks behind the Rachael Ray Double Decker Lunch Carrier. This cleverly-designed lunch bag has two compartments -- both are insulated for hot and cold. So you can carry hot things, cold things or both. It even comes with a little CoolSlide container that has a built-in ice pack top. Clever, huh?

I like the fact that this lunch box is lightweight and adapts to whatever I want to pack for the kids' school lunches.

However, I do have a few changes I'd like to see. Because this lunch box isn't specifically designed for kids, it's rather plain. It looks like a tote bag. Why not come out with a fun, colorful version specifically designed with kids in mind? Rachael Ray also has an adorable line of neoprene lunch boxes in fun shapes like a tomato and an artichoke. It would be so cute to have this lunch box in an appealing design.

The Rachael Ray lunch box is also a bit pricier than most kids lunch boxes. It retails for around $18-$20, depending on where you buy it (click here to compare prices), which solidly puts this lunch bag at the upper realm of what most parents are willing to spend for a kids' lunch box.

On the other hand, you are getting a container with an ice pack in the lunch box, which probably makes up for the price.

All in all, I'd say this lunch box is well worth the investment. The kids can take it to school, and you can use it to pack sandwiches and snacks for car trips, picnics, small group tailgating and outdoor concerts.