Picture of a disassembled 24 ounce Stanley Classic Series Vacuum Food Jar, that shows all included attachments.

Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review

We are aware of potentially dangerous chemicals found in many of today’s plastic-based hot-foot lunch items. Thus we buy stainless steel food containers like this Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar that we review here.  Here, we discuss our tests on this great soup and beverage container.

It’s a portable and lightweight lunch accessory, and comes with a bowl lid, and a vacuum insulated storage container to boot.  Foods and beverages remain hot or cold for fifteen hours minimum, and stay moderately so for at least several hours more.  It’s large mouth supports effortless food scooping and cleaning, and minimizes spillage while filling.  The easy grip textured green case is truly classic.  Its generous storage capacity of 24 ounces, holds enough food or beverage to quench even the most voracious appetites and thirsts, and its sub $30 price tag make this food jar a highly economical accessory for the hungry workman, hiker, and student.    We like the product, and the name as well.

Picture of the fully assembled Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar, 24 Oz. version.
The fully assembled Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar, 24 Oz. version.

Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review: Features, Pros, and Advantages

Cheap Price  

We paid around  $25 for this 24 Oz Stanley food jar at Walmart.

Bowl Included

Comes with a plastic lined, stainless steel outer lid that screws off and serves as a single-serving food bowl as well.

This Jar is Vacuum Insulated

Features solid double wall construction, in which air is evacuated from the space between the inner and outer envelopes, to create a highly effective insulating layer or dead space.

Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review: Holds Enough Food to Satisfy the Hungriest Folks

Offers 24-ounce liquid capacity.

Keeps Foods and Soups Hot or Cold for Hours

Fifteen hours for hot beverages and foods, and fifteen hours for cold eatables like potato salad, some dips, et al.

Made of Stainless Steel 

Though not completely impervious to dents, scratches, and dings, this metal insulated jar prevents liquid spillage when dropped from medium to moderately high heights, onto  most any hard floor or the ground.

Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review: No Glass

The metal vessel and its reflective properties, along with the vacuum layer surrounding it, seems to insulate food from the outside temps mostly as well as those old fashioned, glass-lined Thermos bottles from the 1960s and 1970s.  But though not quite as thermally insulating, the slightly fewer stay-hot and stay-cold hours are more than offset by the increased ruggedness and durability of the hearty metallic construction.

Fairly Rugged

With the right care, the Stanley 24 Oz classic food jar should last through years of camping, hiking, and biking trips. Yet it still look attractive as well as retain its full function. Now it may become lightly scratched over years of routine wear and tear. But this does not affect is insulating powers.

Tight Fitting, Sturdy Sealing Lid

When tightly screwed on, the inner cap leaks not at all.

No Metal Taste in Stored Food

Unlike most plastic food containers we’ve sampled, Stanley leaves behind no flavors in the food, no matter how hot it is.

Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review: It Cleans up Fast

Foods generally do not stick much to the stainless steel interior.  On the rare occasions that they do, you just fill it up with warm water and let soak for an hour, or a day depending on the severity of the sticking.  Then wash clean.

Dishwasher Safe

This jar is small enough to fit on the top shelf of most automatic dishwashers.  But it’s best to hand-wash it.  Why? Because the water jets in many dishwashers may not reach all the way into the inside bottom.

Offers Some Color Choices

We’ve seen it in black and red.

Owners Guide

AKA, the Care and use guide, provided inside this Thermos jar.

Picture of a disassembled Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar, that shows all included attachments.
Stanley classic vacuum food Jar, taken apart, and showing all parts.

Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review: Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Limitations

No Spoon Included

Unlike similar food jars from Thermos, this Stanley Classic comes without a foldable spoon.

A Bit Large for Fitting into Many Lunchboxes

This food jar is BIG, standing ten and a half inches tall, and three and three-quarters inches round.  So it does not fit into some smaller lunchboxes. But it easily stows in most any backpack or travel tote.

Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review: No Packaging for the Stanley 24 Oz Food Jar

We bought one of these.  And, though we found no dents, this jar could easily pick some up.  Without enough package, dings do appear if you bang the food jar against something hard. Or, it dents if you drop it.  We found this jar sitting loose on the store shelf.  Not in any sort of carton.  So this product needs better protection against scratches, dents, and dings.  Thus, Stanley should pack each jar in its own box with padded protection.

Somewhat Delicate Finishes

Do not clean the food jar with abrasive cleansers.  These might scratch, etch, or dull the shiny silver surfaces.  No bleach either.

Only Partly Dishwasher Safe

According to the instructions, only the attachments can be safely washed in a heated dishwasher.  The main body however, the container itself, may only be hand washed in sink.  Why?  Warping or melting of the plastic handle could result from the heat of a dishwasher.  Also, the higher depth of the inner container would likely not clean.  The depth keeps dishwasher sprays from reaching all the way into the inside of the jar.

Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review: May Need Pre Heating or Pre Chilling

Preheat (or pre chill) this Stanley jar. This keeps its cold metal from cooling down the food you put in it too much.  Pre heat it by simply filling it half-way up with hot water.  Then, screw on the inner cap.  Next, shake the food jar around for a half-minute.

Cooling it down with cold water, would also lengthen the stay-cold time of cold foods that you put in.

Not Suited for Microwave Oven

Due to the virtually all metal construction, vacuum insulated jars like this Stanley, should not be heated in the microwave.  Doing so will likely damage one or both of the food jar and microwave oven.

Storing Dairy Foods Discouraged

The users guide warns against bottling fermenting foods, warm milk.  Also, do not put warm milk derived products and baby foods in this food jar.  Why?  Because of the potential for pressure buildup.  In fact, internal pressure could grow so great that the lid will not unscrew.  For tips on getting the lid off from a highly pressurized food jar, call Stanley customer service at 1-800-251-4535.

During Tightening, the Inner Lid can Squeak A Lot

Stanley might choose a naturally slicker material for these lid threads in future versions of this product.  But in this jar, a little cooking oil rubbed on the threads frees up and quiets the turning action.

Picture of the inside view, looking down from top, into its mouth.
Inside view from top down.

Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review: Our Rating

We found this Stanley insulated food jar to be exactly as described on its selling label.   It keeps food piping hot or freezing cold throughout the entire work day.  Aside from the lack of safe packing, this food jar is likely the best model you can buy right now.  We’ve found none better so far.  So we rate the Stanley classic vacuum food jar at 97 out of 100.  It’s worth buying.

Related Posts to Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar

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  4. Thermos Vacuum Insulated Beverage Bottle 68 Ounce Review

References for Stanley Classic Vacuum Food Jar Review

  1. Stanley Classic Food Jar    at Walmart
  2. Where to buy the Stanley 24 Oz Food Jar