Meet the nifty bento box that can let you have fluffy cooked rice in the office

If you're living on your own, meal prep and washing up after might seem too much of an effort for one individual. (Who needs the hassle of washing up both a rice cooker and crockery?)

Well, Japanese company Thanko certainly gave thought to this when it came up with the Super High-Speed One-Person Bento Box Rice Cooker that'll save you that extra bit of time.

And with most mini rice cookers looking like, well, a smaller version of its regular, conventional counterpart, this bento-shaped gadget looks set to be a desk lunch game-changer as well. Its compact size at 24cm by 10cm by 8cm means it's small enough to stash in your bag.

No extra time required in the morning or the night before to wait for your rice to cook. All you have to do is add pre-washed rice and bring it to the office. Just 19 minutes before eating, add water, hit the switch and have it start cooking while you're still working on that proposal.

Serving-wise, the device can dish up to 180 millilitres (6.1 ounces) of cooked rice at a time, which is a decent portion for one person (or two, if you have a small appetite). Additionally, it'll keep any side dishes you place in the box warm, too.

The only drawback? It does need to be plugged in. We're looking forward to a battery-operated or chargeable device for lunches on the go next.

The Super High-Speed One-Person Bento Box Rice Cooker retails at 6,980 yen (S$90) at Thanko. Sadly, Thanko delivers only to addresses within Japan at the moment. International shipping services like Vpost maybe?

This article was first published in Home & Decor.