This portable Crock-Pot lets you enjoy a hot meal without a microwave—and it's only $15 right now

Bringing your lunch to work has loads of advantages. It's healthier and more affordable than eating out every day, and it leaves more time for you to enjoy your break. But if you crave a hot mid-day meal, you'll need to use the communal microwave.

Odds are that microwave is either always being used, making it hard to get a turn when you're actually hungry, or your company's kitchen cleaning schedule has fallen by the wayside and your microwave is not the most appetizing place to warm up your lunch.

Rather than face either of these issues come lunchtime, consider a different approach. Crock-Pot makes a 20-ounce lunch pail that's actually a portable crock designed to warm your lunch so it's ready to eat when you're ready to feast, and it's only $15 on Amazon right now.

The Lunch Crock has a separate base that you plug into a wall outlet, kind of like a cordless electric kettle. Plug the base in at your desk (or in an out-of-the-way spot in your kitchen) and leave it there. Then, when you get to work, put your food on the warmer. By the time lunch rolls around, it will be heated to the perfect temperature. No duking it out with Jo-Ann from Accounting who needs to heat up her salmon, 'like, right now,' and no cross contamination of smells from thousands of past lunches.

The removable inner bowl and lid, as well as the outer lid, are dishwasher-safe. Plus, the Lunch Crock itself has a convenient handle for carrying, so it's great whether you drive, take the bus, ride a bike, or walk to work. The only downside? You can't whip up a batch of buffalo chicken dip when the craving hits. It's for warming, not cooking.

Get the 20-ounce Crock-Pot Lunch Crock Food Warmer for $15 from Amazon.

Prices are accurate at the time of publication, but may change over time.