I found the Magic Itaki Bento Go (hereafter known as Itaki) because I was looking for a something that could simplify cooking and reduce dishes. Since with the Itaki, you can cook in the same dish you eat out of, it reduces dishes well. Since it cooks by steam, it’s very forgiving of cooking and timing mistakes. I’ve had mine for about 5 years now, and use it almost every day.
The Itaki is a plastic shell, with a small hot plate in the bottom. When the shell is closed with the stainless steel dishes inside, steam is produced, cooking the food. It’s got an automatic shut-off for if it dries out.
Some of my favorite combinations of things to cook include:
Big bowl: tofu, frozen vegetables, soy sauce, sesame oil
Small bowl: barley couscous, water
Big bowl: ready to eat curry like palak paneer or dal
Small bowl: rice or barley couscous and water
Some things that only use the big bowl:
-a can of soup with added frozen vegetables and/or tofu
-leftover lentil soup
-edamame
There are Youtube channels dedicated to cooking in the Itaki.
The Itaki is useful, easy, and minimalist. It’s served me well for several years now. It’s worth checking out if you also seek culinary simplicity and minimalism without sacrificing health and taste.