Bento Boxes:
Bento boxes come in all manner of sizes, shapes and designs. The main thing that i look for in a new box... CUTENESS! I love quirky, pretty designs. However, as well as design, size and shape are important as this impacts on how easy it is to pack. I actually find a smaller bento much easier to pack as everything can squeeze in nicely and you don't need so much 'filler' food. Bentos with compartments are useful for separating moist foods or sweet and savoury.
Where to buy bento items in the UK:
The answer is there isn't many stores in the UK that sell bento items :( Paperchase is selling a few bits and pieces, and i've even found the odd item in supermarkets, such as my frog snack box which was from Sainsburys. I mostly buy my items on the internet. I'll post links here as and when i get round to it!
Cutters:
Sandwich cutters are used to make sandwiches into cute bite sized works of art. I find they are great for portion control. They come in two sections- the cutter to cut the bread into the shape, then the top section which is used to press the pattern into the bread.
Cookie cutters, especially small ones, can be very useful for bento-ing. They can be used for all sorts, from sandwiches , cheese, vegetables, to using them as dividers in the bento box.
Nori cutters are used to cut the seaweed sheets used for sushi. They are great for intricate little faces to 'kawaii' up plain onigiri balls, or vegetables.
Moulds:
Onigiri moulds are a bento essential. They made it very easy to produce shaped rice balls which can then be decorated.
Egg moulds make a plain old boiled egg a cute and fun addition to any lunch.
Bento Picks
Picks are used to hold rolled items together, skewer things, and generally make a bento look prettier and cuter.
Bottles
small, cute bottles are used for soy sauce or dressings. The larger ones are furiake bottles which can be used for thicker sauces such as mayo or ketchup, but they are mainly designed for rice sprinkles.
Dividers
I use silicon cupcake cups to separate items within a bento box. They are so handy- reusable and squishable so you can fit them nicely into a box. I also have some sushi grass for dividing different foods. Alternatively, I find the leaves of little gem lettuces do a great job at separating things.
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