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Maybe you typed "where is Blockhütte made" into Google. Maybe you are holding the box, turning it over, looking for a stamp. Either way, you want a straight answer before you trust it with your lunch.
Here it is.
Designed in Hamburg. Made in China. Engraved and shipped from the US.
Where is Blockhütte made?
The products are developed and tested by Blockhütte GmbH in Hamburg, Germany. That is the name you will find on every lab report, as the client who ordered the test.
Manufacturing happens in China, to our own designs and specifications. Engraving is done in our own facility in CA. And your order ships from within the US, in two to five business days in the lower 48.
One more thing about the name, because it confuses people. Blockhütte is German for log cabin: a place you build once, properly. Without the umlaut it is written Blockhuette. Same word, same brand.
How it all started is in our founder story. Two friends, a garage in Paderborn, and a film Amazon Ads made about it.
Why isn't it made in Germany?
As far as we know, nobody makes stainless steel lunch boxes in Germany. Not us, not anyone.
This kind of production sits in Asia, and cost is the reason. A box pressed in Germany would cost far more than it does today. We would rather build one that lasts and keep it affordable.
And a label is not a value. "Made in Germany" does not make a product fairer or more sustainable by itself.
"Made in China" does not mean poor working conditions by itself, either. What counts is who designs it, who checks it, and how long it lasts.
Is a lunch box made in China any good?
The country on the label does not test the steel. A lab does.
Every Blockhütte lunch box is independently tested for lead under the US CPSIA, and we retest every year. The current report is on our certificates page, free to download, no form.
What your food touches is uncoated 304 (18/8) stainless steel. No coating, no plastic, nothing in the lid to flake off.
The full safety picture, microwave included, is in Are stainless steel lunch boxes safe?
Then we stand behind it. Three years of limited warranty on materials and workmanship. The terms are on our warranty page.
And 60 days to send it back if it is not the last lunch box you'll ever need. It has to be unused, in the original packaging, and not engraved.
So is a stainless steel lunch box sustainable?
The most sustainable box is the one you keep. That sounds like a dodge, but it is the whole argument.
There are no plastic parts to break down. Every part goes in the dishwasher. A plastic box gets replaced. A steel box gets older. How to look after it is in our care guide.
Our stainless steel lunch box is built to be repaired, not replaced. The seal is the part that wears, so the seal is sold on its own.
When a seal fails, you buy a seal. Not a new box. Every wearing part is on our replacement parts page.
The packaging is cardboard. Recyclable, plastic-free, and as little of it as we can manage.
Seven habits that cut lunch waste further: How to waste less at lunch.
Stainless Steel Lunch Box
The stainless steel lunch box for adults that survives a real commute. Two removable dividers...
Get YoursWhat should you look for, then?
Even if a lunch box made in Germany is hard to find, a well-made one is not.
Look for four things. Uncoated steel. A published test report. A warranty with a number on it. And spare parts you can actually buy. If a box has all four, it will be around for a while.
You can see all of ours on the stainless steel lunch boxes page. Have a look, compare, take your time.
