7-Eleven is one of the most popular convenience stores in the world. We often visit 7-Eleven while on vacation, whether it’s for food, drinks, or other daily essentials.
With so many food options available, we never struggle to find something to eat when we’re abroad. The food is tasty, and the prices are definitely more affordable than eating at restaurants.
One type of food we usually grab is the ready-to-eat meals. These meals are already cooked and can be eaten right away, but since they’re kept in the fridge, you’ll need to warm them up first.
Thankfully, every 7-Eleven has a microwave for that. What we love most is how both the microwave and the food packaging are labeled, making it super easy for customers to heat their meals.
If you’re new to 7-Eleven and want to heat up your ready-to-eat meal, there’s no need to worry. Here’s a quick guide on how to use the 7-Eleven microwave to warm up your food:
The first step is picking out your meal. 7-Eleven offers a variety of ready-to-eat options, from snacks like sandwiches and onigiri to full meals like fried rice, spaghetti, and more.
Once you’ve made your choice, head to the cashier to pay. You’ll usually get a plastic spoon or fork, and in places like Japan, where chopsticks are common, the cashier might also offer you a pair.
Once you’ve paid for your meal, you can head over to the microwave, usually located near the entrance or close to the ready-to-eat food section, depending on the store layout.
Now, take a look at the microwave label on your food packaging. This label often has numbers like 6, 7, 8x2, or 5+10. These numbers indicate how long you should heat the food. Make sure to remember the number for later.
Before heating, you’ll need to open the plastic packaging a little bit. You don’t need to remove it entirely; just open it enough to let the steam escape while it’s being warmed.
If your meal is divided into two parts, make sure to slightly open both sections. For meals with separate seasoning packets, check the instructions on the packaging to see if the seasoning needs to be opened or kept separate from the heating process.
Next, open the microwave door and place your food inside, making sure it's centered properly. After that, close the microwave again.
If you've bought more than one meal with the same number label, you can heat them together as long as they fit in the microwave. However, if the labels have different numbers, you'll need to heat each one separately.
Once the food is inside, simply press the number button that matches the label on your food packaging. The microwave will automatically start and heat your food.
From my experience, 7-Eleven food packaging has three types of labels: single numbers, numbers with a + symbol, and numbers with an x symbol. To help you out, here’s how to use the microwave for each:
After pressing the correct button, the microwave will adjust the heating time based on the code. Just a note, the number on the packaging is a code made by 7-Eleven and doesn't reflect the actual heating time in minutes.
Once the microwave has finished heating your food, you’ll hear a “ting” sound, letting you know it's done. You can then open the microwave door.
Be careful when taking the food out, as it’s usually pretty hot. We recommend holding onto the thicker part of the packaging, which makes it easier to remove.
After taking the food out, you can close the microwave. You can either take the food home or enjoy it right there if the 7-Eleven has seating available.
And that’s it! Warming up your food at 7-Eleven is super easy, right?
