Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Hot Hot Hot

A few weeks ago Evan and I watched a show that explained the science behind a new self-heating coffee cup. I believe ti was on TLC, but can't quite remember. What I do remember is being totally intrigued by the explanation of the development of the packaging and how it would be marketed for cosumer use. It all seemed so futuristic. Low and behold at the store this weekend, we walked by a whole endcap of this new Self Heating Coffee Cup. Here's how it works:

You flip the cup upside-down and peel off a seal that allows you to push in the bottom of the container. Green fluid, calcium oxide (quicklime) and water, mixes and runs through the core of the container. This chemical mixture heats the coffee to 145 degrees in six minutes and a circle on the back of the container turns from red to white to let you know that it’s hot.

For a reasonable price of $2, we each got one to try. I love coffee, but don’t usually drink it during the week because too much caffeine in the morning makes me sick. I made an exception this morning and was surprised by the heat. I actually burnt my tongue. I’m probably more sensitive than most, because I don’t drink coffee every day and I was so excited to try it that I didn’t give enough time to cool off. The taste was pretty good as far as instant coffee goes. I had the French Vanilla Late. It tasted like the French Vanilla Coffee you would get from a machine at a gas station. The best part was the whole experience of removing the seal and starting the chemical process of heating. I had a group of coworkers around my desk who were all intrigued to see how it worked. I don’t think I even finished half of the drink before I started to feel the jitters and poured out the rest.

If you like coffee and inventions, I would suggest that you pick one up. I probably won’t be a repeat consumer, but it was a fun way to start my Tuesday.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

that is sooo high fashion!
but it looks like waaaay too much coffee for one person

Kanani said...

This reminded me of the post my friend Kim Ayres of Scotland did. It was about coffee!

Anyway, it sounds like those instant hot pads they have for physical therapy. I guess you toss the whole cup away? I'm such a saver of things, I"m sure I'd regret you couldn't re-use just the cup!
xx
Kanani

Kanani said...

I've left you a message on my blog!

Kim Ayres said...

The coffee I reviewed only took 40 seconds to heat, but tastes so vile I'll only use it for emergencies :)

mimi said...

Thought you might laugh that your brother is now part of the American lexicon -- used as a description in the NY Times.


"Review In NY Times
A Wild Welcome to a German Teen-Pop Band
By KELEFA SANNEH
..... In April they plan to release their first American album, “Scream” (Cherrytree/Interscope). To watch Tokio Hotel live is to gaze at that gender-bending singer, who answers to the disappointingly unglamorous name of Bill Kaulitz. He is 18, and he looks like an anime version of Christian Siriano, the precocious star of this season’s “Project Runway.”

Slimbolala said...

Also sounds like how they heat up Meals-Ready-to-Eat, the pre-packed military rations soldiers eat in the field. (They distributed them to us civilian-folk around here after Katrina. I burnt myself the first couple of times I tried heating my lunch.)

Shannon said...

It is day two of burnt tongue, so I would like to revise my early comments to say that the novelty of the self-heating cup was not really worth it.

Thanks for all the comments. I have to find a picture of Bill Kaulitz. That is hysterical.

Kanani said...

Burnt tongue?
Oh, yuck, this is so not worth it?
Slim, I had no idea they gave you ready to eat meals like this after Katrina. Though I'm sure any meal was worth it then.