Nestle Serves up Coffee in Self-Heating Cans
Thermotic Developments Ltd. of Britain has developed what it considers the safest and most reliable self-heating can ever produced, reports The Wall Street Journal.
At the equivalent of roughly $2.10, Nescafe Hot When You Want coffee costs about the same as a midsize latte at Starbucks. Giving the can a quick shake and pressing a button on the bottom yields a pop as its glass segment breaks, causing quicklime and water to mix. A hissing noise and the emission of a metallic smell indicates the heating is activated, generating enough energy to raise the temperature of the contents by 40 degrees Celsius in three minutes.
As self-heating cans have been known to singe people’s skin, fall apart or even blow up, it wasn’t easy for Thermotic to sell the idea to Nestle SA. The Swiss company has agreed to buy about six million cans and is test-marketing them under the Hot When You Want brand in about 5,000 outlets in the British Midlands and in selected railroad and gas stations across the country.
Moderator Comment: Is there a market for self-heating
food and beverage technology?
Not if it smells bad, burns your hand and tastes awful
to boot. [George
Anderson – Moderator]