Oil pan heater

Not a bad idea, you have to admit. Although pizza tastes good in most conditions, except maybe frozen, I also prefer it to be at least slightly warm.

Thinking about it, somebody should take this idea and create heated mugs. I don’t know how prevalent Christmas markets are in the States. But around here, we have them everywhere. The traditional drink sold at these markets is hot wine punch, based on mostly red wine and spices. I only partake in it occasionally, but it always bothers me that, when you get the mug, the wine is so hot, you can barely drink it andthe mug burns your fingers. Then there’s a brief period when the wine has just the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold. To me, that period usually last for about two small sips. After that, the wine is so cold that it doesn’t taste good anymore. I wonder why there aren’t thermos mugs or something out there. I pay deposit for those cups anyway.

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10 comments on “Oil pan heater
  1. Bernerlb says:

    Insulated metal cups hold heat the best. My favourite came from Starbucks. They do make heated cups that plug into USB ports that are supposed to keep things warm indefinitely. Never have had one, so I don’t know how well they work.

  2. Flyingdevildog says:

    they do make them
    Here is one, and there are others.

    https://www.amazon.com/Dual-USB-12V-Heated-Mug/dp/B000J6CJEU

  3. Robert Starnes says:

    Heading to Germany tomorrow to go to Christmas market and get some Gluhwine!

  4. Magnoire says:

    Yeti stainless steel cups. Or the knockoffs. I have an iCool. I don’t know about hot but I still have some ice in mine 24 hours later.
    One trick about using thermos type containers. Put hot water in them before putting hot beverage in. Just remember to pour the hot water out before putting beverage in. Not that I know or anything… slinks away…

  5. Bruce Bergman says:

    USB doesn’t have enough wattage for a heated mug unless you have a high-output port for laptop charging, but a 12V car lighter/accessory socket sure does.

    And for at home or office they make many varieties of heaters you can use with a conventional ceramic mug – I have an old 120V 100W Salton Hotray from the 1960’s (silver silkscreen heater element on the backside of tempered glass) meant for a 12-cup coffeepot, and a portable dimmer to cut it down to Mug strength. The price was right.

    They make some gimmick mug warmers with a reed switch in the base to shut off automagically, and a magnet in the bottom or handle of a special mug – Don’t break or lose it.

    They do the same thing with a solid state Peltier Cooler to keep a soda can or a mug chilled on your desktop or in the car – but as a peltier cascade can only drop about 40-F below ambient best case, don’t expect ice.

  6. jan olieslagers says:

    @stef: “slightly warm” is not nearly sufficient for pizza – HOT must that stuff be!

    Re the Glühwein: if one must really drink that stuff, better swallow it quick when still hot, at least that will get you warm. But the average christmas fair stuff is as bad as any drink could be – only superficial pleasures like heat that is indeed soon gone and sugar that only makes you fat and synthetic taste and colour that bring headaches and cancer and impotency and what not. My local cheapo supermarket offered the stuff at less than 1 € per bottle – how can it be anything except thrash?

    Far better to have some beer – most German breweries still observe Reinheitsgesetz even if it has been declared illegal by the Euro-idiots – and a bit of Schnapps now and then.

    @Robert S.: you have been WARNED!

  7. Captain Dunsel says:

    Bubba brand mugs do a very good job of maintaining hot beverage temps, especially if you pre-warm them the Magnoire says. I routinely drink coffee from one (I drink it black, so there’s no heat lost to contaminants;-)) and it always stays hot long enough to finish the coffee.

    Regarding Gluhwein….we tried it at a Chistkindlmarkt when we were in Kaiserslautern. Gotta agree with Jan. On the other hand, we live near an active USAF base in the US. Most such bases have a large community of retired military folks around it, so every Christmas season, the Commissary (Military supermarket) and BX (military dept. store) sell lots of German cookies, candies, stoellen — and bottled Gluhwein. Somebody likes it, as they usually sell a lot of it.

    CD

  8. Composites Grease Monkey says:

    Man, the heat blankets for the hot bonders would always go missing around the Thanksgiving and Christmas potlucks in the shop, for this reason. And no body ever wanted to be the buzzkill that had to use one on a repair around then.

  9. Delta Echo says:

    “Somebody likes it, as they usually sell a lot of it.”
    Or maybe it’s like eggnog. NOBODY actually likes the stuff, but it’s Traditional so everyone drinks it and claims it’s wonderful, in an “the emperor has no clothes” scenario…

    (Or maybe all of the sales go to a single person. Chuck, is that you?)

  10. FotoJunky says:

    To keep stuf warm in a thermos, make sure to fill it to the brim. A half filled thermos may work slightly at best.

    As for any fairground beverages…. Tastes great at the grounds, but like cardboard (or worse) at home… Never drank cardboard though…

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