Rocket Fuel, Self Heating Coffee

Whilst browsing the coffee section of Tesco, I came across something that I just had to try. Self heating coffee in a cup! Wow, this has to be a great long distance cycling idea, get some warmth, caffeine and diuretic into you all at the same time, without the fuss of stopping too long!

The Self Heating Coffee Cup

This is what it looks like, quite groovy if I say so myself.

Whether you’re on the train in the morning, on the move in the afternoon or on the town in the evening, you can have a shot of Rocket Fuel to get you going when and where you want it.

Unfortunately, being about £2 each, I don’t think I’ll be rushing to buy lots of them. If they brought the price down to say, 50p, then yes I would be quite happy to stock up on a few of them.

How It Works

Its a simple exothermic reaction between calcium chloride and water that “warms” the coffee up. I use the word “warms” as it isn’t very hot. Me not being a chemist and everything, I’m not going to go into detail. Visit their website if you’re really interested. I just hope that the warming stuff doesn’t ever accidentally get into my coffee, because that would be a salty experience. (The reason for the pointless ramble just now is to move the text beyond the image to the right -> otherwise it looks a bit weird.

A reaction between water and calcium chloride heats the coffee up to the optimum temperature for you to enjoy.

The heating mechanism is activated when you click the base of the cup. The foil membrane breaks, allowing the water in the base of the cup to mix with the calcium chloride in the middle. Shaking ensures maximum temperature and even heating.

These are the instructions on the cup:

What it Tastes Like

Well I must say, I’ve had better. I’m not quite sure what this Guarana stuff is meant to do, but it sure makes the coffee taste weird (or that could just be the coffee itself). One thing I wasn’t expecting was the sweetness of the coffee. I’ve never liked much sugar in coffee (tea is a different matter ) so this wasn’t that nice from my perspective. I don’t think I’d buy one again unless I felt the urge to buy something that heated itself (for novelty). All in all, too expensive and rubbish tasting for me. However, its a great idea!