Thermos Bottles in the cold..

[RichS]

I was wondering if you would like to share your experience with Vacuum bottles (thermos) in cold weather situations?

I am preparing to buy a new vacuum bottle but can't find any information on how they are rated for heat retention (for some). I have a 10-15year old Aladdin but it doesn't keep the coffee hot for more than 3-4 hours on cold days 0-20 degrees F.

I have been looking at new Aladdin, Thermos Nissan, and Zojirushi. The Zojirushi is rated as follows "172°F@ 6 hrs/124°F@24 hrs. Rating is based on water at a starting temperature of 203°F (95°C) at a noon temperature of 68°F (20°C)"

With these 1L units running around $40-50 I want to get one that will fit the bill.

Thanks in advance.

 

[gobbler]

I don't really have an answer for you Rich, but my Dad carried an old Stanley to work for 40+ years. Made before Stanley sold to Aladdin. That thing was so beat up, it was unrecognizable, but it sure kept the coffee hot. Us kids bought him a newer one for Christmas one year, I don't think he ever used it. I always kidded him about bronzing that thing when he retired, he didn't do that, but it still sits on the counter where it always sat even though he's been retired a couple of years.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I don't have a good answer either. I had an old Stanley. Gave it to my brother when I quit working ouside.

I always thought Thermos's were amazing. Put something hot in and it stays hot... Something Cold and it stays cold. How does it know?

 

[RichS]

Thanks Gobbler, Hoosier_Daddy,

My dad also had a Stanley, it would keep coffee hot all day while we worked in the cold. I must admit. I have never put cold drinks in it so I have no data there.

I had purchased the Aladdin because of that fact. I think the heat is escaping from the "easy pour through" stopper. In the older models there was a dead air space in the top screw-in section. In the model I have it is all open so you can pour through it.

See attachment.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I looked at the Consumer Reports Web page but didn't find anything on thermos bottles... That kind of surprises me.... In my search after finding nothing under thermos I looked for something under Vacuum. Didn't find anything about thermos bottles but they have a story on Viagra... HA!

 

[patrickg]

Hot stays hot, cold, cold. Yeah, how do it know??

I have a really old thrermos with its original leather case. This ole puppy has a big solid cork stopper. It still works.

Delta T (temperature difference between contents and ambient environment) and insulating value together determine how hot somethig stays for how long. Doesn't matter if the iniside is hotter or cooler than environment, the rate of heat exchange is determined by the two factors above.

Form factor has an effect as well since the heat exchange takes place through the area of the enclosing vessel and the heat content is a function of several things but volume of contents is one of the factors, in this way: You want to minimize the amount of area of the container while maximizing the volume. The ideal shape thermodynamics wise would be a spherical container but that isn't imminently practical. Still, a short fat quart with the same insulation technology as a long thin quart will out perform the thin container by a decent margin. It is simple physics that controls this irrespective of any yuppy advertisement copy that may confuse thte issue.

Here is a practical exam/teaser in thermodynamics: Your coffee comes with the meal but you want to drink it toward the end. You use cream in your coffee and there is some on the table but wonder how to keep the coffee the warmest the longest. Do you put the cream in right away and stir it up, put it in right away but pour it slowly to form a thermal blanket over the top of the java, or add the cream just prior to consumption. Which will yield the hotest delayed cup of coffee?

Patrick

 

[patrickg]

Shouldn't some smart outfit market a "Thermos" with a 12 volt heater built in so yo can plug it into your vehicle and keep it at the set point temp until yoy unplug to take it out of the vehicle (if you do) to take it with you to the game or ...


Patrick

 

[dmccarty]

Rich,

I can't quote specs but I had one of those green Stanleys
or Aladins and I was not happy with it at all. It would have
luke warm coffee a few hours after I filled it up. I have had
an Nissan for about 10 years now. Its MUCH better than
the green one I had. Its banged up and its been dropped to
many times to count but it still keeps my coffee hot. I poured
my first cup of coffee at 0730 and it was hot. I just poured
my last cup of joe at 1945 and its warm. Not hot but warm
The old green thing I had would have been less than warm
after four hours or so.

Hope this helps,
Dan

 

[RichS]

patrickg, On the exam/teaser, my guess is d) none of the above. I drink my coffee black, want the real taste, not sugared up or milked down. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif But in the line of the question you asked, I would have to guess c) add the cream right at the end. Then the cream would have warmed up and not been quite as cold as at the start of the meal.

Dan, No problem at all on the specs. Thought someone might have seen them in their wandering through cyberspace is all. Good news on the Nissan. Do you perform the initial heat up as well, put in hot water, let it set for a few minutes, then pour out and add coffee/hot liquid? I always do this with my Aladdin but still no luck. By noon it is cool. Not in weather like today but when it is cold out.

Maybe I should buy and insulated sack and put the thermos in that, or see if I can find a real stopper not that pour through piece of junk. /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

 

[Wingnut]

Patrick .... they've had them for years. Thermos sells a 2 pack of about 12 oz mugs with the element. Saw them at Sams last year.

pete