Looking for something I can plug into the cigarette lighter to boil water for coffe or tea.  Or when really desperate, a pot noodle or boil in the bag meal.

 

I already carry a cheap collapsible stove which I have used when out and about, but would like something I can use either in the boot, or the front cupholders whilst prepping my Aeropress.

 

AeroPress

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

So.....

 

 

This?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Immersion-Electric-Heater-Element-Kettle/dp/B00ITTHKBG

 

Forget the electric 12v type.  I'd go for one of the portable gas cookers . Far faster with a windbreak and just enough water in kettle. Then again, there's what I used as a lad on fishing trips in the Highlands - a solid fuel cooker. I've found it works well with a fire-lighter. Faster/cheaper /easier than a car plug in job.

I'm more than happy using my collapsible stove when at a suitable location.

 

I'm looking for something to use that's discreet and isn't that obvious you have it. 

As mentioned.

Tried 12v kettle and 12v immersion but as mentioned it won't get the water more than warm. One snowy morning stuck at the side or the roar thought I would be smug and make a cup or tea. After an hour the water still wasn't hot enough to brew the tea bag.

 

1kw travel kettle, like you can get for caravans worked alot better  but buying an inverter to power this isn't cheap, and drain on the battery is high. I didn't have any problems with the battery draining as when I was using this option it was in one of my old 4x4s and I had twin battery setup for starting with leisure battery on split charge in the boot for other things.

 

Have always reverted back to either my Coleman's or jetboil depending on which vehicle I am in. Jet boil is great as you dont need a wind break and everything is built in. Coleman is larger, needs utensils, but runs off unleaded so handy if you are in the middle of nowhere and run out of fuel for it

 

https://m.gooutdoors.co.uk/jetboil-zip-cooking-system-p195237

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F123370026319

8 hours ago, Fin69 said:

I'm more than happy using my collapsible stove when at a suitable location.

 

I'm looking for something to use that's discreet and isn't that obvious you have it. 

And you can you inside the car, while its hammering rain, without risking Carbon Monoxide poisoning?

 

@VWD some of the nicest outdoor tea ive had was a different kind of solid fuel boil on wet winter railway nights in the middle of nowhere..

"slack Pan Tea" as the older crews called it...

After you drop the first weld of the night you turned out the slackpan into the 6ft and put a completely full cast aluminium kettle on it with tea bags in it...  fastest boiling kettle of ive ever encountered

nobody does it anymore though.. all the older boys are retired now.

 

Wouldnt be the most efficient way of doing it in a car though... also difficult to explain to insurance company why and how you melted a hole through the vehicle with a bag of thermit while making tea...

 

 

40 minutes ago, mac11irl said:

Wouldnt be the most efficient way of doing it in a car though... also difficult to explain to insurance company why and how you melted a hole through the vehicle with a bag of thermit while making tea...

 

This reminded me of the time I melted a hole through the cigarette lighter of my Bedford Midi Van whilst trying to heat a cup of water with a 12V heater element 

 

I tried using another 12V heater element to make tea in one of my Roomsters and after 20 minutes, I found the cigarette lighter socket hotter than the water in the cup  

 

Like Fin69, I would be interested to know if anyone has found a 12V device that actually works!

I know i posted the amazon link, but i doubt it.. it take 4200joules to heat 1ml of water by 1 degree. 

A 200ml cup of 10° water to heat to 90° is...

67200000joules or..roughly 18.67kWhrs.

 

Given an average ciggy lighter output is about 180W max... (15amp, 12v typical..) well, its a lot of effort. And that assumes no heat loss to anywhere else like the cup, air etc...

To put the information in Mac's post into perspective:

 

The output from a candle is around 30W. The max output from a ciggy lighter is 180W.

So the maximum heat output from any 12V heater element plugged into it will be equivalent to 6 candles.

And that assumes no resistive losses (plug, socket, wires etc. getting hot).

 

The heater element in the Amazon link is rated 120W (equivalent to 4 candles).

Edited 6 April, 20197 yr by Robjon
Grammar

11 minutes ago, Robjon said:

To put the information in Mac's post into perspective:

 

The output from a candle is around 30W. The max output from a ciggy lighter is 180W.

So the maximum heat output from any 12V heater element plugged into it will be equivalent to 6 candles.

And that assumes no resistive losses (plug, socket, wires etc. getting hot).

 

The heater element in the Amazon link is rated 120W (equivalent to 4 candles).

Not Fork Handles surely or did I misunderstand?

shy- shades of the two ronnies, nestpas?

I did have one at one time, when I had an old Marina ( Morris, not the wooden figure or a place for boats) and Swimbo had a job at night in Warwick. I'd fill the thingy in Coventry anddrive to Warwick, wait about ten minutes for her to finish and water was just boiling.

@mac- nothing nicer than a cuppa where the water is boiled over an open fire. Sort of smokey , but the way to stop smoke in it is to drop a match ( minus head of course) into the water. ( Old trick of a WW2 squaddie-dad).  But then according to one old Sig Tech, there's nothing nicer to go with that cuppa than a bacon sarnie a la shovel in firebox.

I've never tried tea on track- muck preferred coffee in the luxury of the luxury of a bench seat in Transit.

Edited 6 April, 20197 yr by VWD

3 hours ago, mac11irl said:

I know i posted the amazon link, but i doubt it.. it take 4200joules to heat 1ml of water by 1 degree. 

A 200ml cup of 10° water to heat to 90° is...

67200000joules or..roughly 18.67kWhrs.

 

Given an average ciggy lighter output is about 180W max... (15amp, 12v typical..) well, its a lot of effort. And that assumes no heat loss to anywhere else like the cup, air etc...

 

Mac,

I do not really want to disagree with your figures but a background in boiler design and thermodynamics made me question your post. It appears that you have used the joule values for 1kg of water not 1g. Unless I am mistaken (and it has been known):-

 

1 ml of water weighs 1g.

it takes 4.184 joules (1 calorie) to raise 1g of water 1 deg C (not 4200 joules)

Therefore 200 ml of water raised 90 deg C i.e from 10 deg C to 100 deg C (ignoring convection and conduction losses) takes 75312 joules = 20.92 Whrs

Travel kettles appear to be about 120W so in theory it would take (20.92/120)*60 = 10 minutes to boil 200ml of water. A 1.2kW mains kettle should do the same job in 1 minute.

It will of course take longer than that in real life due to the heat losses to the surrounding environment.

 

Having said this I have in the past owned a 12v water boiler and it was rubbish.

7 hours ago, mac11irl said:

And you can you inside the car, while its hammering rain, without risking Carbon Monoxide poisoning?

 

Doesn't stop people smoking heavily inside their car though? 

I'd be interested to see the level CO level of bloodstream after smoking cigarettes compared to cooking in an enclosed space.

 

The heating of water would not be for a prolonged period of time, I'd be more worried about knocking the stove over and setting fire to the carpet, but guess you could also keep a carbon monoxide detector in the car if  you are worried.

 

I guess investing in a decent flask is out of the question? 1 of the flasks I have is still boiling hot after 6 hours and even after 24 hours it is still warm enough for a drink if you aren't adding milk.

 

Wind deflectors on the windows, so you can wind the windows down slightly but keep the wet stuff out when it rains?

 

Btw you can also get a coffee press for the jetboil. ;-)

 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BESTEK-Inverter-Converter-Cigarette-Crocodile/dp/B0734QCNVV/ref=sr_1_60_sspa?keywords=1000w+inverter&qid=1554566965&s=gateway&sr=8-60-spons&psc=1

 

https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/quest-1l-white-low-wattage-kettle-p409296

2 hours ago, Liger1956 said:

 

Mac,

I do not really want to disagree with your figures but a background in boiler design and thermodynamics made me question your post. It appears that you have used the joule values for 1kg of water not 1g. Unless I am mistaken (and it has been known):-

 

1 ml of water weighs 1g.

it takes 4.184 joules (1 calorie) to raise 1g of water 1 deg C (not 4200 joules)

Therefore 200 ml of water raised 90 deg C i.e from 10 deg C to 100 deg C (ignoring convection and conduction losses) takes 75312 joules = 20.92 Whrs

Travel kettles appear to be about 120W so in theory it would take (20.92/120)*60 = 10 minutes to boil 200ml of water. A 1.2kW mains kettle should do the same job in 1 minute.

It will of course take longer than that in real life due to the heat losses to the surrounding environment.

 

Having said this I have in the past owned a 12v water boiler and it was rubbish.

It did seem a little high, but i was taking the internet at face value for the constant 

Either way... yeah, the heaters are ****e

 

 

Just take off the cover and use the engine block

 

Edited 6 April, 20197 yr by mac11irl

Like this?

https://www.hotcampshowers.com/vehicle_mounted_shower

The reason I'm asking for something to boil water in the car rather than using either my Ghillie Kettle or collapsible camping stove (both of which I've used, but not in the car!) is due to an incident that happened last year. 

 

Apparently during this stranding;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-weather-drivers-face-overnight-12106764

it wasn't all sitting around the campfire singing 'Kumbaya' as the national media had reported. There were several reports of verbal and physical altercations when some of those stranded felt those with warm clothing, sleeping bags and food should have shared it out. 

 

I was going to set off on that day via the M80 to visit my parents but Police Scotland, Traffic Scotland et al had splashed across social media, the TV and radio not to travel that day, so I cancelled my plans. 

 

20 hours ago, Fin69 said:

I'm looking for something to use that's discreet and isn't that obvious you have it. 

 

I am glad you cleared that up, the above had my mind boggling, thoughts of dogging etc

 

I slept in my car overnight when broken down a few years ago, it was minus 5°c and I had been scuba diving under ice, worse still I had forgotten my neoprene boots so had to dive in the hiking boots that I wore to drive, so slept the night with my feet immersed in soaking wet socks and boots I had a goretex jacket but had to wear it around my feet, if you had been around it would not have been your hot water I wanted, I would have done a Terminator on you

 

I phone a friend at a reasonable hour the next morning her husband came with a jerrycan of diesel and a flask of coffee and some socks that she had given him for me

On 06/04/2019 at 18:47, mac11irl said:

Either way... yeah, the heaters are ****e

 

 

They seem to get reasonable reviews................Apart from build quality, but then what can you expect for a few quid.