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Self-Heating Coffee Cans Recalled
Old Man Kensey writes "Apparently those nifty Wolfgang Puck self-heating latte cans, introduced with such fanfare last year, have proven to be buggy -- cans have been reported failing to heat adequately or, more disturbingly, exploding and melting through the packaging. A recall has been announced -- here's hoping the flaws can be 'patched' soon."
I've just had a look at the official How It Works (wmv, bleh) video on Wolfgang Puck's site - and there's no mention in the (surprisingly good) explanation that the cans may explode (funny that).
Also, check out this guy's dissection of a used can.
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
I've heard of starting the day with a bang but this is rediculous.
I remember having a sample of one of these in Target around hurricane season. They were trying to pass them off as a good way to get a hot cup of coffee when and if the power went out. I probabbly would have bought a few, but then they proceeded to give me a sample. This is, by far, the most disgusting "coffee" drink I've ever had, and this come from someone who's been known to suck on plugs of grounds like chewing tobacco when there's no hot water around...
Wise men say, "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
Your hands would be Pucked!
Haven't self-heating cans been used in Japan for years now? Why not just use the same design as there?
I did try a few of Puck's self-heating latte beverages when they first came to satisfy my curiosity. One of the pack of four failed to heat, but luckily for me, none of them exploded or meltied their packaging.
It's spiffy to be able to heat your own coffee in such a small package, but when you seal up pre-mixed coffee in a can or a more complicated contraption like this one, you lose one of coffee's primary advantages as a beverage --- it is an excellent platform for customization.
I'd rather go without than drink a coffee beverage brewed or mixed to appeal to some marketeer's average consumer taste buds. If I wanted a sweet, pre-mixed beverage, I'd drink a soda.
From TFA:
OnTech's launch campaign for the self-heating product is "It Does What?"
"It takes time to educate the world to what [self-heating] is about," Weisz said.
It takes time, no doubt in part because the answer is, "it explodes."
Thank you, Edward Snowden.
"Arguments from authority are worthless." —Carl Sagan
Why the hell do they have to come up with stupid ideas like this. This is the kind of thing that really gets my goat. What the hell? If someone could please explain to me the worth of this invention I would be utterly fascinated. What's the matter with the state of coffee as it stands? Not hot enough for you? Or is it the act of pouring that your delicate wrists find too strenuous? Why not invent something useful like a cup that you don't have to throw into the dump that was our planet. Oh wait, they did that already. Too Stupid!
Now, instead of all the "Contents may be hot" labels, everyone's going to have to start putting "Warning! Contents may detonate" on their coffee cups to avoid lawsuits.
Tluin natha Linux xxizzuss uriu olt bwael mon'tun.
Stop with the JAVA-bashing already
Who wants a self heating can when you can get a self cooling beer!
(although I'll wait for the non-miller version, as I prefer my beer with flavour thank-you-very-much).
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
I had one of these on a hangover once...tasted FOUL. Goodbye!
ilovegeorgebush
Why? The first time I saw one of these, I thought it was pretty cool. Then I saw how much of the can is comprised of chemicals used to heat the coffee. It looks like half the volume of the can is contained in the chemical pouch, which seems a little excessive. This is not good technology. Until they can find a way to be a little less wasteful to do the same job, I hope they don't patch the problem.
I tried one of those coffees a few weeks back. It wasn't nice at all, I can't imagine when I would need a hot coffee so bad that I would drink one again.
Of course, that's just the opinion of a person who lives in a country where over 95 % of all beverage cans and bottles are recycled. I think realizing how well the system really works positively affects your attitudes towards recycling.
---------- Warning: This mug may explode when using it for it's intended purpose. ----------
I'm no great Java programmer or anything, but shouldn't the virtual machine prevent serious damage to the rest of the system (hand)?
It could be argued in this case that the software is not at fault, but the hardware. So no amount of adding in extra parentheses will fix the problem. Tis not just a matter of removing the line that says:
the layman's guide to computer science
"First of all, how is a self-heating coffee can related to IT? I'm not sure I see where the Information part of IT is at in this instance."
:)
It runs Linux.
I've heard of starting the day with a bang but this is rediculous.
Exploding coffee: Guaranteed to wake your ass UP!
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
Lets all hold hands today at 11:00 and prey not for world peace, but for Wolfgang puck's success in his endevors.
"here's hoping the flaws can be 'patched' soon."
Don't you think your being alittle crazy here? Have you heard of ice coffee?
Ladies and gentlemen... err.. I mean.. Gentlemen! I give you your explanation!
Who pushed the heating activation button on the server? It's melting!
We had self-heating coffee cans in the UK under the Nescafe brand (Nestle). They were sold at petrol (gas) stations mainly.
Problem was not many people bought them. The coffee was nothing special, and because the cans were mostly filled with heater mechaism there wasn't even that much of it. They were expensive too.
I haven't seen any for a couple of years now. Instead a lot of petrol stations just have a coffee machine, or cans of coffee that are kept in a heater.
Wolfgang Puck's coffe cups were renamed Emril's Coffe cups.
Ooo man the floppy drive is broken. No wait. The computer is just upside down.
From TFA: it overheated and then blew up, sending her to the hospital.
It blew her that far? Now that's an explosion!
Wow, the Hot Coffee mod just gets EVERYONE in trouble, doesn't it?
You know how hard it is to find a cup of hot coffee in the U.S. Maybe there needs to be a few more Starbucks.
This is coffee placed into a can, stored for God knows how long, then reheated. Sounds delicious.
In an interview on CBC radio the other night, a representative of Wolfgang Puck said his company is suing the manufacturer of the cans. He alleges that the design of the can as originally specified worked well. The manufacturer is accused of changing the materials the can is made of in order to cut costs.
Usually when I hear a company rep. on the radio, I'm skeptical. I listen closely for weasel words. In this case, the guy sounded pretty straight up, honest and believable.
I was looking at some packs of civilian MRE's (for camping). You can apparently get them either with or without heating packs. The heating packs appear to take a small quantity of water and produce some sort of chemical exothermic reaction (wouldn't be surprised if they also use Calcium Oxide). Anyway the US military's been using them for many, many years.
[Insert pithy quote here]
They do, and in (parts of?) the UK at least give a (small: 10p) discount to customers who bring their own mug. Also my local sbux observably* makes full use of the council recycling facilities. *Different types of rubbish get put out just prior to the different collection runs. Many local businesses just put all their rubbish out for the mixed waste pickup.
"Never 'clear the air'. Instead, investigate all the subtle nuances of the word 'fester'." - R. Candappa
I remember seeing this sort of thing in a backwater like Denmark years ago - more than 6, perhaps as much as 10 years.
Apart from that, this sort of thing is yet another example that sums up all the most stupid things in modern society. You take 'modern technology' (in this case a simple process that has been known at least since Roman times) and use it for the most pathetic and useless thing you can imagine; and then you just market it as 'Wow, soooo cool'. Sometimes I think the people who 'invent' kind of things must be laughing themselves silly. Just imagine getting people to pay more money for something that is worse than anything anybody could make on their own with no effort at all.
So, why was it again that anyone would buy this? Why pay for: a glass of water, a spoonful of instant coffee, a little bit of milk powder or similar and 20+ additives which they hope will disguise the fact that the actual coffee is crap; plus of course a container and half a handful of quicklime - I mean, why, for heaven's sake?
Does it make coffee too? /Atlast, affirmative
Stop all the snivelling, cavilling, whining, Nervous Nellyism. No Progress can be made without taking risks. Did a few minor scalds and burns stop Chuck Yeager?
Would you like to go back to the dark ages, before antibiotics, the flush toilet, and self-heating coffee cans? When women were barred from advancement, trapped in a lifetime of relentless toil over hot coffeepots? When people routinely perished from exposure walking miles through blizzards attempting to reach the nearest Starbucks? When greedy vending barons forced workers to dig into their pockets for their last few coins, then laughed sadistically as their machines tauntingly dispensed chicken bouillion instead of coffee?
I say, who wouldn't gladly risk a few small explosions in order to be able to enjoy a hot can of gourmet rich expresso lattee--say, what's in this stuff, anyway? Ingredients: Water, Coffee (Ingredients (Water, Coffee (Ingredients (Water, Coffee (Ingredients (Water, Coffee (Ingredients (Water, Coffee (Ingredients (Water, Coffee (Ingredients (Water, Coffee (Ingredients (Water, Coffee (Ingredients (Water, Coffee segmentation fault: core dumped
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
Just make a heater unit, put in the bottom of a Thermos bottle or cup, put coffee / tea / soup / meal on top, That's it... You could even buy the heating elements with different temp rating. Oh why patent these simple things in complicated single use cups ?
I tried one, they taste pretty nice so I bought a bunch of these them figuring I'd use them for the morning drive. After a failure rate of greater than 50% (either not heating properly or having a worrying chemical aftertaste) I just went back to Starbucks :)
I've been drinking self-heating cans of sake on winter hikes for years. The walls are some kind of cardboard to provide a little protection for the fingers. Push the button on the bottom and wait around 5 minutes. So this can't be a new technology. There is a plastic cover over the metal base, which has vents presumably to let air in or something else out. Rats, I now realise I haven't investigated the can enough and the season's over :-(
I also have MRE heaters in my earthquake kit. The heaters also work well but are messy. On the other hand, they give off hydrogen so one can heat an MRE and have fun popping the gas.
...stay out of the kitchen!
Sick of stupidity? http://www.patentlystupid.com
In the meantime, coffee lovers can purchase Wolfgang Puck safety goggles.
self-heating coffee can heats YOU!
Imagine drinking one of these while driving.
Now imagine not having cup holders.
Now imagine holding one of these between your legs.
Now imagine it exploding.
Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
A related story.....
A few years ago, I and some friends took the Durango-Silverton narrow guage train from Durango, got off at the half-way point, and backpacked into Colorado's Chicago Basin for a multi-fourteener weekend. Next morning we woke early and bagged a couple peaks. By evening we were pretty exhausted. One of the ladies had brought along one of the "self-heating" dinners. While the rest of us were filtering water, pumping, priming, disassembling, cleaning, reassembling and fiddling with our stoves, she was lying back, taking it easy, and commenting on all our efforts in a smug voice. Eventually, and with much fanfare she displayed her "instant" dinner, pulled the string to activate the internal heating compound, set it on the ground, and watched. And watched. And poked. And pulled the string some more. By this time, the rest of us were (finally) enjoying a well-deserved meal. After many minutes, smoke appeared from the package, followed shortly thereafter by that unmistakable smell of "dead critter by the side of the road" -- essence de roadkill. The self-heating dinner was definitely getting hot, but apparently something had gone horribly wrong with the contents. She opened the seal and the oder that leapt out of that package had most of us ready to lose our meal. It was more than rancid, worse than putrid, it was the very essence of "bad". We quickly realized that the smell of this abomination would either attract or repel every carnivore in the valley. Not wanting to take a chance, we buried it some distance away. So there she was - miles from the nearest Starbucks, her only chance at dinner now sleeping with the worms. Quite the predicament. What's a very hungry single lady, off in the wilderness without food to do? There was a lot of pleading, and apologies, and eating of the crow. Fortunately, friends don't let friends starve. I had some extra ingredients for a pan-cooked pizza , so she at least got something for dinner.
Moral of the story... Well, I'm not sure, but at least now I feel more justified packing more than I can possible use.
The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
Looks like they skipped that step.
Kinda like some software developers.
Yeah, lightly tap the rear bumper.
Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
Come on people, I just can't see it. Name a place where you would like to have a cup of coffee, where you don't have some form of heat.
"here's hoping the flaws can be 'patched' soon."
Because if there's anything that'll make vending machine coffee sound more appetizing, it's putting it into a can.
Well, that coffee's not going to heat itself.
D'oh!
A couple of old joke - this old boy from a farm way up the hollow goes to work in the mines and first day he sees someone with a thermos and asks about it. The fellow was told that it keeps hot thing hot and cold thing cold. The simpleton's eyes get wide in amazement and he asks, 'How do it know'?
Next week the newbie shows up and has himself a thermos this time. The guys start asking him, 'What ya got in the thermos, boy?', and he says, 'A bowl a' hot soup and two popsickles'.
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
Madison Avenue Created Trendoid Chef's get-rich-even-quicker scheme that targets Gadget-Fetishist too-cool-for-the-room Latte Drinkers results in blowing up of the latter and great embarrassment and monetary loss to the former?
I'll check, sure, but I don't think it gets any better than that...
Isaac Asimov's Pebble in the Sky , written in 1950, had self-heating soup served from a vending machine. Of course, like the 1960s Star Trek's automatically opening doors, cell phones, and flat screen computers, this was technology from the far, far future.
OTOH, Asimov wrote a short story called "Sally" about cars with "positronic brains". Sally, unlike Pebble was set in the year 2020. We obviously won't have cars with positronic brains, but I wonder if we'll have self-driving autonomous cars by then? I want one of those even more than I want one that flies!
I just added some material to the Wikipedia article on self-heating cans.
In 1941 a ''New York Times'' food column reported:
Yesterday, we had our first cup of coffee, our first baked beans and our first spaghetti out of the amazing self-heating cans now being introduced by a department store in Manhattan... There's a fifteen-minute wait while the canned food, enclosed in an outer tin, heats without benefit of gas, electricity, or flame of any sort. This trick is accomplished by a chemical inside the first container, and the action is started when four holes are punched in the bottom. The whole mysterious apparatus is turned upside down for the stipulated number of minutes, then righted, and presto! there is your steaming coffee, or food, all ready to serve.
Holt, Jane (1941) "News of Food: War Emphasizes Benefit of Prune Vitamins--Hammering Opens Oysters," ''The New York Times,'' March 26, 1941, p. 19
In 1947, the same column reported "Food in Self-Heating Cans Reappears" (their having been reserved for the military during the war). Referring to the cans as "Hotcans," the columnist noted that "Chocolate is made with milk and is delicious (65 to 72 cents). Four hamburgers in tomato sauce with mushrooms are small but good, and the sauce is ample (89 to 98 cents). Coffee tastes something like the instantly brewed type, leaving something to be desired (49 cents)." (49 cents in 1947 is approximately equivalent to $4.64 in 2005).
Nickerson, Jane (1947), "News of Food: Food in Self-Heating Cans Reappears Here; Recommended for Motorists and Campers," ''The New York Times,'' November 26, 1947, p. 28
I have to wonder why the technology never took off. Of course, the Wikipedia article links to a 2001 article touting the "world's first" self-heating coffee, and it does say that the calcium oxide reaction is "nowhere near as straightforward as chemistry text books suggest and that the thermal design was critical to the efficient operation of the device."
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
...for the terrorists to use in Iraq! It won't be long before these things show up on the streets of Baghdad. Perhaps Wolfgang Puck is part of the infamous "Hamburg Cell"!? I wonder if one of these things can take out an M1 Abrahams tank.
As for why I hope it's patched, partly that was just a lame excuse for a pun. But I'd also like to see a version of this become more mass-market. The volume occupied by the chemical reactants may seem excessive, but that may be something that can be worked out through testing (which probably won't happen unless the market demonstrates a demand for self-heating beverages in the first place). Somebody else mentioned the non-customizability, but really, I don't see what's to stop them from producing a user-customizable version with a removable/replaceable cap.
-- Old Man Kensey
cans have been reported failing to heat adequately or, more disturbingly, exploding and melting through the packaging
It was extremely disturbing to find out that these devices fail to heat adequately. Sadness, loss, fear... The emotions are hard to even describe. Who could imagine the story would get more disturbing than that?
There are 0x40000000 types of people: those who understand 32-bit IEEE 754 floating point, and those who don't.
Scare them from following too closely. They seem to work, too. I work near a gravel refinery and nobody tailgates those trucks.
Man, you really need that seminar!
Apparently some degree of attention was paid to recycling. A comment on treehugger refers to an assertion by the company that developed it that the cans have been awarded the Grune Punkt, which appears to have something to do with recycling in the EU.
-- Old Man Kensey
I stay away from coffee.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. ~Albert Einstein
Apparently some painkillers are prescribed to be taken rectally in Japan.
-- Old Man Kensey
I dunno about that, man. Unscientifically, a vast majority of the people that I am related to, have met, know as friends, colleagues, etc. prefer diet coke over just about anything else diet-wise.
Hell, I've got one in my hand right now.
"Nectar Of The Gods" comes to mind.
(Admittedly, I drink a lot more water these days than dietcoke. That definitely was not the case before about a year ago.)
But that's beside the point. There is a reason people buy the hell out of products with nutrasweet. People like it. With as fiercely competitive as the softdrink industry is (with a ton of alternatives these days), there is no way any manufacturer can simply ignore the consumer's tastes and preferences. The cost of switching is basically nothing, and is as close as the nearest gas station/grocery store/whatever.
As for brain diseases and cancer... did you hear that the newest study found that laboratory research causes cancer in rats? *(:=
-bw
Sweet, we can send all the recalled ones to Iraq to be used in combat
Instructions:
1) Pull tab to activate
2) Throw at enemy
3) ???
4) Get some!
WARNING: in case of exposure to hot coffee, sue McDonalds!
Why are we having so many problems with hot coffee?
This sig is false.
12/19/2004
"We've never had retailers calling us and demanding a product," says Bob Groux, CEO of WP. "We do now."
4/28/2006
"I wake up to a nightmare every day," he said. "I have retailers calling me, suppliers calling me, I have to let half my people go, and I've been devastated all around."
When you hit enter in the subject line, it attempts to post. This means that if you haven't gotten to the Comments, Slashdot tells you "Cat got your tongue?" or if you need to correct your Subject line, the wrong thing gets posted. Also, it would be helpful to check for paired open/close tags.
Thank god it didn't have Emeril Lagasse's name on it ... BAM!
I thought it would be people were complaining about the neutron flux
Squirrel!
Dark coffee is sealed into a size-13 boot-shaped can, that reads on serving requirements: "a kick in the mouth, best served cold -- do not shake or stir, ever."
without prejudice
...as long as they've been thoroughly kicked by H/bim.
Don't accept cheap imitations, like those Herring-weilding esquires in the sandbox.
without prejudice
(*) If you are living in the US to sue them ;)
--- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..