Hot water: Tehani's new water tank

[skylark]

Do you fill the thermos with boiling water or hot water? Do you use the thermos water for cooking/drinking or for cleaning purposes?

I used to use a thermos, but I generally only need hot water in the morning and then again to wash dishes.  Occasionally during the day for bigger clean up jobs and washing hands (which can also be done with cold water). I found that I was heating a lot of water only to let  it cool off during the day, so I stopped using the thermos.

Smollett made a good suggestion to use volumes of water to adjust the heat, for example 2 parts tank temperature water to 1 part boiling water, and then adjust the volumes to get the temperature you like.  I'm thinking a simple thermometer might be a worthwhile investment to check water temps before splashing in it.

You only have to try to wash your hands in boiling hot water once and you will figure out that it looks the same as other water and it can be dangerous and painful.  If it is steaming, be very careful! (voice of experience).

[Ol' Coot]

I'm thinking a simple thermometer might be a worthwhile investment to check water temps before splashing in it.

Check in the housewares department of your food store for a meat cooking thermometer.  They're inexpensive, compact, react quickly and have a 5 or 6 inch probe (usually used to to stab a chunk of meat.)  That will keep your fingers well out of the way of the water while you hold the guage end, even in a rolling boat. 

If you've turned off the heat under your teapot, you can probably just open the spout and stick the probe right in while letting the guage end sit out where you can monitor the water temperature as it cools.

Kevin

[AdriftAtSea]

Do you fill the thermos with boiling water or hot water? Do you use the thermos water for cooking/drinking or for cleaning purposes?

Hot water... unless it is for a long day out.. and the weather looks like it is going to get nasty... in which case I may use nearly boiling water, since it may be sitting in the thermos a good deal longer.

I used to use a thermos, but I generally only need hot water in the morning and then again to wash dishes.  Occasionally during the day for bigger clean up jobs and washing hands (which can also be done with cold water). I found that I was heating a lot of water only to let  it cool off during the day, so I stopped using the thermos.

I've found with a really good vacuum insulated carafe, the water is still quite hot even eight or nine hours later.

Smollett made a good suggestion to use volumes of water to adjust the heat, for example 2 parts tank temperature water to 1 part boiling water, and then adjust the volumes to get the temperature you like.  I'm thinking a simple thermometer might be a worthwhile investment to check water temps before splashing in it.

You only have to try to wash your hands in boiling hot water once and you will figure out that it looks the same as other water and it can be dangerous and painful.  If it is steaming, be very careful! (voice of experience).

I don't use a thermometer, but will mix some hot water with cold, until it is warm enough to suite.  The risk of scalding oneself is pretty low if you start with cold water.  Adding more hot water is pretty easy, due to the pump on the carafe.

[CharlieJ]

We have a thermos mounted on the bukhead just over the sink. It has a turn spigot on it so you can just run water out. We also have a bigger "hot pot" with a pump on it. The Thermos is all stainless, the hot pot has a glass liner.

Normally when we make morning coffee, we pour the water into the french press, then add more and bring that to a boil. When it's boiling, we pour it into the thermos and hang it up. Good for later coffee, instant oatmeal, whatever.

[AdriftAtSea]

Charlie-

Like the setup.  ;)

[Bubba the Pirate]

For a thermos, you was to get a real heavy expensive one like a Stanley or something.   When I worked in an offive, I became a coffee snob.   I brought in my own coffee in a Stanley.  It stayed more than warm all day.   From real hot at 7:30 to well more than warm at 2:00.   

CharlieJ looks like he has a good one.   Something other than Stanley?   I like the set up too.   

TrT

[CharlieJ]

That thermos is an antique actually. And it IS a Thermos brand.
It's off one of the old aircraft- they used to serve coffee in flight from those many years ago ( 40's and 50's) A friend of ours works for the airlines and runs across things like that. He's given us a pair of them. Full of boiling water, they'll hold it very hot for 14- 16 hours. Less if half full of course.

[CharlieJ]

More on the hot water and cups of coffee.

When we want a single cup and the french press is empty ( and our stainless Stanley is also) we use a Melitta single cup funnel and filter

You set the funnel on the cup, insert a filter , put in a spoon of coffee and run hot water through- instant drip coffee. Neither of us can STAND the taste of regular instant, so we use this both on the boat and at home.