radium_mask

Never heat unopened cans or other food canisters. Steam can build up inside them and the results can be explosive. This can happen quicker than one thinks.

LAXlocal

at what temp does stream start ?

I would think that what we are trying to do is heat things as hot as a very hot summer day , 50 C , 120F or so
I just do not see cans exploding on the shelves of houses in places that have those temps in the summer....

But maybe I am wrong ??????

lili

I hear what you're saying. I went to Nepal and was very concerned about the food, water and my unadventurous diet preferences.

Staying in guest houses there were no microwaves, no irons (and no heat). I took lots of dried soups and ramen and this electric pot. I also had a converter that made it okay for 220v, but see they now have a dual voltage model. The pot is small with a wide mouth and, can be stuffed with other items when packing. There was plenty of agreeable and safe food, and we used an ultraviolet light to sterilize drinking water so I never used the pot but was glad to have it.


https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/bo...-travel-kettle

Tizzette

I have a Severin travel kettle similar to the Seattle Coffee water kettle above. Using some crumpled up aluminum foil in the bottom, you could rig up a steamer to heat opened cans, plastic soup cups, foil pouches, etc.

LAXlocal

can you tell me about the ultraviolet light , what size and how long to sterilize water ?

Thanks

violist

Nah, as long as you keep the unopened commercially-packaged can totally
submerged (some say substantially submerged, but I fear for my life and
limb too much to test this), you're fine. I've been making cajeta for decades
by boiling a sealed can of condensed milk, and it's just fine.

Check out the SteriPen.

A review of the product here.

cblaisd

Indeed. I know someone who lost an eye doing this.

Folks who suggest otherwise are just really lucky.

Flaneurs

I guess that I wrongly assumed exactly what a Tetra Pak was (I assumed they were flexible like the vacuum style bags used in kitchens for sous vide cooking) and that the OP was only trying to warm things. I do however think that the statement to never heat unopened food canisters might be a little too strong of warning as there are many that you could heat safely. A little common sense and basic physics understanding should be used. I agree that sealed soup can on top of a lit gas burner could very possibly end poorly.

Disclaimer:
I in no way condone heating any object, food or otherwise for any reason as it could result in a warmer product than anticipated, explode, catch fire or may in some way change the speed at which the atomic structure oscillates. Heating food may, under extreme circumstances, cook the item.

Further Disclaimer: All food should be heated to a minimum temperature of 165 degrees F before consumption. Even Sushi, to be safe.

radium_mask

I am not trying to disparage all these great ideas on how to heat food in hotel rooms, I am just saying that the safety margins for heating closed food containers are slimmer than many may think. Everyone here is old enough to decide what risks to take.

BTW, the recipe for dulce de leche you are quoting has a bold safety warning about not trying to open the can while it's hot.

onobond

I'll refrain from asking for details in public...

violist

Not to disparage the person or his/her experience, but that person must have
done something really wrong. Remember that the entire canning procedure
involves a process identical to the making of dulce de leche. I'm sure that
accidents have happened in canning and sterilizing, but they are few and
far between and as far as I'm aware have always involved some kind of
failure of technique.

If you're dumb enough you can damage yourself doing just about anything.
I can't imagine trying to open a can when it's too hot to hold. But then I
kind of know how to cook.

LAXlocal

Hi

thanks for all your thoughts and cautions ,

I assume that all canned food is already been cooked and "could" be eaten cold right out of the can ,
We are just trying to warm it up , not "cook" it or sterilize it ,

But like always I could be wrong and would like to hear your thoughts.

tcl

Do you need dual voltage? If you do, then I would recommend the mentioned earlier upthread as it can heat water, soups, sauces as well as actually cook stuff if needed. Plus is has an easy clean non-stick surface. It takes 12mins + to boil water.

Kettles such as the or have fully removable lids so it's easy to lower and remove medium-sized cans. The stainless does not retain stains nor odors but does require frequent stirring to prevent food from burning on the bottom should you decide to cook directly in it. It takes approximately 4mins to boil water. Both kettles have a thermostat-controlled saftey auto-off function that cannot be manually overridden. It takes approximately 10-mins, depending on room temperature, for the kettle to cool down enough to boil a second kettle of water.

skchin

Use the iron.