After a long (long) wait there's finally this:
https://makitauk.com/product/dkt360z
Which is great, only trouble is it's too large. Especially for a car crammed full of stuff such as one might have when taking a holiday.
I've used a camping stove in the past. Only problem with that is:
1) Don't want to fire it up in the car (fire hazard)
2) Need to find a level (relatively clean) surface
3) Any wind can mean problems heating the water, a problem at a lot of rest-stops through France/Germany that just have a few tables in the middle of a patch of grass and not much shelter.
4) Need to wait for it to cool down before packing it away.
So now I know what can be done with a couple of Makita batteries (there are youtube videos reviewing the Makita, including how much water you can boil with the twin 18v batteries) I figured I could come up with my own, vastly simpler home-brew arrangement (pun intended).
- A holder to keep the mug in position.
- A length of wire or other heating element
- A hinge or some slider to lower the element into the cup (or a way to lower the cup itself if easier)
- A current limiting circuit to avoid destroying the battery.
- A thermocouple to check water temperature (since I don't want to cut-off the way a kettle does by checking the steam, as I want to boil in an open cup.
In theory sending some current through some wire will cause heat, this much I know. What I don't know is what parameters I need to think about to make this process efficient. Is there some ideal material for the element, what thickness etc... Can I just buy a suitable element somewhere? Also can you think of any problems with the above?
Thanks!
https://makitauk.com/product/dkt360z
Which is great, only trouble is it's too large. Especially for a car crammed full of stuff such as one might have when taking a holiday.
I've used a camping stove in the past. Only problem with that is:
1) Don't want to fire it up in the car (fire hazard)
2) Need to find a level (relatively clean) surface
3) Any wind can mean problems heating the water, a problem at a lot of rest-stops through France/Germany that just have a few tables in the middle of a patch of grass and not much shelter.
4) Need to wait for it to cool down before packing it away.
So now I know what can be done with a couple of Makita batteries (there are youtube videos reviewing the Makita, including how much water you can boil with the twin 18v batteries) I figured I could come up with my own, vastly simpler home-brew arrangement (pun intended).
- A holder to keep the mug in position.
- A length of wire or other heating element
- A hinge or some slider to lower the element into the cup (or a way to lower the cup itself if easier)
- A current limiting circuit to avoid destroying the battery.
- A thermocouple to check water temperature (since I don't want to cut-off the way a kettle does by checking the steam, as I want to boil in an open cup.
In theory sending some current through some wire will cause heat, this much I know. What I don't know is what parameters I need to think about to make this process efficient. Is there some ideal material for the element, what thickness etc... Can I just buy a suitable element somewhere? Also can you think of any problems with the above?
Thanks!
