Re-heating food with just a kettle - possible?

[JQ]

Well after some further googling, it does appear someone has invented an actual device for heating food at your desk, but it's only available in the States. The Ebay seller refuses to even respond to emails from overseas customers. I'll do some further Googling and see if I can get one sent over:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Crock-Pot-SCCPLC200-R-20...

[sgrimshaw]

Betterware do something called Pasta Express, Kleeneze do similar prouct called Pasta Magic

[Mobile Chicane]

Where I work, hot food at desks isn't allowed.

The rationale for this is that it stinks the office out - not pleasant for one's colleagues.

[Pete Franklin]

Put the pasta in a ziplock bag and spread it out so it is no more than 1inch thick, get as much air out by either sucking the opening or submerging the bag in water, being careful not to get water in the opening. Put the bag in a large tupperwear container and put in about a litre of boiling water. the pasta should be warm enough in about 20mins. This is about the time it takes to bring something of that thickness back up to temp~60dc in sv cooking and I recon the final temp should be about 60dc assuming half the volume of food to boiling water. Too many variables to know for sure though.

[duckers26]

What about the pasta pots? Bit like pot noodle where you rehydrate with boiling water. No idea what they taste like!

[JQ]

duckers26 said:

What about the pasta pots? Bit like pot noodle where you rehydrate with boiling water. No idea what they taste like!

The Bombay Badboy tastes delicious, but as I'm doing this for a combination of cost saving and healthy living, I suspect the nutritional content of a Pot Noodle will be pretty poor in comparison to a home made Pasta Arabiata, made with fresh ingredients and wholewheat pasta, so that's not a long term solution.

[JQ]

Pete Franklin said:

Put the pasta in a ziplock bag and spread it out so it is no more than 1inch thick, get as much air out by either sucking the opening or submerging the bag in water, being careful not to get water in the opening. Put the bag in a large tupperwear container and put in about a litre of boiling water. the pasta should be warm enough in about 20mins. This is about the time it takes to bring something of that thickness back up to temp~60dc in sv cooking and I recon the final temp should be about 60dc assuming half the volume of food to boiling water. Too many variables to know for sure though.

As we have both ziplock bags and a tupperware collection with which we could probably move house, this sounds like a possible cheap solution.

I'll give it a go next week and report back with my findings.

[SimonMaidenhead]

icetea said:

For people suggesting to put food bag type things in a communal kettle... would you want to drink tea from that same kettle that had a bag floating in it with the OP's germs all over it...

Very good point, because then you'd have to sterilize then kettle by err.............. boiling it

[icetea]

SimonMaidenhead said:

Very good point, because then you'd have to sterilize then kettle by err.............. boiling it

I know he's already answered saying its not a communal kettle.... but if it was would you be happy drinking a cup of tea with bits of sterilised fluff and other random bits of dirt in it?

[SimonMaidenhead]

icetea said:

I know he's already answered saying its not a communal kettle.... but if it was would you be happy drinking a cup of tea with bits of sterilised fluff and other random bits of dirt in it?

Nope, I'd do the same as I always do and fill it with fresh water

[condor]

I always empty a 'strange' kettle out ( b&b or hotel one) and pre-boil some fresh water first before also emptying it.
Only started to do that after someone posted they always piss in the B&B/hotel kettle