Powering a portable 12V/24V electric kettle

[Marble42]

Hi to everybody! (-:

I must admit I know very little about alternative (and "regular") energy, but I am trying to learn. That is one of the reasons I joined this forum. The second is to ask a direct question (or a couple of them).

1.) How much power do I need to boil water with the following portable 12V/24V electric kettle:

Capacity: 750ml
RateD Voltage: 12V/24V
Rated Power: 80W/180W (or 120W/240W. Product is from China, that says enough ^_^)
Rated Current: <10A
Time needed to make the water boil: Up to 25 minutes with 12V and up to 15 minutes with 24V.

2.) Is it possible to perform this operation with one of those highly portable solar laptop chargers?

Material of battery: Lithium-ion polymer: 23000 mAh/85Wh
Input: DC 15 - 20V 1.2A
Solar Input: 15V150mA
Output: (Optional): 2.1A / 5V(Max.)
3.0A / 12V / 16V / 19V (Max.)
Charging voltage: 100~240V AC/DC
Charging current From Wall: 1.2A (Max.)
Charging Time From Wall: <6 hours


or

Built-in battery capacity: 9500mAh/ 3.7V(Li-Pol batteries)
Solar panel: 16V /2.5W
Input current: 800mA
Input voltage: 12.6V DC
Output voltage: 5.5V ,11.1V,16V,19,24DC
Output current: 500~4000mA


I am guessing the answer is no... But no hurt in asking (-:


3.) Is there any way I can perform this operation with something that is highly portable?

[Sunking]

Simple math my friend 240 watts x .5 hours = 120 Watt Hour. That means you will need to generate around 200 watt hours with a solar panel, and depending on where you live means a 50 to 150 watt solar panel. As for the battery if you do not mind replacing it every year can get away with a 12 volt 25 AH AGM battery.

So the answer to both your questions is NO. But that depends on what you mean by Highly Portable. A 50 watt panel IMO is not Highly Portable.

[Mike90250]

a small propane or butane "canned gas" stove is what you want. Trying to do this with electric will be
Costly
Bulky
unreliable if you have just a hour of clouds instead of perfect sun all day

[Marble42]

Thank you both for the help! Time to re-visit the sketching board! (-:

[albert436]

Dear Mr. Marble, hope you don't mind a question:

In what circumstances do you see using this set up?

Camping? At home? Just to reduce electric bill? While you are traveling and stop for a rest? While studying at the library? Spending the day at the beach/park/etc.? Sporting events?

Do you want to make tea? Coffee? How many cups for how many people? smileys-coffee-826223.gif

Or is it for a medical or other use ? ? ?

The inquisitive mind races at the possibilities.

So which is it ? ? ?

There are people out there like you who have ideas I would never think of in a million years.

Again, we thank you!

wai.gif


OK after doing a little research -- are you looking for something like one of these?

solarpanel2.jpg

solarpanel3.jpg

[Beanyboy57]

Funny man Mr Albert hahaha

I agree, get a portable propane stove!

[Marble42]

@ Albert,

Sorry for the late reply. I'd use it to make food. If you add whole grains, like wheat/spelt, oats, etc, (previously soaked) in a thermos, and then add boiling water... It cooks itself. Instead of spending 45+ minutes at the stove, you just boil the water. Not really appetizing, but good on the go And it stays warm, hehe.

[albert436]

Are you going to do this at home, and then take it with you? Or in some other place as mentioned above ?

Still not completely clear if this rig needs to be portable ?

Thanks for clarifying, I like the concept.

What kind of thermos do you use to cook the porridge? One that is round and short, or a regular tall one like is usually used for coffee?

Just trying to figure out how you get it out of the thermos.

licklips.gif

[Marble42]

Well, I use a regular one because I have a regular one. It works like a charm. For example, if you have a family, say 3-4 people... Just soak it during the day, 6-12 hours, spelt or whole oats or buckwheat, 1 cup or more (because regular wheat is a hybrid, even when organic. Spelt is some 2600 years old, much better than regular wheat and the price is fine. Also, if pesticides are used on it, it dies. Same as buckwheat. So you know it is always both organic and NON-GMO).

Anyway, you soak it 6-12 hours, rinse... Then you put it in your thermos. This part is a bit tricky so you can use a funnel. You pour boiling water over it and then close the thermos. You leave it overnight. When you wake up, breakfast is ready. It is easy to take it out because you used only 1 cup of spelt and the rest is water, but do not throw this water away! It is actually "spelt milk". Very tasty, sweetish. This is a healthy alternative to regular "milk and cereals".

You can then either add some coconut oil to it, or perhaps some honey and cinnamon... Depending on your taste. It is a very nourishing meal, cheap, easy to make...


I need the system to be highly portable, for when I am on the go... But one can also use it at home, why not... I believe this trick would also come in handy to all Survivalists because spelt/buckwheat etc. can be kept for many years without spoiling, and all you need in order to receive great nourishment is to just boil the water. Not bad, huh? (-:

[albert436]

That does sound awesome. I have some oats from Costco that are sort of a quick cooking steel-cut type. Sometimes I put them in a big bowl to soak in the microwave the night before, or, I'll bring them to a boil in the microwave, a few minutes usually. Then just leave them till morning to soak up the water.

Is spelt lower in gluten? I hear that higher and higher gluten levels is one of the problems with modern day wheat.

If this device is to be portable, I mean how big do you expect it to be? Did we figure out how many panels of what size you would need yet? And how about the batteries?

Also, my mom used to have a "solar cooker", have you heard of or tried those before? I'm not sure though that they can boil water, just get pretty hot in the sun. They look sort of like a fold-out cardboard box lined with aluminum foil. At least the one my mom had did anyway, it was just a cheapo model, this was back in the seventies or so I guess.

[russ]

(because regular wheat is a hybrid, even when organic. Spelt is some 2600 years old, much better than regular wheat and the price is fine. Also, if pesticides are used on it, it dies. Same as buckwheat. So you know it is always both organic and NON-GMO). That is 3 lbs of BS in a 2 lb bag!

I need the system to be highly portable, for when I am on the go... But one can also use it at home, why not... I believe this trick would also come in handy to all Survivalists because spelt/buckwheat etc. can be kept for many years without spoiling, and all you need in order to receive great nourishment is to just boil the water. Not bad, huh? (-:

Not bad, huh? A little wacko - maybe a lot more than a little.

Just for the record, what is spelt?

[Marble42]

Spelt is an ancient grain. You can say it is wheat's close cousin. It looks and tastes very similar, almost the same, but it isn't a hybrid. Also, the gluten content is much lower. Even people with gluten sensitivity can eat it. Also, it has much more protein, and is much richer in other nutrients.

I am from a small country in Europe, and here a pound of Organic spelt costs 1 dollar. Can't get much cheaper than that. I spent many days eating just that + some coconut oil/butter on top. 1 cup of spelt costs like 40 cents... Plus coconut butter... You eat 3 solid nourishing meals for like a dollar, dollar and a half. Grab some fresh fruit between if you get a bit hungry, and you're set.


This recipe goes only for whole grains. I haven't tried it with steal-cut. I wouldn't recommend preparing food in micro-wave cookers because it damages them on a molecular level. Similar to what happens with pasteurized food. It looks the same, tastes the same, but isn't the same.

NOTE that I do not wish to start a discussion whether microwave/pasteurized food is bad for you. Pro/con information can be found on the internet. Everybody is free to believe whatever they want. I choose not to use it.


Having in mind that boiled water loses some heat right away, the grains are cooked in a temperature that preserves all key nutrients, so there really isn't any reason to use a technology like microwave that MAY BE dangerous in the long run.


Another tip... All grains, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils... Should be soaked for 6-12 hours (or even more). This way, they get the signal that "life can start", and so they shed off certain hardly digestible enzyme inhibitors. Their taste changes a bit, certain chemical reactions happen... This is a precursor to sprouting. Of course, this goes for raw food. There is no reason to soak roasted nuts/seeds.

Steal cut oats should also be soaked. Of course rinsed afterwards. You'll see how much slimy stuff gets out, hehe.



Now, as for my desired portable system... I wanted it to be highly portable, fit easy in a backpack and not take much space, that is why I mentioned those laptop chargers... But in reality, it is just so much easier to get the propane/butane 'thingy'... If one needs to boil less than a quart of water, once per day, solution can be found just about everywhere.

[russ]

A lot of loony loser green stuff in one post! A solar oven is your only hope. PV is out!

[Marble42]

Nah, solar oven can't boil water, only heat it. Also, it takes quite some time to do so. The only viable solution is a tiny, highly portable gas stove.

[albert436]

do not throw this water away! It is actually "spelt milk". (-:

We have a saying here, "don't cry over spelt milk", that is what you are talking about?

OK I got some spelt. I chewed several grains of it and after getting past the crunchy part it got sort of like a very soft and springy bullble gum. Weird!

Now I have soaked some in water for 24+ hours.

I guess I cook it with hot water now ? ? ? Or ? ? ?

Please advise.