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Lets talk thermos flasks!! (1 Viewer)

matt green

matt green

Norfolkman gone walkabout
So, on a recent fieldtrip I thought a discounted Gelert thermos flask would be a good idea...at £4.70 I should have known better!!

Despite filling the thing with boiling water as recommended and letting stand for 5 minutes my tea was stone cold by lunch time!! so how much does a person need to spend on a compact thermos that actually keeps liquids hot?

Matt
 
I've got one of those big green metal stanley ones. So not exactly compat. Scary thought, but I must have had it at least 15 years. I tend to keep it in the car to come back to in a days birding. I wrap it in an old towel inside a bag for extra insulation (you could try this with your 'cheaper' smaller one of course). Keeps hot for the whole day. Only keep the lid off for minimal periods as well (- it pours tea without the inside lid having to come off fully.)

A couple of months ago I went for a whole day and forgot I'd got it with me. So I used it for my breakfast cuppa 24 hours later instead - plenty warm enough, if a little strong!!

(And you add the milk and sugar afterwards, but put the teabag(s) in with the 2nd boiling water when you fill the flask).

Anyway, that's what I do.
 
Its possible you've got a dud, Matt. I had a proper metal thermos which lost its heat in a few hours...replaced it with one that was fine.

I use cheapo skinny metal tescos jobs on the hill these days (and they are fine for a satisfactorily warm lunchtime brew even when the temperature is well below 0 all day.
 
I got a 0.5 litre stainless steel Thermos flask for Christmas, for when I am out on my own (we already have the larger version for when there are two of us.) They are available for £7.99 from Argos, I have tried it a couple of times and it provides two mugs of nice hot water for coffee or instant chocolate. It is compact and well made. They also do a 0.35 litre version if you want something smaller.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0198840/Trail/searchtext>VACUUM+FLASK.htm

Ron
 
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I've got one of those metal ones that I bought from Morrissons. I generally make it up around 08.00 and I find that it's going quite cool not long after lunch.
 
I use both the plastic bodied and stainless steel type in sizes 0.5 - 1 ltr. Both keep drink made up at 0600 warm until 1500 with cups taken throughout the day. My problem is that I prefer coffee rather than tea in a flask and I mix milk and water together before heating it in a saucpan and then add coffee to the flask just before pouring it in. Fine for a few days but then a 'brown skin' appears on the inside of the flask that flakes off and floats in my cups of coffee. I rinse the flask thoroughly every evening when I get home.

Dave
 
Never really got on with flasks - either forget to make them up or forget I have one :eek!:

However, as a Christmas present I received an insulated metal mug from Milletts. It has been fantastic, keeps very warm and easy to carry in a pocket. Just enough for a mornings bird watching :t: Also, if there is a cafe nearby, easy to get a refill for the afternoon :t:
 
Hippo said:
I ask the same question myself ;) Ranks along with my other quandry of how "Edward Scissor Hands" goes to the toilet ;) ;) ;)
Click to expand...

LOL. I think he would have a bit of a job getting the top off his Thermos too. Mind you I don't think he would be birding anyway as binoculars would be a bit too much of a challenge.

Ron
 
Can you suggest a flask that doesn't need to be kept perfectly vertical to stop it leaking?

I've tried several recently - one expensive all metal version - and had to return them all. I'm sick of mopping out my rucksack!
 
Hippo said:
I ask the same question myself ;) Ranks along with my other quandry of how "Edward Scissor Hands" goes to the toilet
Click to expand...

:eek!: At least we know what Edward's least favourite bird probably is - Scissor-tailed Flycatcher???

;) ;)
 
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Roger P said:
Can you suggest a flask that doesn't need to be kept perfectly vertical to stop it leaking?

I've tried several recently - one expensive all metal version - and had to return them all. I'm sick of mopping out my rucksack!
Click to expand...

Mine doesn't leak if I remember to put the stopper in:eek!::-C

It's a Tesco stainless steel one, had it a few years now, so checked the price there this afternoon £4.25 1L

Keeps the water hot all day

D
 
Do not put Marvel in your coffee in the flask!

Looked fine when I did it this morning (ran out of milk) and when I poured it out this afternoon the marvel was all lumpy!

Drank it anyway, it was that cold today.
 
Leaking Thermos

Hi RogerP,

You and me both !

I had the same problem with leaking flasks. I found the problem was the one-touch easy pour/complicated stopper things they use in most flasks these days. After a while they all seem to leak - generally inside my rucsac. I switched to a cheapo metal flask with a simple screw stopper the wife found and the problem went away. The simple screw stoppers tend to have a more robust single seal/gasket. However, I also have to remember to drain the lid/cup before I screw it back on as the seal between lid and the flask is not as good as the stopper and you can get dregs leaking out.

The only currently available flask I can find that has a simple screw stopper is the Lifeventure TIV range :

http://www.lifeventure.co.uk/htm/cookware/tiv-vacuum-flasks.html

Interestingly they supply both a simple screw top and a one-touch stopper with every flask, so you can choose. Perhaps this indicates some customer feed-back. Draw your own conclusions !

Regards

Mark

PS: Found this after the post above :

http://www.survival-school.org/Default.aspx?tabid=249&g=posts&t=701

It points a finger at the push button stoppers, but I've also had a problem with the stoppers you don't fully unscrew that have a channel to let liquid out.
 
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D.Steeley the best thing i have found for cleaning out a flask is Steradent. The tablets used for cleaning false teeth. Pop a tablet or 2 in the flask fill with boiling water and watch it froth. You will be suprised how much crap comes out. Dont put the top on though. Clean and minty after, but thats removed with a quick rinse in cold water.
 
After using quite a few non-branded flasks I recently bought a Stanley-alladin again (accidently sold my old ones with my fishing gear). Should do that years earlier, the leaking problem was solved and the drink stays hot for the entire day (and partly the day after).
 
I use a cheapo brushed steel one when i use one, Works for the morning but thats about it.
keep a Kelly kettle and a large bottle of evian in me car with some QT for the long visits.

Also using powdered milk helps of course
cheers
karpman
 
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