Instant Coffee

The self-heating coffee can has been available in Europe for quite a while now, but it somehow never got offered this side of the Atlantic. Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck must have had a yen for it, because it's now being introduced with his name on it. This seems appropriate, since, according to developer OnTech, the self-heating container is built from two main parts: the container and the actuating puck." Inside each can is a chamber that holds crushed limestone (calcium oxide) and a separate reservoir of water (the 'puck'). You turn the can upside down, then pull the foil tab at the bottom of the can and push the plastic button. Water mixes with the limestone, triggering a chemical reaction that warms the 10-ounce beverage to about 145 degrees Fahrenheit in about six minutes. Market research determined that 146 degrees is the ideal coffee-drinking temperature. Batteries not required.