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Schenk
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PostMon Feb 04, 2019 1:18 pm 
OK, this one is for the electrical engineers and/or physicists here: Is it possible to heat liquids and foods in a stainless steel vacuum insulated container on an induction stove? Thanks! ( I posted here, rather than in Food, because this doesn't have a lot to do with hiking )

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Navy salad
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PostMon Feb 04, 2019 5:08 pm 
Warning: NOT an electrical engineer or physicist (although I did have a year of engineering physics and a year of chemisty) From: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_cooking: "For nearly all models of induction cooktops, a cooking vessel must be made of, or contain, a ferrous metal such as cast iron or some stainless steels. The iron in the pot concentrates the current to produce heat in the metal. If the metal is too thin, or does not provide enough resistance to current flow, heating will not be effective. Most induction tops will not heat copper or aluminum vessels because the magnetic field cannot produce a concentrated current; "all metal" induction tops use much higher frequencies to overcome that effect. Any vessel can be used if placed on a suitable metal disk which functions as a conventional hotplate. Cast iron pans and any black metal or iron pans will work on an induction cooking surface. Stainless steel pans will work on an induction cooking surface if the base of the pan is a magnetic grade of stainless steel. If a magnet sticks well to the sole of the pan, it will work on an induction cooking surface." The key here regarding "some stainless steels" is the type of stainless steel you have. High chromium SS tends to be non-magnetic, which wouldn't work. Easy enough to test with a magnet. But I have NO IDEA how a vacuum insulated container would work! [I just put a strong magnet to the interior of a Stanley SS vacuum bottle I have and it had only a very weak magnetic attraction (probably inadequate)].

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Schroder
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PostMon Feb 04, 2019 5:48 pm 
I would seriously doubt it's possible even if the outer shell of the container is appropriate because you also have a vacuum layer and the liner of the container between the element and the liquid, neither of which would react to the stove.

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Schenk
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PostTue Feb 05, 2019 9:43 am 
Yeah, my naive thought is the induction stove surface will only "react" with the outer layer of a vacuum insulated vessel. I was hoping I was wrong and that the inner layer would heat up also. I would give it a try but I do not have an induction cooktop/burner (yet). Thanks folks.

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Windstorm
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PostTue Feb 05, 2019 12:09 pm 
Disclaimer: Also not an electrical engineer or physicist. Electricity and magnetism were not my favorite parts of engineering physics class (pretty sure they're half science and half magic). Also, having never heard of an induction stove before this thread, I only have vague idea of how they work. It seems like the question is how much the magnetic field produced by the stove affects the inner layer of the thermos. My guess is that the insulating vacuum layer has less to do with it than the distance between the stove and the inner layer. Magnetic fields can travel through non-magnetic materials (magnet under the table moving paperclips trick) and a quick internet search suggests that magnetic fields can pass through a vacuum as well. If the stove's magnetic field is strong enough to reach the inner layer, it seems like it should produce the electrical current required to heat the inner layer of the vessel, although the current wouldn't be as strong as it would in the outer layer. However, as Navy salad mentioned, material is probably a large factor as well. If your stainless steel is not very magnetic to begin with, the extra distance to the inner layer will further reduce the effect of the stove's magnetic field, resulting in little current in the inner layer, and you would probably get poor results.

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meowich
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PostTue Feb 05, 2019 1:03 pm 
If this did work you would likely earn a Darwin Award when you took the lid off a well insulated pressurized container.

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Schroder
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PostTue Feb 05, 2019 2:12 pm 
Regarding induction stoves, we bought a 36" induction cooktop (and all new pots and pans) and it lasted until 3 weeks after the warranty expired when one of the elements went out. The repair guy took it apart in front of me and I was surprised how simple they are. In spite of that, the replacement of the circuit board for one element exceeded the cost of a new cooktop ($2500+). Now we use gas.

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Schenk
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PostTue Feb 05, 2019 2:48 pm 
I have been reading reviews like that all over the place...for ranges and for counter top models. Seems like they should have had the bugs worked out by now, the technology is not new.

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Schroder
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PostTue Feb 05, 2019 3:09 pm 
One other thing - we used to carry a magnet with us to check cookware before we bought it. Sometimes we found stainless steel items that were mislabeled as compatible for induction but the magnet wouldn't stick to them.

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Adohrn
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PostWed Feb 13, 2019 11:16 pm 
Yea I wonder about the Darwin Award possibilities.😁. How exactly are those vacuum thermoses constructed?

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Randito
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PostThu Feb 14, 2019 9:51 am 
Perhaps if you placed a steel puck inside of an all plastic thermos. Or if you really want to be trendy , just immerse a sous vida into a wide mouth thermos.

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Schenk
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PostThu Feb 14, 2019 10:50 am 
Well, trendy that would be! And that puck might even work too. It was more of a "blue sky" pondering, not a totally serious question...about 60/40 biggrin.gif

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