this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2026
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Coffee
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Europe has instant coffee from vending machines that have their own chemical heat source. They are actually not bad.
Don't vending machines require electricity? Why do they need a consumable chem heat source?
Press on the Bottom and a membrane will break, activating a chemical source to heat it up
There is (was) also a cold version for the summer
Flavor wise, it's terrible
Now that I think about, I don't see this stuff on the shelves from decades ago. I wonder if they went out of business or if recent laws don't allow those chemicals on disposable items anymore
Edit: it's also disappointing, the first and last time I tried this product, I was initially excited as the container is just a little smaller than a coke can, but due to the double insulation to let you hold it without getting burned, the actual liquid content is like 10ml. And expensive, 3 euro which at the time was 4x a espresso coffee at a bar counter, properly prepared
Could perhaps mean the cans are individually self-heating? Just a guess though.
This is exactly it, theyll have a chemical that runs an exothermic reaction when exposed to water in the base of the cup, which heats the contents the same way a flameless ration heater in an MRE works.