OK, so for a few years now I have seen these funny cups of cocoa and coffee that are "self heating." Well curiosity finally killed the cat on Saturday afternoon because as I was running errands and whatnot, I saw this cup of hot cocoa for $2 at Wally World. So you know I ran right home to "self heat" myself some hot cocoa with marshmallows. And in my efforts to be a better blogger, I documented the entire EIGHT minute process with pictures.

So first this thing weighs a lot. I have no idea how much exactly but trust me- it is not light. It sort of feel the weight of two cans of soup. There are all sorts of directions and diagrams and my personal favorite, the long list of warnings which include bold letters insisting that this entire process be done on a heat proof surface. That begs the question of where is this actually intended to be used?


Step 1: Turn container upside down. Pull off metal bottom (like a soup can again!).



Step 2: Place on flat surface. With thumb, firmly push button downward until green water drains. (This freaked me out a little bit. I mean, what kinds of crazy chemicals was I playing with here?!) After 10 SECONDS, turn container right side up and place on HEAT PROOF SURFACE.


Step 3: This spot change color from PINK to WHITE (5-8 min) when beverage is hot. After spot is white, twist lid to align opening. Shake, open and enjoy!


OK, so seriously I have no idea when one would use this product. I mean, it was fun to try it once for giggles but it is hardly practical. You would get into an accident if you tried to do this in a vehicle. And most homes and offices are supplied with coffee makers that take less time to make an entire POT of coffee. And if you don't have a coffee maker handy, every corner store sells coffee these days. I guess maybe if you lived like at the top of a mountain or something and you lost power frequently....then maybe? But I am guessing a person rugged enough to have that sort of lifestyle would not require crazy coffee products.


So the results....it was tasty. I did not see or taste a single marshmallow as the label claims. I was expecting to throw half of it away, thinking it would be just too much to drink. But with all of that magical green liquid inside, it was not a huge cup of cocoa. It was also not super hot. I actually like hot drinks to be quite hot. So if you wanted to get this to have a fun treat with your kids, go for it. I don't think I will be making more purchases of this product but it amused me for a few minutes anyway.