Sometimes when using the microwave on the boat to boil water, the water
turns 'nukular.'

That is, when I take the coffee cup out of the microwave, and spoon some
instant coffee into it, the water "boils up" and overflows the cup.

This occurs maybe one time out of 20, but when it does, it makes a mess.
I typically fill the cup to the same level with jug water (no one should
drink water stored in a boat's water tanks!), use the two minute setting
on the microwave to boil it, and put in the same super teaspoon amount
of coffee.

What's going on here?

\

--
Not dead, in jail, or a slave? Thank a liberal!
And don't forget to pay your taxes so the rich don't have to!

Doesn't have anything to do with being on a boat.

Water needs some little bit of something for the water vapor bubbles to
form on. If the water is really clean, and the cup too, you can heat water
to a couple of degrees over 212F because there are no little bits. Then
when you add the coffee, it boils a little. Solutions:

Spinkle a couple of particles of instant in the water before you heat it.

Don't heat it quite so much.

Don't use instant coffee. ;-)

Don't wash the mug. ;-)

(Actually, it's a Republican plot, Harry ;-) ;-)

--
Chuck Tribolet

http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/people/triblet

Silicon Valley: STILL the best day job in the world.


"Harry Krause" wrote in message ...
Sometimes when using the microwave on the boat to boil water, the water
turns 'nukular.'

That is, when I take the coffee cup out of the microwave, and spoon some
instant coffee into it, the water "boils up" and overflows the cup.

This occurs maybe one time out of 20, but when it does, it makes a mess.
I typically fill the cup to the same level with jug water (no one should
drink water stored in a boat's water tanks!), use the two minute setting
on the microwave to boil it, and put in the same super teaspoon amount
of coffee.

What's going on here?

\

--
Not dead, in jail, or a slave? Thank a liberal!
And don't forget to pay your taxes so the rich don't have to!

Chuck Tribolet wrote:
Doesn't have anything to do with being on a boat.

Water needs some little bit of something for the water vapor bubbles to
form on. If the water is really clean, and the cup too, you can heat water
to a couple of degrees over 212F because there are no little bits. Then
when you add the coffee, it boils a little. Solutions:

Spinkle a couple of particles of instant in the water before you heat it.

Don't heat it quite so much.

Don't use instant coffee. ;-)

Don't wash the mug. ;-)

(Actually, it's a Republican plot, Harry ;-) ;-)


Ahh, it's a plot!

You know, I've told my wife over and over that my coffee cup isn't
"that" dirty, and I can reuse it...but noooooooooo....she insists I
scrub it out once in a while, to shake loose the penicillin growing inside.

Thanks, Chuck.

You know, I have varied the heat time...but I'll try dropping in a
couple of grains of coffee before I heat up the water. Instant really is
my only choice. My wife doesn't drink coffee, and I only want a cupful.
Cleaning up a one or two cup percolator isn't something I want to do.




--
Not dead, in jail, or a slave? Thank a liberal!
And don't forget to pay your taxes so the rich don't have to!

"Harry Krause" wrote in message

..... Instant really is
my only choice. My wife doesn't drink coffee, and I only want a cupful.
Cleaning up a one or two cup percolator isn't something I want to do.

Have you tried the one-cup "coffee bags" of freeze dried? May not be
strong/weak enough for your tastes, etc.

John Gaquin wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message

..... Instant really is
my only choice. My wife doesn't drink coffee, and I only want a cupful.
Cleaning up a one or two cup percolator isn't something I want to do.

Have you tried the one-cup "coffee bags" of freeze dried? May not be
strong/weak enough for your tastes, etc.


Hmmm. No. Do they work like tea bags, meaning you drop them into a cup
of hot water? I don't drink particularly strong coffee...I use 2% milk
and a couple of artificial sweeteners...

--
Not dead, in jail, or a slave? Thank a liberal!
And don't forget to pay your taxes so the rich don't have to!

"Harry Krause" wrote in message

Hmmm. No. Do they work like tea bags, meaning you drop them into a cup
of hot water? I don't drink particularly strong coffee...I use 2% milk
and a couple of artificial sweeteners...

Yes, they work like tea bags. I believe you place the bag in the water,
then nuke the contents together. You can probably adjust strength by
adjusting post-nuke steep time, much like tea.

Frankly, I haven't even looked for them for a couple of years because I had
no need. When I tried them at that time, they were acceptable - but not
ready for a feature write-up in Gourmet, if you catch my drift.

Also Sprach Harry Krause :

You know, I have varied the heat time...but I'll try dropping in a
couple of grains of coffee before I heat up the water. Instant really is
my only choice. My wife doesn't drink coffee, and I only want a cupful.
Cleaning up a one or two cup percolator isn't something I want to do.

Two words my man... "French Press." It's better than drip or perc coffee
any day, and you'll forget about instant forever. I could swear I've seen
a little 2-cup lexan one at West Marine, but you could probably get one
for half the price at a decent camping store. A quick google search found
this:

http://www.wholelattelove.com/Bodum/travelpress.cfm

which would be especially nice for the boat.

And how to use it:

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/99/05/frenchpress/


Dan



--
Not dead, in jail, or a slave? Thank a liberal!
And don't forget to pay your taxes so the rich don't have to!

--
Microsoft Haiku #164

Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.

Marshall Banana wrote:
Also Sprach Harry Krause :

You know, I have varied the heat time...but I'll try dropping in a
couple of grains of coffee before I heat up the water. Instant really is
my only choice. My wife doesn't drink coffee, and I only want a cupful.
Cleaning up a one or two cup percolator isn't something I want to do.

Two words my man... "French Press." It's better than drip or perc coffee
any day, and you'll forget about instant forever. I could swear I've seen
a little 2-cup lexan one at West Marine, but you could probably get one
for half the price at a decent camping store. A quick google search found
this:

http://www.wholelattelove.com/Bodum/travelpress.cfm

which would be especially nice for the boat.

And how to use it:

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/99/05/frenchpress/


Dan




Interesting but my coffee tastebuds are plebeian, and the press is too
much fuss for me, especially on a boat. Thanks!



--
Not dead, in jail, or a slave? Thank a liberal!
And don't forget to pay your taxes so the rich don't have to!

Also Sprach Harry Krause :

Interesting but my coffee tastebuds are plebeian, and the press is too
much fuss for me, especially on a boat. Thanks!

As were mine, before I moved to Seattle and discovered that good coffee
doesn't need milk and sugar added to mask the coffee's taste.

Dan

--
I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass.

-- Senator Barry Goldwater, commenting on Jerry
Falwell's suggestion that all good Christians
should be against Sandra Day O'Connor's nomination
to the Supreme Court

"Chuck Tribolet" wrote in message

Water needs some little bit of something for the water vapor bubbles to
form on. If the water is really clean, and the cup too, you can heat
water
to a couple of degrees over 212F because there are no little bits. Then
when you add the coffee, it boils a little.

I've encountered this with the microwave, also. You get a similar response
when freezing pure water -- rain aloft may be super-cooled but still liquid,
lacking what is called "condensation nuclei" - a bit around which to
crystallize. As soon as it impacts an aircraft, it instantly freezes to
the aircraft structure.