A Time Saving Appliance

I dedicate this post to a mother-to-be friend, Christine. Last weekend, I attended her baby shower with Ed and Kyle. She was the person that I made my diaper cake for.

Halfway through the party, I had to feed Kyle. I took out the bottled milk, found a cup to fill it with hot water but I couldn't find any hot water. I wasn't looking for a kettle, I was looking for an electric thermo pot. But she didn't have one (or maybe I didn't look hard enough). My friend found a kettle-like thingy on the stove and it's been forever since I've used a kettle! My immediate reaction was 'But she's Chinese, how could she not have one!' I ended up warming the milk with running hot water from the sink (not very eco-friendly!).

Most people (I'm afraid I can't say everyone anymore) that grew up in a chinese family would have used an electric thermos pot because I swear it was in every chinese kitchen that I've been to.

However, if you don't have one and have a baby, you may want to consider getting one. It may not be as hot as kettle boiled water but it is definitely hotter than the bottled or direct tap water dispensers. When you are trying to warm milk in the middle of the night, the last thing you want is to wait for the kettle to boil.

I have this one, it is a Panasonic one that holds 3 litres. There are larger capacity pots and 3 'Keep Warm' temperatures with the hottest one being 208ºF (98ºC). 3 litres was enough before Kyle came along as it was primarily used for making coffee and teas but now a larger one would be more convenient as I don't need to refill it every night.

There are other brands that make these pots and you can find them at Forum Home Appliances. They are around $130-$200 depending on capacity and brand. I recommend Zojirushi (w/ an elephant logo), Panasonic and Tiger Brand.