Our first test with the Prototype #2 was a success. We conducted this during lab, boiling water and cooking instant mashed potatoes so that a group member may have lunch for the day. We used a wool blanket as insulation, and boiled around two cups of water. Getting the water to boiling took about an hour and a half. We then added the instant mashed potato powder which took another 5-10 minutes to finish.
This test was mostly to observe the difference in temperature between the nest pot and the cooking pot. We used two thermocouples - one on the nest pot and the other on the cooking pot. This allowed us to see the temperatures during the cooking time, and view how much heat is lost between the nest pot and the cooking pot. We were pleased to find that we averaged only around a 5-7℃ difference between the pots during the cooking period! This means that our new prototype is indeed a major improvement.
These photos below show the finished product, as well as how easy it was to clean the pot after! No wires, no mess!
