Happier days for Wolfgang Puck

The Wolfgang Puck Latte... Dissected The Wolfgang Puck self-heating lattes were introduced in 2005. They were based on a container design by OnTech. The container design was funded by two stock placements which totaled $8 million. OnTech filed 102 patent claims during the development of their container. By 2006 there were enough beverage container failures - probably caused by consumers not reading the directions - that Wolfgang Puck recalled the product. Let's see what this technology is all about...

For a 10 oz beverage container, it's big and heavy. The outside is covered with an insulating foam similar to the foam labels on two-liter soda bottles.

The bottom of the container has a pull tab protecting the water reservoir. This pulls off a lid similar to those found on cat food cans.

The top has a pull tab similar to the ones found on soda cans. In addition there is a black collar on top which helps the coffee leak though onto your shirt.

Let's fire up this beasty! First we pull the protective cover off the bottom of the container.

This reveals a push-button equipped capsule filled with aqua-colored water.

With the can upside down, we press this button firmly, breaking the foil liner inside. The can must remain upside down for five seconds.

Note the aqua-colored water has disappeared.

The foam label is equipped with a thermally-sensitive spot that turns pink when the beverage has warmed up.

Pink spot has turned to white. Either we are pregnant or the latte is ready. Pop the top and it's ready to drink.

Let's take a closer look at the technology of this container. Here we have peeled off the foam label revealing the polypropylene outsides.

Here we have popped off the twist lid, revealing a soda-can style top and a messy trail of latte.

Here we have deconstructed the container to its basic components. From the left: 1. The protective lid from the bottom used to cover the water capsule. 2. The outer container. (We have cut the container 1/2" from the bottom to separate the beverage container outsides from the internal heating element.) 3. Heating element. 4.Twist lid. 5. A little aluminum debris collected when we cut the bottom of the container.

This is the heating segment cut open to show the white calcium oxide. Its texture and density is similar to kitty litter. When combined with water, an exothermic reaction heats the beverage and produces calcium hydroxide. It also produced a mess when I cut this part of the container open. There was no detectable water left in the heating compartment.

Mike Friese May 2006