Anyone have any experience with these warmer/coolers?

Specifically the Royal Deluxe Travel Cooler (Wine Enthusiast) or Thermokool MR318 (Amazon)?

I'd be using it to keep food warm on my trip to jeebuses (most of my friends are at least an hour away), as well as keeping wine cool on hot summer days.

Any advice would be great!

Thanks,
Joe

[Robin Garr]

Any advice would be great!

No experience with those items, Joe, but it sounds like the same principle as a Thermos bottle, don't you think? As in the old joke, "It keeps hot things hot, and it keeps cold things cold. How does it <i>know</i>?"

Well, it isn't passive like a thermos. I've used thermos-like devices to try to keep my food warm, but it never keeps enough heat for my long trips to offlines. I've been limited to cold appetizers for most events. Devices like this have a digital setting so that I could keep the food hot - or at least that's my hope. If I could set it to 150-250 degrees, it would open up a lot of options for me....


Best,
Joe

[Robin Garr]

Well, it isn't passive like a thermos. I've used thermos-like devices to try to keep my food warm, but it never keeps enough heat for my long trips to offlines. I've been limited to cold appetizers for most events. Devices like this have a digital setting so that I could keep the food hot - or at least that's my hope. If I could set it to 150-250 degrees, it would open up a lot of options for me....

It's an interesting concept, Joe. As I said, I'm just bloviating since I haven't seen or heard of these things, but I'm thinking that it would pretty much have to run off your car's cigarette lighter or something. Converting electricity into heat or cold takes a lot of power, and I don't see using a couple of AAs or a 9-volt battery to do this job for long.

bloviating

Now there is a word one doesn't read everyday on a wine forum!

but I'm thinking that it would pretty much have to run off your car's cigarette lighter or something. Converting electricity into heat or cold takes a lot of power, and I don't see using a couple of AAs or a 9-volt battery to do this job for long.

"Comes with both AC and DC adapters"