It may be the hottest portable cooking innovation since Sterno—Ontro, Inc.’s new, fully recyclable, self-heating food and beverage container. Just push a button on the bottom of this 16 oz. can and within five minutes you have 10.5 oz. of steeping hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soup or even Japanese sake...potential marketing applications are limitless.

The technology is remarkably simple. The container, designed with the canning industry in mind, has an inner heating cone filled with calcium oxide (crushed limestone) and an actuating “puck” containing water. Heat is generated by the chemical reaction that occurs when the actuating puck’s seal is broken and the limestone and water mix. And it’s all non-toxic and environmentally friendly.

The Ontro container raises the temperature of its contents by 70°–80°F, a level that can be reduced for products like baby formula, which is generally consumed by infants at a more appropriate 100°F. Moreover, the contents remains hot for 20 minutes—considerably longer than if heated by conventional methods.

It is just this ease and convenience that, according to a study co-funded by the food giant Nestle USA, has consumers in 30 test markets nationwide raving about the product.