ancient Chinese secret :: hot water dispenser

Seen one of these?

Probably not…unless you’re Asian.  In addition to the always-plugged-in rice cooker, my people all have hot water dispensers…ok, maybe not all…but pretty close.

Why?  It stores and dispenses hot water…perfect for quickly making baby’s bottles, hot tea, hot chocolate, oatmeal…Viva Starbuck’s.

 

I mix half hot water with half tap for a perfectly warm bottle for baby in just seconds.

I recall those middle of the night feedings when I’d stumble into the kitchen and spend 5-10 minutes trying to warm up the perfect bottle…all while the baby was screaming.

Your mind races:  ‘Faster!  Faster!  Faster!’

After a few weeks of that, it dawned on me….ancient Chinese secret!

Don’t be jealous…this floral pattern rocks.

Want some rice?  How ’bout some hot water?

FYI, there’s a difference in brands.  My preferred brand is the one with the elephant…also called Zojirushi.  It’s more expensive, but worth it.  You can buy these in any of the Asian markets, or online.

My biggest complaint is that while the dispenser has a de-scaler, the unit still gets some sort of build-up (calcium?).   I simply dump all the water and put in 1-2 cups of lemon juice while plugged in for 1-2 hours.  Most of the scale comes off with a little scraping with a wooden spoon.  Then I run a few pots with fresh water.

You’ll know you need another rinse if the baby makes this face…