Do you get a funny taste from a thermos flask?

buxtonrabbitgreen · 4 October 2008 at 10:04PM

I use a stainless steel one to take my coffee to work in. I have my break about 4 hours after I get there and it is still piping hot. I do heat the milk in the microwave and also when I am making my morning tea swill the flask with the remaining hot water from the kettle to warm it up . It doesn't taste of anything but coffee to me. I wash it out when I get home and leave it with the top off.

sb44 · 5 October 2008 at 12:12AM

BallandChain wrote: »

Do you have the stainless steel one sb44? I didn't want to go back to the plastic type thermos. Thanks for the replies everyone!

Yep, it's a stainless steel one.

It has only been used a handful of times so I don't know why things should be tainted.

I will have to give it a good soak in something to try and take away the taste.

dronid · 5 October 2008 at 3:20PM

wallbash wrote: »

Sorry , I know this is a Money saving forum, but you are taking things too far.
BOIL the water , fresh every time , Tea is too good to be messed about with.

Boil only enough, no waste, cant see how keeping it saves money

I would agree with you regarding tea - water needs to be at the correct temperature to make a proper cup - however I do sometimes store tea in the Thermos for a cup later when I've made it in the teapot or if I'm making some for my DH when he's out for the day. If you've got it use it but otherwise make as much as you need. I find tea fine when it's stored in the Thermos. Are any of those having a problem using boiled water stored in the Thermos for making tea - that's probably the problem!:D

A_fiend_for_life · 6 October 2008 at 1:25AM

My kettle only boils a minimum of half a litre so the rest of the water goes in there. I have started boiling a litre instead so that gives about four cups of tea coffee and hopefully increases the life of the kettle.

I have a cheapy stainless steel flask from woolies about 3 or 4 years ago and have never had any problems with a funny taste with coffee. Tea is a different matter though as it always tastes odd to me in a glass or stainless steel flask so just pour the water in. It gives more flexibility if you just use it for water anyway.

It's good for cooking pasta in too and saving water from the residual heat on the hob and top oven.

Woolies have ~ 1 litre flasks for a fiver at the moment.

tonyhamm · 26 April 2009 at 1:11PM

Having used thermosflasks many times over the years, TEA ALWAYS TASTES FUNNY!
(With milk) I used to be so frustrated with the funny taste after I bought a 2 Litre Flask delux flask for work that I ended up cleaning it in all sorts of ways with bicarb, soak cleaning, using litres of hot water and washing liquid etc..etc..
In the end you can forget all the cleaning tips - Just use it to store hot water and keep the teabags and milk seprerate (milk powder or carton) and it tastes fine!

Heating a litre of water uses about 0.16kW of energy. If a kWh is 20p then it costs about 3p (0.16x20p) per litre.
(Using a gas kettle would be significantly less).

If your household has to re-heat or heat 2 litres of water around 5 times a day, that would cost about 30p per day, 365 days per year a staggering £109 per year!

I am using an old fashioned 'whistler' kettle on the gas hob - a gas kWh is only 12p, in combination with a thermos flask, it saves seroius money and is very convienient - I keep the flask in the kitchen full of hot water there for anytime I need it!. A sort of ultra-low budget 'on demand' hot water system...:)

A few quid on a thermos kept in the kitchen will save even a low use person who reheats a electric kettle litre of water just once a day, over a tenner per year from the electric bill.

rosieben · 26 April 2009 at 4:08PM

I gave up on the stainless steel flasks I had, threw both of them out because tea/coffee always came out grey! I've gone back to an old fashioned glass-insert thermos flask and no more problems.

coxy07 · 26 April 2009 at 4:34PM

Does anyone know where I can get a very small "old fashioned" glass insert thermos flask. I can only find bigger ones but I am looking for one about the same size as the tiny stainless steel ones.

tonyhamm · 27 April 2009 at 8:26AM

I got a glass insert thermal flask with a stainless steel outer body (pourer spout model) for £7 from LIDL which they are still doing.

I know its glass insert because it says so in the manual and you have to be careful not to shock the glass from cold with boiling water. However the problem with yuccy tea persists! Its not gray, but the taste changes once milk is added. If you dont add milk its fine.

I think the funny taste is actually from a chemical reaction with the tannins in the tea and the milk proteins which persists when the tea is stored at that temperture just below boiling for a few hours. I dont believe there is any way to get rid of it except by keeping the milk seperate, i.e. put some powdered skimmed milk in a zip lock bag and take that with you

[Deleted User] · 27 April 2009 at 9:23AM

I have had my thermos for 15 years and I paid 50p for it at a boot sale.Its the large one and I only ever make coffee in it I don't like tea from a thermos as it always tastes of tannin. I always fill the thermos with fresh boiled water to the very top and let it stand for a few minutes to sterilise it then having made the coffee in a pyrex jug I tip away the hot water (usually into the sink for washing up ) and fill my thermos up with coffee..
I always boil just a cup and a half of water when making a cup of tea fresh every time so I don't have the kettle boiling unessesarily full of water.

rosieben · 27 April 2009 at 11:11AM

tonyhamm wrote: »

....
I think the funny taste is actually from a chemical reaction with the tannins in the tea and the milk proteins which persists when the tea is stored at that temperture just below boiling for a few hours. I dont believe there is any way to get rid of it except by keeping the milk seperate, i.e. put some powdered skimmed milk in a zip lock bag and take that with you

I think you may be right., I'll try making the tea and leave the milk out.

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Do you get a funny taste from a thermos flask?

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