Keeping it warm

[Labarum]

I the last few days back with soaps and creams rather than hi-tech gel I have been lathering in a little but heavy earthenware kitchen bowl, and keeping it warm by leaving it in a the sink half full of water as recommended in those excellent YouTube Tutorials. This seems a simple and good solution when you have hot water on tap.

Now I look at the Moss Scuttle:

http://leisureguy.wordpress.com/2006/07/08/interesting-shaving-idea/

And observe:

1.The hot water reservoir is not very large and so the combined thermal capacity of the earthenware and the water cannot be great.

2. The diameter of the inner bowl does not seem great enough to work with the brush.

3. If I was looking for a tidier solution than a bowl standing in the sink I think I might be looking for something a little larger all round. A small Bain Marie (double pan with water bath) might do the job better - they are used in the kitchen for preparing foods and sauces that need a gentle heat.


At 1.7 litres (3.6 US Pints) this is too big

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stainless-S...00EBFK0U/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/202-2652913-4939847

Any comments?

 

[DustBow]

As far as the scuttle goes, it was designed to keep the brush & lather warm between passes after lathering up in a separate bowl. Some people here are able to lather in the scuttle bowl, others are not. She does now offer a larger scuttle but it is not huge or anything. If the bowl area is made too big, you lose the ability to insulate and keep the brush/lather warm.

 

[Styx]

I prefer smaller brushes, and can make lather in my large moss scuttle just fine. I have never found its water capacity too small, but than again I am a 2 or 3 pass shaver so i shave relativly quick. Also, I preheat the scuttle and it holds its heat longer. Before I shower, I fill the sink up with hot water and submurge the scuttle. When I am ready to shave, I empty the scuttle, and refill with hot water. Works for me!

 

[ratcheer]

I just use two large ceramic cereal/soup bowls. The bottom one is 2/3 filled with hot water and the top one is for the lather.

Tim

 

[sheluvsmyface]

Just use a glass cereal or soup bowl..to see the lather. Fill up your sink with hot water and set the bowl right in the water with your lather...the hot water heats the bowl which heats the lather..perfect, easy, cheap, lather is warm and feels nice.

 

[Kmitch]

Brian,
Although it was not the original intent of Dr. Moss who gave Sara Bonneyman the insperation for the Moss Scuttle to use it to make lather, it works great for that purpose also. Sara can and will do custom work for a small increase in here very reasonable prices for a hand crafted piece. I ordered a scuttle with a 4.5" diameter and lather rings in the bottom to help with lather production. It works great and will keep the lather warm (not hot) for a 4 pass shave. She is a joy to communicate with either by email or phone. Hope this info helps.

 

[Labarum]

Thanks Kenny, but I live the other side of the pond.

 

[johnmw1]

Brian,

This exact Bain Marie was discussed HERE not so long ago. In fact I have been patiently waiting for Danny to give it the thumbs up or down on it, because I to am in the same boat with building lather in a mug and keeping it warm. But Danny does not seem to be around at the moment.

I have also recently purchased an electric mug warmer type thing, but really it's not ideal for me. I don't have a wall socket in the bathroom, so therefore have to run an extension which really is not practical and way too much mucking around.

Also been using two foam noodle bowls, one part filled with boiling water, and that keeps the lather luxuriously warm, but once again just too much mucking around.

I keep coming back to the Moss scuttle but am constantly put off by the fact that it really was not designed for making lather in. For me and I'm not sure how deep it is inside, but if the scuttle was a bit deeper I reckon for me it would be just about the right size. I use the B&B finest brush so am only guessing as to whether the larger scuttle would be OK for making the lather in.

Cheers
John

 

[Stan-The-Man]

A few weeks ago I bought this http://brookstone.com/store/product....ct_code=535435
and it works pretty good. A standard size Old Spice Shaving Mug, that is cheap on e-Bay, fits like it was made for it.
I'm sure you can find a simular one in Germany.

I gues I fouled up ..... after you long on to the above sight, search for -----cup warmer.

 

[Labarum]

Must be overkill. Get a ceramic water bath of the right size and it must keep the lather warm long enough.

The ban marie would work, if you could find the right one - but what do most home cooks do? They put a pyrex pudding basin ina saucepan.

The right combination of inner and outer bowls looks like a good solution, and iff the inner bowl were stainless steel it would conduct the heat of the water very fast.

Maybe a small pyrosil saucepan with a stainless inner bowl would be the optimum - nice to have a handle on the outer container, and for that to have the high hermal capacity.

 

[johnmw1]

HERE you are Brian, this may be what you are looking for or at least something similar.

Cheers
John

 

[Kmitch]

Thanks Kenny, but I live the other side of the pond.

Brian,
One other option on a scuttle produced in Europe. Check out the Shavemac site. They sell a scuttle simular to the Moss. Not sure if it is what you are looking for but might be worth checking out if you have not already seen it.