With cool weather predicted this Bank Holiday weekend, what better pick-me-up than a solar kettle for your bicycle?
The solar kettle looks like a conventional thermos, but fold-out reflectors harness the sun’s energy and allow you to enjoy up to three cups of freshly-brewed tea on every ride. Just as long as the sun comes out.
The solar kettle needs direct sunlight in order to boil water, but even in dull weather it can heat the water to 55-60°C.
The solar kettle weighs about one kilo and holds enough water for three cuppas or even soft-boiled eggs.
Win your own solar kettle
We have a solar kettle to give away. Leave a comment at the bottom of this page and we will pick a name at the end of this month (05/14).
How long does it take to boil water?
A resourceful cyclist could strap the solar kettle to the top of a pannier or behind a ruck sack and have it get to work while they were ion the move. On a sunny day in Britain, it takes around two hours for the water to come to the boil from cold.
Very few things beat a good cup of tea, but a comprehensive cycle insurance lets you relax in the knowledge that your bike is in safe hands.
Cycle insurance from the ETA covers against theft (new-for-old and no depreciation over time) accidental damage and vandalism (including at race events) plus £5m third party cover plus masses of other benefits in one comprehensive policy.
James
First! It probably hasn’t boiled yet though…
Julia
Fantastic idea! I get about 200 miles to the gallon (of PG Tips), this would make me even more sustainable…
Andy fla
Awesome, it would be great touring
PJ Basa
Wow I want one! 🙂
Ben
…but will it work in North East Scotland?
Georgina Griffiths
Tea, espresso, cappuccino and whilst cycling … Yes please
David Smith
Fantastic idea! I love my tea, and I’d love one of those!!
Andy Parsons
Great idea. I’ll be using mine for coffee though – the extra caffeine shot to spur me on…
Paul Keleher
How about a solar oven to go with it? You could bake a cake while waiting for your cuppa.
Juan
I’d love a my tea on the go!
Lisa Hatfield
Great idea, especially for on a touring break!
Stuart
Would be lovely to have a freshly boiled cup of tea after a long ride!
Anthony Samuel
Making porridge and oiled eggs on a mtg multi day tour would be great with this!
Steven Jones
The only thing I would need with one of these is a biscuit barrel to fit in my second drink holder 😉
Adam
Perfect for the mid-ride coffee break!
Matt
Excellent facility for the weary cyclist
Sara
This would make my life better on the same scale as when I discovered jaffa cakes. Amazing.
Peter
I know numerous rinks and noodles etc that could now be made without taking the stove and kettlen a ride.
Caroline Thomas
I love the idea of being able to have a soft boiled egg or a cuppa when I’m out cycling. Viva the solar themos!
Anne Lloyd
I’d like one of these for my next cycling/camping trip around the Outer Hebrides!
Evita
Great idea. Just what I need for my cycle trip to Paris!
Gillian Cummins
My own in-house, zero-carbon teashop on the move. Couldn’t be better!
Nick
Fantastic idea. I’d love one.
Robert Ward
I go camping, walking, cycling and fishing so this sounds like an ideal product for me. I would love to try this as it would make my hobbies, which I already enjoy, even more enjoyable. I love gadgets and gizmo’s so I would be an ideal candidate to give this a try. Thanks.
Rob
Jenny
I reckon this would help me persuade a very bike-phobic friend join me on a few rides (as long as I had some biccies too!) – Brilliant invention.
Ruth Whitworth
Perfect innovative product and good for the environment by using solar power and not electricity.
Barbara Disney
tea and cycling – bliss
Ian J
This might even encourage my tea drinking wife to match my enthusiasm for cycling…
Nick of the Wild Front Ear
What a fab idea.
Yes, you can make a brew with no fuel, so it’s ideal for Cairngorms trips where there is no firewood and you might not want to use the last of your gas to put a stove on.
Please, Sir… Me, Sir… *puts hand up*
Diana
I like it. It brings to mind the ‘Go to work on an egg’ campaign from the 1950s. We’ve come a long way since then!
Richard Payne
A low energy cuppa; this will be green tea with a difference
Lorne Callaghan
Brilliant idea. Very useful bit of kit
Bernard
Hot soup anyone?
Tim Brown
Brilliant idea. I would be happy to have one.
Neil Young
What a great invention – I love the idea of having and sharing a cuppa on the go
Bob Young
Sunshine tea tastes sweeter.
David Evans
Tea, coffee, pot noodle, what a brilliant bit of bike kit.
Brian
Great idea, tea and boiled eggs a perfect second breakfast after an early ride.
Allen Knowles
Always find ourselves going off track to find a cup of tea, brilliant idea,fresh brew without having to find a village genius
James Donovan
Fantastic idea , I would love one
Sarah Astor
2 passions in one, riding my bicycle & making my own mint tea..independence & freedom..fabulous!
Ian Jolliffe
Loads of potential uses for when you are out and about- could you have an accessory to hold a frying pad so the bean focussed on the base ?
Pam Hubbard
I would love one of these
Liz B
What a brilliant idea !! Luckily I drink green tea, so I won’t need to tow a small fridge to keep the milk fresh 🙂
Darren Abbott
Wow wicked idea – whatever next
Christine Johnson
wow so clever, a cup of tea on the go
Nick Board
Be sure i will put it to good use, coffee,bliss!
Jamie J
…noodle snack pot frenzy!
Tony Pratschke
This solar flask is just what I need to complement my Leitra Velomobile and ETA Mini-Caravan! O.K., so I haven’t got the last two yet but I am saving for them and then….. Europe here I come!! Barp, barp, and slurp, slurp! The future is here, be the change you aspire to. I wonder will the solar flask produce Coffee Lite? ;-D
Fiona James
Awesome idea and I love tea! Would probably do even more cycling if I had one of those 🙂
Anna
I have a storm kettle which is fun but a bit of a palaver, this is so much more civilised
Julie Brett
What a fantastic idea for a cup of relaxing tea at the end of the husky bike ride down the river stort.
Keren Atkinson
Just amazing I love my tea aswell such a handy thing to have when out and about
David Walker
If it works it will be fabulous
S Edwards
Thats a perfect ride out!
John Dean
Live near the New Forest and the beach would be great at either location and is ideal for picnics!!
Louise Fleming
I’d love this, me and my boyfriend like to go cycling and stop off for food after a wee while, how good would it be to have a cuppa too 🙂
adele leek
What a great idea. Hot tea well nothing better on cold days.
peter
excellent idea for the number of times I get lost
Damian
Great idea, do we have enough sun to make a cup of tea though?!
Amelia Avossa
SUPER Weird Crazy!!! Thats why i wanna win 😀 Fingerscrossed
Tracy Nixon
Wow what a great invention! I can enjoy a coffee break!
sam roulson
Great prize and I love my tea. Would make it on the pavement to impress my friends.
David Reeves
Magic idea!
Emily Clark
Lovely! Anything that gets people cycling is good news in my book.
Naomi gorvin
Amazing!! I need one do much that is the sort of gadget everyone needs!
Jen Schofield
Fantastic item to have!
Paul Mnich
How often have you arrived somewhere gasping for a cuppa only to be faced with a closed sign or a queue a mile long? Problem solved!
Anne-Marie Martin
Sounds a great idea. Would love one of these. Thank You so much for running this competition
Martin Wilson
Tea on a bike, what a delight!!
sharon mead
would love to give this a try
Denise pease
My husband is hoping to ride my dad’s old vintage bike in July to Bodrum, Turkey. He would really benefit from a solar powered kettle so I’m keeping everything crossed that this comment gets chosen!
John Reed
At last! Someone has finally realised that cyclists also need refreshments wherever they might be. Bring it on, I’m thirsty! 😀
claire scott
Wow! Now that’s pretty cool!
tracy steer
fab idea and prize
Edward Guerreiro
If this thing works as claimed, I would keep it on my window sill, so I could make a cup of tea in the morning when I wake up.
Lenniepaul
Does it work overnight ??
Barbara Handley
Whatever next?! What a great idea.
Neeta Scrivener
What a brilliant idea! I would love one of these
Peter Chisnall
Great prize, the sun has provided all our energy in one form or another, I’ll drink to that
Richard Newman
Ah, potential for steam power assist. 🙂
Jeff Hallam
On the way to my allotment on my bike I can make a brew when I get there, result. 🙂
paul welford
i’ll have some of that
TimA
Amazing – need!
Rachael G
Love this idea! So ingenious!
Rose Dodd
Now I’ve moved to the Netherlands I miss my cup of Tetley so much, could really put this to some use !
Hannah Smith
Looks pretty fab!!
Phil
Love it
Tea on the go
Steven Sadler
Just what i need on my tandem,and as i sit at the back it would be very handy
Linda Revell
What an amazing idea! And any excuse to stop for a cup of tea is ok by me!
Liz MacGregor
Knowing how quickly our solar panels heat up the hot water tank on a sunny day, this sounds like a great extension of the concept – just you can can take the hot water with you wherever you go! Brilliant.
Kay Greenwood
Always time for a brew
John Thomas
Looks like a very smart idea.
Dick Bacon
What a grand idea – we could all use one of those!
Paul Rock
Looks great. I’d love one.
Jon Stone
Helmet straps? Would balance my helmet-cam 🙂
Mary
This kettle would add another element to our growing number of solar powered gizmos. You can never have too many even though there’s only one sun!
S Barber
Brill idea…how do I stop others nicking it?
Mr Sparkle
Tea-riffic!
Craig S-A
Wow- cycling innovation never ceases to amaze me. I already have a solar charger and dynamo hub with usb regulator for touring with gadgets. Now a kettle based on the solar oven principle. What next?
Baguette
Muchas Likeas!
Jo Broom
I love getting the ETA newsletter, it never fails to surprise. It’s full of the maddest, most genius inventions which always make me smile at the ingenuity of human kind. The solar kettle takes the top prize for being a classic, amusing yet charmingly practical British invention. Let us take great pride in anything that can successfully brew an eco friendly cup of tea, anywhere, anytime.
Ellie Bromilow
what a great idea, we would love this for our days out! nothing more refreshing than a cup of tea on a picnic! I think there might be arguments on whose bike this goes on! haha
Denise
Now this would get me out on a cycle ride with the kids, the thought of a lovely cup of tea at the destination, what a fantastic idea.
Louisa Lloyd
Fantastic idea!
Carol
Fantastic idea, tea, coffee, soup, a great motivator to encourage me to get on my bike knowing there’s a reward at the end 🙂
Paul Wilson
Great idea!
Carolina J.
Oh, wow! Who would have thought its actually possible?
mike masterson
A great idea, when touring, it will save extra weight and get a coffee in the morning!
Teresa Lee
Nice….Thanks
Gavin Sharp
Brew up corporal Sharp!
CJ Snyder
This Looks Very Cool & Useful…
john moore
Brilliant….I want one
Phill
Milk, two sugars, thanks.
Anthony
I can see it working on a toasting day, the sort of day you can’t wait two hours, and where a cold drink would be more appropriate! On the other hand, if your water supply’s iffy, and you need it at least pasteurising, this is what you’ll be after. If it will hold its heat until the cool of evening, then drink cold water during the day and wrap your hands round a hot mug before bed/bag. A storm kettle might be a faff, but if you can keep some dry tinder and fuel, there’ll be less waiting.
Allan Smith
Perfect for all tea lovers 😀
Siân
I might start going on longer rides just so there’s time for a cuppa I
Phil Darling
Amazing idea – a cuppa whenever and wherever you ride – rock on!
Jenny
It would be great when camping. If I positioned things just right I could wake up to a cup of tea without having to get out of my sleeping bag!
Ann Marie Wrigley
Will it do tea for two for tandem riders? Cha, Cha, Cha!
Alex Spyrou
There’s nothing like a proper brew to top off a great bike ride
Coralie Pearson
love this idea, would love one of these:-)
Roy munro
Oooohhh would be perfect for my Ireland tip to toe this summer, nice cup o’ tea in the Irish countryside just me and my bike
Phyllis
Purrfect…for a cycling mad daughter.
Donna
This is a brilliant idea! I so need this 🙂
alex cook
looks good for camping too
Martin Saddington
It’s a wonderful innovation using a wonder fuel. I love it!
christa
Me me me, I want one!!
Hannah
What a fantastic idea, there’s nothing better than a mid-ride pick me up, especially a warm one!
Ian Savory
Tea in a flask is awful. This is just the thing for a fresh cup!
thomas stokès
we are cycling the length of wales in July over three days, this would be perfect for lunch breaks!!! yorkshire teabags of course!!!
Hassni
Ha! Bonkers.
Nikki Dayton
Yup, really, really want one of these 🙂
Stu Smith
What a way to get a caffeine shot on the bike!
Lisa Auger
Looks great! My husband would love this.
Elspeth Macfarlane
That’s so clever! I hope I win.
Elspeth Macfarlane
That’s so clever, I hope I win!
Al Napp
Kettling in the sunshine, ace.
Gina
I sooo want one! The cup that cheers but does not inebriate – so no wobbly return journey!
Bhavesh Mistry
Wow! Hope i win one of these!
Karl Wallendszus
Looks good. Can you set it up on a bike so it can heat up while you’re riding?
G Brown
Looks good
Wendy Whitby
Perfect for my next cycle-touring adventure . . . ..
jo levitt
A cup of coffee before I go into therapy sessions at all the schools I visit. Would be fantastic.
Love the idea
Mickie Bull
What an amazing idea!
Dennis Wikinson
A top tube!
AFPR
interesting idea, and a great way to teach children about harnessing solar energy! I’d love to win one to show the children I teach.
melanie Carroll
Absolutely love the idea of this for long rides in the sun … especially the ones that involve sun but are still cold nontheless! Hope I win 😀
Tracey Belcher
Fabulous – would love one
Cally Bristow
You can’t beat a good bike ride in the sun followed by a nice cuppa!!
Alex
I never win anything.
pauline hill
if I win this I will take up cycling
Bob Morgan
Excellent!
Kat Lucas
This is fantastic and would be great to take camping
cathyj
what a handy idea
JEANETTE KEMP
just what the doctor ordered.
Vicky S
I need this for my zombie apocalypse kit!
Helen Craddock
Heavenly combination cycling, camping and a cuppa without harming the earth – all to be enjoyed with a clear conscience and a memorable moment to treasure.
Peter Clark
Sorry but Vicky S has already won the “best comment” contest – I can’t beat that
Helen Dickinson
Fantastic giveaway. I would love to win. Thank you.
Sally Lea
There is no place on Earth that couldn’t be improved by the ability to have a cuppa when you’re there, this innovative kettle is brilliant.
Naomi W
mmm I love tea 🙂
Jean Sinclair
Would be great for volunteering at remote adventure or triathlon checkpoints for hours to days on end – teams always seem to arrive just as stove boils.
Paul Magnall
What could be better? Solar fed tea plant, solar dried tea leaves, solar powered kettle, solar driven cyclist!
Luke Dickens
A nice compact version of my cargo bike coffee shop (Coffee Cranks Coop).
Tammy Tudor
Two word – Absolute Genius!
Lisa Baskerville
mmmm tea in the summer and hot chocolate in the winter – perfect!
Paul O’ Brien
This is perfect. I can now bring Mrs. Doyle from Father Ted out for a cycle with me. She would be the most motivational person to have with you if you were struggling…..
‘Would you like a cup of tea? Ah go, go on…..GO ON, GO ON, GO ON, GO ON!’
Perfect!
iain
Cycling, sun & a fresh cup of tea. What could be better?
Paul Witney
Great idea
david hunt
nice idea. i wouldn’t try drinking from it on the move though!
Felicity Johnson
My toddler would be so impressed to get his morning boiled egg cooked this way!
justine meyer
what a brill idea
bella smyth
Oh WoWsers how awesome is that my partner would love this 🙂 thank you for the chance x
Kristian
Tea-Licious!
Amy
That’s an intriguing idea!
Ben Young
This would be fun to use!
Fiona
This is amazing!
YOLANDA DAVIS
what a great idea
kazza ham
What a cool contraption! Would love one 🙂
Hazel Lemar
Intriguing!
Andrew Hindley
Would be great for touring
Christine Allum
Wonderful, I NEED one!
sandy
great novelty, not sure I’d want to be dependent on it but I’d love to try it!
sarah fleck
good idea
lisa chappell
amazing !!
Dave Brown
Guy Martin would be so jealous
Jenette Ogborn
wow this would be perfect i have a 40 mile ride at the end of this year.
Dave Nunn
Can’t wait to strap this to my pannier – perfect on a camping trip too! I could develop a liking for green tea!
William Triscott
What a great idea, Tea & Eggs!!
rebecca wargen
Love it – such a good idea
Solange
What a great idea
Suzanne Jackson
lol, awesome 🙂
Adrian Shrimpton
Wheely Wheely Good Idea
Matthew N
cool!
Michael Clarke
A hot drink, just what you want after a two hour ride on a hot sunny day. 😉
An Ingenious design though, but perhaps should be marketed at the hill walkers ramblers.
Marco Mazzolini
Very nice
Lisa Paterson
Does it make toast?
Mike Eckersley
Hair brained ideas are always the best!
Victoria
So cool! I’d love one of these! 😀
Dawn Newman
my step dad would love this, he just brought himself a bike and he love coffee he alway has one in his hand so to have a kettle on his bike he would love. coffee on the go.
Mark Johnson
GReat idea, would love one
Joanna Smith
This is one of those inventions I wish I could have come up with!
Alice Baines
Haha! This has to be one of the best inventions i have ever seen!! this is fantastic! I really love it
Brilliant!!! 🙂
jodie harvey
interesting! never seen anything like this before
Lucy Dorrington
I love this idea! Perfect for a crisp, sunny winter’s day!
Jane Middleton
good idea, but may be it takes a little bit too long
Gill Mitchell
Fab idea, would ,love to win this for my inlaws. they like a pot noodle when they’re out on their bikes.
steph lovatt
This is so cool would be great for our adventures
Gail Price
Fantastic idea for cycling holidays.
JACKIE HARRISON
GREAT IDEA WOULD LOVE THIS FOR ONE OF MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE GOT CYCLES BRILL
Caroline Toner
Really? I might try the local cafe if it doesn’t work
Sam Furniss
That is the best invention ever!!
Neon
Wish there be an inflatable pool that can heat up and freeze water with solar power generation and a real bigggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg furnished car with lights, camera action!!!!:D