Tea Lights: Cheap Fuel for Emergency Heating, Cooking and Lighting

[@grinning_owl]

When the water gets hot, it can be poured into hot water bottles, which can be taken to bed with you. Place the bottles on each side of your torso and/or at your feet in a sleeping bag. The bottom of the heated pot can also be used as a sheet warmer just before crawling into bed. Also, rocks can be heated in the pot and they can be used as body warmers in bed (or clothes pockets). Pour some raw rice or dry beans in a tube sock and drape the sock around your neck or on sore muscles. If you have baby chicks, kittens, puppies, etc. they will appreciate the warmth, as well. Water warmed in a pot by candles can also be used to wash dishes. Once the water is hot, it can also be poured into a good quality thermos where it can stay warm for several hours....to make coffee, tea, hot cocoa, etc.

[@4given]

Really good ideas. Thank you.

[@grinning_owl]

@@4given Glad you liked them. 🙂

[@fireofevender5515]

Yes! I love to put boiling hot water in narrow stainless steel bottles & cover them with two wool socks. Stays warm all night & you can put the clean & warm socks on in the morning - then use your hot water for hot washcloths and hot chocolate.

[@grinning_owl]

@@fireofevender5515 Great tactics!

[@Halimarah]

@@fireofevender5515 this is genius 👍

[@sallyspoonsdell9526]

I’ve used tea lights cooking dry beans by soaking black eye peas over night. Putting sand (fire safety) in a pot placing 8 tea lights on top then adding aluminum rack on top. I was impressed that my water came to a rolling boiled allowing enough time to cook. Only two lights had to be replaced but it was a success & delicious.

[@CoolTaxiDriver]

Glad you mentioned the oven idea. A candle will burn into Formica. Even the clay pot idea ..people need to realize they can’t just put them anywhere. It might be contained, but it will get scorching hot on the bottom.

[@MILTPGTCIMPI]

Tealights on their own made a great heater for me. I'd light 10 of them in my room on a metal table that I had and within 20 minutes or so it was a nice cozy temperature in my room, despite it being 20 degrees outside. Great video! Thanks!

[@fireofevender5515]

Hot water is EVERYTHING in an emergency. I double up on my powdered milk to make higher protein hot chocolate. Gives you time to fill tummies while you make a heartier meal. Also great to warm up wash cloths for faces. ❤️

[@fabricdragon]

as a sewist and quilter... get yourself some "insulbright" or similar: the insulated batting you use when sewing up hot pads and stuff? you can cut a piece big enough to sit under your tin, but because it can be rolled up? you can stuff it in the can that can be used as a "hot pad" UNDER the tin to prevent burns

[@fabricdragon]

@@TheProvidentPrepper (i mean you can also buy a good quality hot pad that rolls up i suppose, lol... i just happen to have a few yards of insulbright sitting around for gift making, and recently cut a square to put under a candle in an emergency)

[@rosemaria300]

I have never seen tea lights on sale at Wal-Mart's. I do get them but use them for other reasons. But did see another video on using Tea lights for cooking and heating. I will have to. Buy some every time I go to Wal-Mart or Dollars General and start saving cans. Especially large ones. Thank you for your Great tips!!!!! Wishing you , your family and everyone a Very Merry& Blessed Christmas Tide!!!🎄🎅💗⭐

[@ruthnigh4012]

I love watching you two, so positive and optimistic! This is just what we need in this country - a self reliance theme interwoven with compassion and optimism. You two are America's Mom and Dad for a generation of kids that haven't been taught strong self reliance skills. Keep it up, and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[@OffgridVictory]

We’ve used tea lights 🕯 inside of mason jars with some large drilled holes on the cap to keep chick 🐣 warm during the winter ❄️. Thanks

[@lgparker4726]

Don't forget to put salt into your tealights for a lot more burn time. Wait until you get a puddle of wax before adding salt. 😊

[@mikeholman4284]

never heard of that. How much salt?

[@lgparker4726]

@@mikeholman4284 just a pinch or two is usually enough.

[@outdoorvideoswithbrad]

I’ll have to try that, when camping I use candle lanterns

[@mikeholman4284]

So happy to see my favorite preppers doing a tea light video!

[@marilynclarke7812]

I've been using candle power for ages. My heaters tea lights in a terracotta flower pot. Just right for heating the lounge in my flat.

[@AusLanderJack]

Yes, we topped up our candle supply recently too, purchased a load on special/sale in one of the larger chain stores here in Australia, Spotlight. Literally saved 50% on them. 4hr burn time on them. Wish y'all a very merry and holy Christmas. Stay safe, God bless.

[@sarahstrong7174]

One winter I was iced in, at home & my boiler broke down. Fortunately I did have an emergency supply of tea lights & matches. It was extremely cold & all the ice prevented anyone coming to do repairs. The electricity also was out some of the time. I had an oil filled, electric, radiator I had on low constantly, while the electricity was on. This only really warmed one room. I was a bit concerned pipes might freeze & burst, so each night I placed one or two night lights on a plate in the kitchen sink and also some on a plate in the bath. These provided a little light to find my way around when the electricity was off & helped to keep the temperature just above freezing in the kitchen & bathroom to protect the pipes. I found that with two night lights in the bath-room that after a while it did warm the room enough that it felt more comfortable in there. It is essential that you make absolutely certain that there is nothing that can fall or blow close to the candles. My other tip is that battery run fairy lights are very good for providing light when you are moving around the house. You can drape them around your shoulders so the light moves with you while leaving your hands free.

[@emt1581]

Big fan of walmart tea lights. Didn't think to put them in the square buckets. Also bought 4 hurricane lamps at hobby lobby for half price recently. Redundency is our friend!

[@danam.8709]

Please get extra WICK for your lamps . So easily forgotten because they are not always right beside the lamps.

[@brianvandy4002]

I should add, if you are using them for heating, do the trick you used for cooking over them but put a clay pot upside down over the candles. We used to use this trick when we'd go camping or hunting in the fall in a truck camper. It kept the camper pretty warm overnight. The candles would heat the clay pot and that would radiate the heat.

[@DavidSmith3750]

Make sure the clay pot your using for heat does NOT. Have LEAD in it Your Lungs will appreciate it. Lowe’s has kits you may test your clay pot or Dishes.

[@lockergr]

@@DavidSmith3750 I was just thinking about what kind of non-toxic pots I can use for gardening.

[@patvanderwolf8300]

Great idea .. Australia here .. live in the tropics so don’t need the heater, but the idea of boiling water like that is great ..

[@danam.8709]

Walmart tee lights are 2.5 - 3 hours burn time, Ikea is usually +/-4 hours.... I agree with you whole heartedly I tuck tee lights in all sorts of 'bobs' and 'kits' for just in case. Mostly however I have them to keep beverages really warm for cold days and cold people.

[@fabricdragon]

if you happen to live near an IKEA they also have big packs of tea lights

[@briancarr186]

I've been using them in emergency kits for years. Primarily for lighting and as a heat source. Small lightweight easy to store.

[@jenniferbriski567]

Thats a great solution for heating up food when it's not quite cold enough to have a full fire going or when weather conditions are too windy for a BBQ or bonfire! Thanks for sharing.

[@jamesjross]

This is te BEST candle video i've seen. Thanks for not using Terracotta. It doesn't work and when it becomes a chimney it can dramatically increase flashing. Really good.

[@apprenticegilligan1635]

Great video. The metal cookie tins would probably also work like the nut tin.

[@mohammadayub2760]

Hi I used to work at Manchester Airport plus u used to live in my van my vans heater broke down I hade no money to fix it so I started using tea litghs to keep warm brilliant ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@sashaarr7122]

I just found your channel. I love candles and I have them stored everywhere. I don’t know why I haven’t thought about them for cooking before. Thank you for sharing this wonderful video. God bless you and your family

[@sweetsuccesstrading5097]

You could put the Heater and the Cooking tray on a Pizza Stone, which could be a little safer.

[@KellyS_77]

Mr. Johnathon sir...you look FABULOUS in glasses! My "tea light experience" includes an extended power outage at our apartment complex. I lived on an upper floor and was able to set up multiple tealights on the stairs so that my neighbors (and my spouse) wouldn't trip. I didn't have a lot of fancy candle holders, I just reused glass jars that would otherwise have been recycled.

[@JonathanBJones]

Why thank you Kelly...and thanks for your tealight comment. Although they are not the ideal tool for many situations, they are certainly useful in many others. I love the fact that they are inexpensive and easy to store. Thanks for being part of the solution!

[@compassion686]

Love this. I did watch the previous video but the reinforcement and education is much appreciated. And using tealights in the oven, brilliant idea. Merry Christmas !

[@GoodThingsEtc]

I havent any experience using tea lights, but i do have them. Thanks for the reminder of presnipping the candles before burning them!

[@williamclarke5658]

Fantastic advice! I tried this tonight because in my country we are facing power cuts this coming winter. ;( With five average tealights I managed to boil 3 x large pans of water in about 40 minutes at a time (not ideal if you are in a Hurry - but I worked it out enough to suit my needs). During that time I got plenty of warmth and some cosy illumination. All good to know in an emergency! PS. - I got a hot dinner, clean dishes, and a piping hot mug of hot chocolate! No Utility Bills Either! Thank you guys once again for my new favourite hobby! :)>

[@brianvandy4002]

Using the oven, you can probably prop the door open with a wooden spoon, instead of having the door open to the first detent. I'd think that would allow more heat retention inside.

[@marygallagher3428]

Fantastic deal on those tealight candles!

[@denisebolin-clark8826]

Thankyou so much for this. I live in an efficiency in the city w/no balcony for me and very little storage. This is the perfect emergency cooking idea for me. Y'all are the best and I really love how you explain things.

[@disabledvetnralifer932]

Merry Christmas you two

[@skwynts]

The part at the end where the soup was ate was the best part Lol 😆 😂 🤣 . Great video

[@microwavehead1517]

Thanks for everything you do. Good luck and best wishes from Ireland. ☘️

[@matty332010]

You guys are awesome, thanks for sharing with us all.

[@brightstarr57]

That is a great idea! I am going to get some for an emergency...thanks!

[@mauryroblovich]

Just found your channel and bingeing your content. Thanks for the info 🙏🏽

[@llocke8512]

You can now use rechargeable arc lighters to light your candles and they seem to work well, the stick versions. They also last a long time.

[@darlameeks]

Great ideas! You could also create a great heater over your pie pan and cooling rack there by putting a terra cotta planter pot upside down over the tea lights. You drill a hole in the bottom for ventilation. I've seen it done with a Crisco candle, too.

[@mastiffpeople4868]

YOU PEOPLE ARE O.G . LOVE IT!!!

[@bearrivermama6414]

That was a bargain! Great shopping! Looks like I have lots of catching up to do! I’ve missed quite a few great videos while on my digital detox 😂

[@elizabethsmith8446]

Thank you,

[@claudiapatry9454]

Hello ! ...Yes ! That's a Good Idea The Little candles .. But I'll Gonna See AT Walmart if They Still Have the Spécial ! 👍 ...Thank's For the Video ! .. 👋👋🤗 From Downtown Montreal ⚜️🇨🇦

[@cjensen1999]

I've been checking the local Walmarts around here, sadly they either don't carry the 100 count, or they're not on clearance. But I'll keep looking!

[@AIUnknown]

Wow! What a great find! I'll take a look at our Walmart IF we decide to brave the crowds this weekend. Might be a bunch on clearance after xmas. I also got the newest Big Buddy heater WITH THE FAN! So I'm happy about that!

[@helpyourpocket]

True; light, heat and means for cooking

[@chelms01]

Wow.. Great deal on the Tea lights

[@AyeJye]

I’m heading to Walmart TOMORROW!! 😂 I just went to Kroger and they had them for 2.49 ….

[@druelleb9620]

Thankyou! Great ideas for small spaces

[@janetturner6771]

Great info.. in an apartment. thanks

[@helenuk9582]

I’ve just come across your channel, great inexpensive ideas, thank you! 👍

[@constitutionalrepublic1966]

I have these exact candles, along with taper and small round ones for any occasion.

[@michelle-xh3fz]

Ive got to find y'all car emergency video I'm sure there is one I just have to find the time to find it I really enjoy the knowledge you give me I hope I never need it but if I do im ready because of yall

[@michelle-xh3fz]

@@TheProvidentPrepper I want to be sure to watch that in hopes I catch it

[@Dale-TND]

definitely a GREAT prep to have, they are too cheap and versatile to pass up. $1 is a bargain!

[@ShadowScoutSwede]

Thank you for the tips much appreciated and yes tealights are cheap even here in Sweden so that is something i will stock up on a little bit more.

[@apsutton336]

Wow in Australia U might get pack of six for four dollars Have used them for cooking great idea

[@KittyLovesGlover]

too bad votives didn't come in little cups! lol.. thank you for sharing, this is great!

[@Iceis_Phoenix]

WONDERFUL CONTENT 💗💗💗💗💗. I USE TEALIGHTS WITH MY RACLETTE !!!

[@NeverGiveUp-ib3xb]

You guys are so smart!

[@dan9002]

Hello, good information on cooking with candles. We had a big earthquake in California back in 1994 and used candles from around the house for lighting. We should have had designated long burning ones. After I made a emergency kit in a a heavy duty cardboard box after to be better prepared. After storing for 10 years I opened and tried the items. The lighters exploded when used and I suspect the gaskets shrank. The matches did work but the striker on the box got wet with some liquid soap that broke in the box. I now have some 15 hour emergency candles I bought on discount at a pharmacy store. Look out for discounts or in the area where items are marked down.

[@tammybenadventures4839]

Love this! I have the tea lights I’m going to make my emergency car kit!

[@LeeEngle]

Thank you!!! Merry Christmas. My website will be up next week and I list my favorite you tube channels - care to guess who is listed first?

[@NeverGiveUp-ib3xb]

Merry Christmas! My favorite couple!

[@judipepper6066]

Great vid! I have a zillion of those tea lights.🙋🏻NW GA

[@jerrodlopes186]

Useful info: Each tealight equals roughly 80 watts. Most space heaters are 1200-1500. You can heat an average sized room with 15-18 tealight candles. I use tea lights in a terra cotta chimenea. I put a pie tin on top with an electricity free Sterling motor stove fan on top to distribute the heat. I get about 6-8 hours out of the tea lights.

[@jamesjross]

The terracotta pot doesn't d anything when used safely (the laws of thermodynamics prove heating the air is as effective). When used as a chimney it can cause flashing. Do it they way they show, its far safer. I've heard horror stories in the past 5 years since people keep putting those crazy plant pot eaters online.

[@jerrodlopes186]

@@jamesjross the laws of thermodynamics do not say that heating a solid and a heated inert gas yield the same result. Your assertion would end weather patterns on Earth as we know them. There would be little to no wind and a car parked in Arizona at midday in the sunlight would have a surface temperature same as the ambient ground level air temp. Have you ever built or tried one of these? It's not "flashing" that's the problem, it's afterburn. All easily remedied by using a single flat ceramic surface to absorb and distribute heat via IR instead of a chimney which, as you semi-correctly surmised, is the biggest contributor to safety issues with these heaters.

[@jerrodlopes186]

@@jamesjross PS, that I've blocked the flue on my chimenea negates the draft needed for afterburn ignition. My chimenea works exceedingly well. I used to build and maintain fireplaces for a living. I know a little about the subject.

[@jamesjross]

@@jerrodlopes186 Oh my god. Do you believe in perpetual motion as well? comparing weather to heating a room - you're a numpty.

[@jerrodlopes186]

@@jamesjross do you believe that air and solid mass retain and radiate heat the same? I suppose it was a total waste of time for me to line my forge and foundry with refractory cement when air would've done just as good a job. You're a fool, not for being wrong, but for not being able to admit it. How many fireplaces and forges have you built? How many solid fuel heating appliances have you installed? Ever been certified by a national foundation for such? Had factory training for such? Or are just a guy talking on the internet from no experience?

[@mrhalfstep]

If you save some pencil shavings or saw dust (a small pencil sharpener is a great thing to use on a dry twig to make shavings) or sections of paper egg cartons, you can add them to the tea light after it's lit and burning. You get a bigger, hotter flame that puts its energy into a pan of water fast enough to get it boiling. The heat from a wick dissipates from the water almost as fast as the candle can put it in. Wadding up a ball of paper towel will work also. Any flammable material the sticks out above the level of the wax should work.

[@chelms01]

Good idea on how to store the tea lights! Thanks

[@homesteadinthehood11212]

🕯🕯🕯 Thank you for sharing. Be well and be safe. Peace

[@DoreenBellDotan]

Thank you. Sharing this.

[@ensignj3242]

It would be nice if you had a BOOK of all your hand outs, recipes.

[@darnellb85]

Thanks for the great information ℹ️ good to know what to do with 🍵 ☕️ 🕯

[@donnabootes7272]

Thank you so much what a great video I've just came across your channel 😊

[@quilterjanet]

You know those old fashioned glass square plates with glass cups they used for luncheons (back in the day)... I found the cups at DI and put of those in the emergency "box of light" with a tea light in it (and a huge pack to go with it. You can carry around the cup with the handle (like go to the bathroom) and the cup is clear so you can see better using the light.

[@adventure6583]

I might do a video on this!!👍👍

[@lockergr]

I really appreciate posts like this. This is something that literally _anyone_can afford. I'm wondering if I could ask a restaurant to save me a can like that. But I was thinking that you could use a pot lined with foil at home if you didn't have a can and wanted to make an emergency heater with tea lights. I still would like to know more about the absolute best items to purchase for emergency heating. Short-term those shoe inserts that you put in your boots or slippers will make you so hot that you want them out! I like the toe ones. These are good to pick up if your heating goes out, along with down-lined ski mittens. And long-term, I think that it really wouldn't hurt to have a slightly oversized pair of snow pants. I say oversized because you want to be able to really comfortably move in them and you don't want them pinching you. I can't fit into my ski pants anymore sadly.😭👖I have two pairs. I thought about just getting a pair of boys snow pants in like a size medium. Far cheaper than North Face!

[@Panbaneesha]

I've used tea lights to bake bread/cake several times. I use a larger cooking pot as an oven and place 8 tea lights about 6cm (just short of 2,5 inches) under the pot. In the pot you need something for the baking tin to stand on, so it doesn't touch the bottom of the pot directly (something metal, I use a wire coaster, but thumb tacks work). Then the springform baking tin with the dough goes into the pot, and the lid goes on. When the tea lights are burned out, the bread/cake is done. Since the moisture cannot escape, the bread doesn't dry out, but you can NEVER lift the pot lid even once. The temperature rises so slowly, it would ruin the baking process. Other than the bread having its crust on the bottom, it's just fine. I usually have the whole apparatus on a baking tray in my shower (with everything flammable far away), so I don't need to stand guard the whole time.

[@Panbaneesha]

@@TheProvidentPrepper Just saw your comment. I messaged you on your page. :)

[@Panbaneesha]

@@TheProvidentPrepper Let me know if you find it.

[@jadestar1580]

Great ideas! Thank you for the video. 🙏

[@trade0714]

Anytime you start a fire aren't you consuming oxygen? Wouldn't burning this emergency candle inside a close-up car be a problem?

[@charlenerogers8290]

Buy banquet trays at Walmart. It's at the party supply isle. The burner canisters are 1.00 at dollar tree. You can boil water to warm the air. And cook

[@MichaelR58]

Good video , thanks for sharing , God bless !

[@carolyn.turnerrose571]

Thank you 😊

[@diverdown922]

Great content, my wife and I watch all of your videos. Thank you for taking the time to share. How do you light the candles for your car warming can with wooden matches? Have a Merry Christmas!

[@bmiles4131]

Now I’m wondering if I can find nut cans that will nest so I can fix the inner one with a handle and holes to light them and drop down. I have a decorative candle holder like that, and it sure makes it easier.

[@BBoop40]

I place my candle and rack in the sink and feel safe with it in that space.

[@annbeth6730]

To keep warm in bed I have a memory foam leg pillow. It a absorbs body heat . No hot water bottle needed

[@andreacloyd3672]

Mine store had some onclear, but not 4 $1, but still $4 on of $5 reg pr. Plus they were all scented which makes them bad 4 cookin w the scent

[@thisoldbag8336]

Late to the tea candle cooking party, been doing home reno project. Haven't used tea candle to "cook" here in AZ. Have in the past used to keep tea water hot. Now that I am close to finishing home reno project, wanted to test tea lights out. What about making crisco oil candles for heat and/or cooking? Seeing other online make candles using vegetable shortening for heat source (with clay pots) and they say shortening has a long burn time vs tea lights.

[@tinamarion7022]

What did you empty to get this size can? Will this also work in commercial size canned vegetables?

[@naomisims7230]

The "flash" is real...it happened to me with the tea lights in a can. It happened because I accidentally sloshed the hot wax out of the tea candles inside the can, so it could be dangerous inside a car in particular. I was in my home at the time, so only part of the TV melted before I could get the pot holders to pick the can up to take it outside. Now I only use the 7-day candles.

[@jlove7839]

I wish it was one dollar in Lewisvile Texas

[@bmiles4131]

Watch the craft stores too

[@MarlissBombardier1]

Cooking with tea lights at a lower elevation will make the water boil better, too. I'm at a mile high, and cooking here is way different from when I lived at 40ft. elevation. It's like the water is lazy, lol.

[@pinschrunner]

@The Provident Prepper. Where did you get the square bucket please?

[@KashfuzzCrochet76]

One thing I do is light 5 or 6 at a time for a little warmth when I heater is just to much. ✌️🌻🌻

[@Pierre3513]

I wish they would have tlight sales in the U.K. we pay £20 or more for 100? So expensive but cheaper than gas for heating a small room.

[@phylbeeme2476]

Create a 'cozy' from aluminum foil to go around & over your pot or kettle. Make it about 1/4 -1/2 inch wider in circumference toward the top and 1 inch at the bottom. This will contain & concentrate the heat and force it up the sides. You can make a simple cover for the top. You won't believe how much more heat you get for cooking. You can get water to simmer or boil, depending on the size/shape of the pot.

[@dansmith760]

I like it

[@davidjones1393]

THKS

[@daughterofthemosthighgod9630]

Great idea 🤩

[@ginavandam735]

We have poweroutedge now and then. I keep a couple of lanterns with tealights in in strategic places. When I need them they are in place ready to use. Greetings from Sweden🇸🇪

[@JazzyMamaInAK]

If you live in the North, some snow and ice melt products come in square buckets, save them