Prison Hot Pots: A Comforting Danger

Prison food is notoriously unappetising, so it's no surprise that inmates often opt to cook their own meals. However, with limited access to cooking equipment, they have to get creative. One popular item is the hot pot, a small plastic kettle with a thermostat that prevents water from reaching boiling point. While it's intended for making tea, coffee, or soup, inmates modify their hot pots to cook bigger items. Some remove the thermostat or rewire the appliance to bypass the sensor, while others use it as a heating element to turn their metal bed frames into cooking surfaces.

Hot pots are used to make coffee, tea, and soup

A hot pot is a vessel used for cooking, often used by people in prison who have access to a power source to heat food and beverages. They can be used to make coffee, tea, and soup.

• Start with six ounces of cold water per serving.
• Pour the water into the hot pot and place over medium-high heat.
• Add one tablespoon of coffee per serving to the hot pot. If desired, add sugar at this stage.
• Bring the coffee mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Allow the mixture to boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
• Let the coffee sit for 4 minutes, then slowly pour it into cups, being careful to leave the coffee grounds in the pot.
• Add sugar and/or cream, if desired.

If you prefer tea, here is a traditional method for making a perfect cup:

• Bring enough water to fill your teapot twice to a full, rolling boil in a kettle.
• Pour the boiling water into the teapot and let it sit for a few moments to warm up, then pour out the water.
• Add one teaspoon of tea per cup of tea to the teapot, plus one for the pot.
• Add boiling water to the teapot, put the lid on, and let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes.
• Pour the tea through a strainer into cups.
• Offer guests sugar, honey, a slice of lemon, or milk to add to their tea.

Note that it is recommended to use china or earthenware teapots and avoid using cream—milk is preferable.

Soup can also be made in a hot pot, and there are many recipes available online. For example, a simple chicken broth can be made by boiling a whole chicken or chicken pieces in water with sliced ginger for 1-2 hours. The broth can then be seasoned and served as a tasty, nutritious soup.

They are made of heat-resistant polypropylene plastic

In prison, a hot pot is a flimsy plastic pot used for cooking. They are available for purchase in the commissary for $18.

These hot pots are made of heat-resistant polypropylene plastic, which is a thermoplastic polymer. Polypropylene is the second-most widely produced commodity plastic, after polyethylene. It is produced by chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene.

Polypropylene is tough, flexible, and reasonably economical. It has a high chemical resistance and is ideal for thermoforming, bending, and heat sealing applications. It is also resistant to fatigue and has good resistance to creep.

The melting point of polypropylene occurs over a range of temperatures, with commercial isotactic polypropylene having a melting point between 160-166°C (320-331°F). It starts to soften at 70°C (158°F) and loses strength at 180°F (82°C).

The properties of polypropylene depend on various factors such as molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, crystallinity, and the type and proportion of comonomers used. It can be categorized into three general types: homopolymer, random copolymer, and block copolymer.

Hot pots can be modified to cook bigger items

In prison, hot pots are modified to cook bigger items. The flimsy plastic hot pots available in the commissary are modified with bigger cans and creative rewiring to allow for the cooking of larger items.

Prisoners are quite ingenious in their modifications of hot pots, as they are limited to the tools and materials available to them. One common modification is to remove the thermostat or rewire the device to bypass the sensor that prevents the water from reaching boiling temperature. This allows prisoners to cook foods that require a higher temperature, such as ramen or soup.

Another creative modification is the "stinger," which involves using an electrical outlet, nail clippers, a power cord, and cold water from the tap to create a crude heating element. By clipping the two metal slabs of the nail clippers to the positive and negative wires of the power cord and dropping them into the water, the water can be heated to a boiling temperature.

Additionally, prisoners may use trash bags and the "stinger" to create a boil-in-the-bag setup, allowing them to cook larger items such as pasta or rice. This method involves placing the food in a bag with a small amount of water and submerging it in the heated water created by the "stinger."

Prisoners must also be cautious when modifying hot pots, as the guards will eventually confiscate them if they suspect any tampering. This leads to a constant cycle of innovation, cooking, and confiscation. Despite the challenges, prisoners find creative ways to modify their hot pots to cook a variety of bigger items and improve their dining experience during their incarceration.

They can be used to make tamales, spaghetti, and apple pies

A hot pot in prison is a creative way for incarcerated people to cook meals and have some sense of normalcy and comfort. With access to a hot pot, prisoners can prepare various dishes, including tamales, spaghetti, and even apple pies.

Tamales, a traditional Mexican dish, can be made in prison using ground-up Doritos or corn chips as a substitute for masa, mixed with hot water and butter to form a dough. Prisoners can then fill the dough with a mixture of shredded roast beef, summer sausage, and pork skins spiced with chili-garlic sauce.

Spaghetti, a classic Italian dish, can be cooked in a large pot with a simple recipe involving pasta, onions, ground beef or pork, garlic, tomato puree, and chopped tomatoes. The key is to salt the pasta water and ensure the pot is large enough for the pasta to cook properly.

Apple pies, a comforting dessert, can be prepared using a hot pot and easily accessible ingredients like apples, sugar, and butter. While the specific recipe for prison apple pies is not readily available, it is likely that prisoners get creative with their limited resources to recreate this classic dessert.

The process of preparing these dishes in prison involves ingenuity, community, and a complex supply chain. Prisoners often have to "figure out" how to obtain ingredients, sometimes through bartering or trading with other inmates or kitchen staff. It showcases the resilience and creativity of individuals who are determined to enjoy familiar foods and a sense of home, even in the challenging environment of prison.

Inmates can use hot pots to turn their beds into cooking surfaces

In a prison cell, a hot pot can be used creatively to turn the bed into a cooking surface. Inmate Jeron Combs, serving a 70-year sentence in a California prison, shared his innovative approach on TikTok. Combs took apart a small hot pot and isolated its circular heating element. By plugging the heating element into the wall, he was able to heat up his metal bed frame and use it as a stovetop. This allowed him to cook various meals, such as tacos, grilled sandwiches, and scrambled eggs, bringing a sense of normalcy and creativity to his incarceration.

The use of hot pots in prison cooking offers both advantages and challenges. On the one hand, hot pots provide inmates with a means to prepare their own meals, which can be a source of comfort and a way to connect with their cultural roots. It allows them to eat something other than the bland or unappetizing food typically served in the mess hall. Inmates can get creative with their recipes and experiment with different ingredients, often using items from the commissary or mess hall.

However, there are also challenges associated with using hot pots in prison cells. One issue is the limitation on cooking oil, as it is often banned due to safety concerns. Inmates have to resort to alternative methods, such as skimming oil from mayonnaise jars, to deep fry certain foods. Additionally, the process of modifying hot pots to cook larger items or reach higher temperatures can be risky. In some cases, inmates have rewired hot pots or modified them with bigger cans, which can lead to safety hazards and confiscation by prison guards.

Despite the challenges, the use of hot pots in prison cells showcases the resilience and ingenuity of inmates. By turning their beds into cooking surfaces, they are able to prepare meals that remind them of home and provide a sense of community within the prison walls. It is a testament to their creativity and determination to make the most of their limited resources.

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