From a backpacking / camping point of view, the use of ultralight, low flame velocity cooking systems like denatured alcohol and Hexamine tablet stoves are often challenged by wind to achieve a rolling boil despite use of most windscreens. Even IsoPro canister stoves and all-in-one IsoPro tower water boiling systems can be challenged, but more easily achieve a rolling boil at the expense of more fuel used. In fact, with pre-filtered or filtered water, heating until Pasteurization (the 'inactivation' of pathogens) is achieved can save fuel for canister users and achieve more than adequately hot water free from microorganisms.
This WAPI device floats in the liquid; the original model is suspended by a weighted wire. Both have a capsule filled with a specific wax which melts completely at the temperature-time product at which Pasteurization has been achieved. Place the capsule with wax at top, and when it is a pool of liquid at the bottom of the capsule, the liquid has been Pasteurized. The time-at-temperature required decreases rapidly as the temperature achieved exceeds 160F.
Two caveats for the backpacker/camper:
1. Some Freeze Dried meals REQUIRE water at 212F/100C, and REQUIRE a long length of time, and really NEED a cozy or insulated bag to keep the process of rehydration working.
2. Some freezer-bag meals may benefit from immersion in hotter water as they need to 'cook' at a certain temperature for a certain length of time. Pasteurization (of liquid) occurs at about 160F for 10 minutes (much more for foods suspended in a solution, of course), so the wax can melt if heat is sustained just enough to achieve the melting of the wax, but to adequately 'cook' the food you may need a good deal longer in the hot water achieved or, better, continued heating for even hotter water.
3. For a nice hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa, water needs to be at 180F.
4. One can learn what the bubbles (of water) look like at the point the WAPI wax is completely melted, but note that altitude reduces atmospheric pressure and lowers boiling point (e.g., 200F @ 12,000ft), so cooking time for foods must be significantly increased. Fortunately, while boiling temperature decreases with altitude, any boiling temperature (on earth's surface) is still higher than that needed to achieve Pasteurization, and a WAPI device can demonstrate that.
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