Counter top formica

Has anyone used a formica counter top for their E brew system. Will the heat from the kettle burn the counter top? I found a good deal and I am scared to pull the trigger. Help...

You could put something under the kettles. I would use something like this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kimberly...gclid=CJv1-6aClcUCFeZj7Aodzi0Arg&gclsrc=aw.ds

I would think the formica could bubble and then crack. That is what happened when a hot pan was put on my counter once.

I use my e-keggle directly on a formica counter top with zero issues.
The air gap on a Sanke keg offers adequate clearance to prevent any heat buildup.

A kettle making direct contact might result in higher surface temperatures.

A hot pan straight off of the stove could well be a lot hotter than boiling point, which is the highest temperature an e-kettle can get (unless you fill it with oil or something. Don't do that). That's probably safe enough on Formica.

Edit: the university of Google says that Formica is fine up to 180C, so it'll work fine.

Although the Formica will hold up, the glue underneath may give out. I would put something in between, so air can circulate a bit.

I'll add to the put something in between camp. The glue holding it down will probably be your biggest issue as it gets soft at temps much lower than what formica will deal with, leading to separation issues.

bgarino said:

Has anyone used a formica counter top for their E brew system. Will the heat from the kettle burn the counter top? I found a good deal and I am scared to pull the trigger. Help...

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I would put something between your kettle and your Formica counter just to be safe

The Wrath of SWMBO can be brutal

choose wisely

S_M

Keep your StarSan bottle off it...........It'll leave some nice marks on it, if there's any "dribble" down the side of the bottle..........Just ask my Wife, ( about her nice, dark, granite look, getting ready to sell the house countertops....)

brew_ny said:

I would put something between your kettle and your Formica counter just to be safe

The Wrath of SWMBO can be brutal

choose wisely

S_M

Click to expand...

Get a 2x2 piece of wood from HD or Lowe's - cheap insurance
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Project-Panels-Sanded-Plywood-Common-15-32-in-x-2-ft-x-2-ft-Actual-0-451-in-x-23-75-in-x-23-75-in-1502010/202089016

Stealthcruiser said:

Keep your StarSan bottle off it...........It'll leave some nice marks on it, if there's any "dribble" down the side of the bottle..........Just ask my Wife, ( about her nice, dark, granite look, getting ready to sell the house countertops....)

Click to expand...

Ditto. Our Formica top now has an oval ring of a custom matte finish, exactly in the shape of a Starsan bottle's bottom.

As for hot kettles, get a scrap of plywood and use that as a trivet.

You can get cork flooring at Home Depot to make a few trivets.

Ive used both a kettle and a keg for over a year now and see no effects from the heat. As well as tons of water and wort spilled on it. Its up to you what you want to do for precautions, but for me, I got the table top for free and built my crappy stand for basically no cost.

My next stand will be much nicer, but until that time, I'm happy with mine, and take no extra precautions to protect it.

I did some serious damage with star san, switched to granite and now I cover them with towels when I brew