Abstract: A container houses an inner container with food or another product to be heated or cooled. An insert at least partially surrounds the inner container with a first temperature-change reagent inside the insert. A penetrable barrier is disposed between the first reagent and a second reagent. An actuator breaches the barrier to allow the first and second reagents to heat or cool the material inside the inner container. An outer shroud at least partially surrounds the insert. At least one spacer is present between the outer shroud and the insert, with thermally insulating air gaps present adjacent the spacer. The spacer also has an internal vent channel running through it for venting pressure from the internal volume in which the reagents mix to the atmosphere outside the assembly.

Abstract: A container assembly heats or cools a product inside an inner container. An outer jacket at least partially surrounds the inner container, with a first internal volume and a second internal volume in the space between the outer jacket and the inner container. A first temperature-change reagent is contained inside the first internal volume, and a second temperature-change reagent is held in the second internal volume, with a reagent separator between the two. Several penetrators are disposed to penetrate the reagent separator to produce openings through the separator and through which the two reagents can mix. Steel wool inside the first internal volume acts as a steam condenser. The outer jacket includes a jacket top ring secured around an upper surface of a standard can, a jacket body secured to the jacket top, and a flexible jacket bottom that carries several spikes molded onto the jacket bottom.