Hi there! I just heard about Huel and I’m very curious about it.
Currently, I use Soylent for my daily lunches at work. I keep their pre-portioned bottles in my fridge and take one to work in an insulated bag in my backpack, which keeps it cool enough that I don’t need a fridge. The pre-packaged bottles are reeeeally convenient (and I’m reeeeally lazy).
Huel looks pretty awesome and I think I’d like to try it. But, is the shaker sturdy & airtight, or would it explode/leak in my backpack on the way to work?
Also, does Huel get clumpy if it sits around for a few hours (or overnight in the fridge)?
I keep my Huel shaker in a side pocket on my backpack and it’s never leaked. You just need to make sure the cap is on tightly and that you’ve screwed the top on correctly. I’ve not had a problem. I’ve also not had trouble with Huel getting clumpy if I mixed it well enough. Sitting in a fridge overnight will cause it to thicken. So if you know you’ll be doing that, I would think about putting some extra water in there to compensate.
I wouldn’t trust the Huel shaker. Mine has gotten me wet a few times, I have stopped using them and now use blender bottles. Maybe I am doing something wrong but a blender bottle has never leaked on me.
I don’t know if I’m going to be hungry for lunch, so i wouldn’t make it ahead and carry the liquid.
Instead, I keep a lunch portion of Huel powder in a small container. I keep an extra shaker bottle at my desk. When I need a boost of nutrition, I mix it with water from the kitchenette.
I tried storing the powder in the shaker, despite the very clear directions to add water THEN powder. If it is the plastic creating a static bond or just that the powder settles into the inside surface of the bottle, it’s really hard to shake off the bottom. So yeah, liquid first, add powder to prevent those difficult clumps.
BTW, Huel is SO much better than Soylent. A coworker let me try a bottle of hers, I shared some Huel. Now she uses Huel; currently extolling the virtues of mixing with coffee and refrigerating overnight. admittedly, I prefer on-demand as needed.
The other trick I’ve learned is that, when adding additional water after the first water, then powder, then shake, fill it from the top spout instead of unscrewing it. Otherwise, you get some splashing from material in the cap, and the threads get clogged, opening up the way for further leaking.
For quicker clean-up (and more hydration), when you’re done, refill the bottle, shake (including some circular swishing) to get the remaining particles suspended, then drink it up. It gets rid of 90% of the residue in my experience.
Closed properly, the Huel shaker is water-tight. If it is not, it is probably damaged, defective, or misused (cross-threaded). I’d be a little careful that you don’t throw it in a situation where the spout-cap could catch on something and come loose. Probably wouldn’t happen easily, but would be a possibility if just thrown into a bag with other things.
As to if it is airtight, I doubt it. That is a bit higher standard and I am guessing some gases (air) could leak in and out. What exactly is meant by airtight probably would also need to be examined from the perspective of the relative pressure between inside and outside the container (for example due to temperature changes).
Yep, definitely not water tight under internal pressure. If you pour in a hot liquid, then shake, liquid will be forced out the seams at in noisy spurts, likely caused by the heating (and expansion) of the air in the shaker. Did not try it with a shake having no air as that has no practical usage for me)
Also, regarding airtight. If you seal your shaker, then heat it in the microwave, the rise in internal air pressure will cause the spout cap to (somewhat explosively) pop off.
admittedly, I prefer on-demand as needed.