Here's an interesting gadget. I wonder if it works.
A portable personal electric generator that doubles as a cooking pot. Or. A cooking pot that doubles as a portable personal electric generator.
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zski wrote on May 18^th, 2012 at 1:26pm:

Thermoelectric wafers are interesting products.  They work in a 3-way mode.  If you apply electricity, one side of the wafer gets hot while the other gets cold.  This is the concept behind many low voltage heating/cooling units that you can plug into your automobile.  (I have one that I sometimes use in the summer to keep drinks cold while I'm driving.  I even used it to cool off a couple of beers after last years canoe trip so they would be at a drinkable temperature after driving for a few hours.  My unit will heat/cool to about 35 degrees higher/lower than the ambient temperature.)

Alternately, the wafer can produce electricity as a consequence of applying heat (or cold) to one side.  The temperature differential produces current ... which is what is being produced by the product described above.

The units are not overly efficient, but if you are using "waste heat" anyway, you might as well take advantage it.  I wonder if it could be applied in the reverse to provide electricity or heat in winter?

dd