Able to boil 12 cups of water in five minutes 
                        using only a few twigs and sticks is one invention
                        which has served its users in all weather and conditions 
                        without a hitch for over 60 years.
                        The invention is the Thermette or Benghasi 
                        Boiler. It has a simple and highly efficient design. Basically it 
                        consists of a cone shaped chimney which runs through a 
                        water jacket.
                        It stands about half a metre high and can be fuelled 
                        with anything, from sticks and newspaper to gas or 
                        kerosene.        
                         The tapered chimney causes the air and smoke to rise 
                        quickly, creating an area of low pressure which rapidly 
                        draws in air to fuel the flames and create a lot of heat 
                        energy. This combines with the large surface area of the 
                        cone shaped chimney to transfer the heat to the water 
                        very quickly. It was first invented in 1929 by John 
                        Ashley Hart but became a cultural icon and 
                        found its true home and place in New Zealand's history 
                        during the Second World War. For 
                        New Zealand soldiers fighting the deserts of 
                        North Africa the Thermette became a standard 
                        and treasured piece of equipment and earned 
                        the nickname the `Benghasi Boiler'. The Thermette caught
                        on and came with the guarantee to boil up water for 12 cups
                        of tea in five minutes in any weather with any fuel or your 
                        money back.
                        It was originally advertised with the slogan `the more the 
                       wind the quicker it boils', indicating its usefulness in bad 
                       weather when other stoves might not work. However it was not 
                       until World War Two that the Thermette's useful and clever 
                       design really earned its keep. the `fastest water boiler around'
                       was issued as standard equipment to every small army unit.