Can vegetable shortening really become an emergency heat source during a power outage?

In this video, Harold tests a homemade Crisco-powered terracotta heater made from ordinary household materials, including vegetable shortening, short candle wicks, a flowerpot, and a metal duct elbow. The setup can become surprisingly hot, with one demonstration reaching around 339°F at the surface, but that does not automatically mean it can heat an entire room.

We look at what is actually happening inside the heater, how the terracotta and metal redirect heat, why surface temperature can be misleading, and where this idea stops being practical.

In this video:
How a Crisco wick can sustain a flame
Why the terracotta pot becomes so hot
What the metal duct elbow actually does
The difference between surface temperature and room-heating ability
Why adding more flames is not necessarily better
Important stability and fire-safety considerations
What makes sense during a real power outage
Whether this homemade heater is actually useful

This is best viewed as a controlled household experiment, not as a replacement for a properly designed home heater. Open flames, hot metal, hot ceramic, and combustible fuel can create serious fire and burn hazards. Never leave a flame unattended, use it while sleeping, or place it near combustible materials.

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What should Harold test, build, or explain in the next video? Leave your idea in the comments.