Patent ID: 8276788

Claim:
A method of heating a product dispensed from a handheld container having a nozzle for discharging the product from the container, the method comprising: (a) providing a discharge assembly that is coupled to the container, the discharge assembly having a discharge housing that defines a reservoir and is in fluid communication with the nozzle for receiving the discharged product from the nozzle and collecting the discharged product within the reservoir, the upper end of the discharge housing having a strainer and a product access port formed therein; (b) introducing a warm liquid into the reservoir of the discharge housing; (c) discharging an amount of product from the container into the reservoir by manually actuating the nozzle, the discharged product being at a temperature below that of the warm liquid, and allowing the discharged product to mix with the warm liquid, the discharged product being of a consistency such that the discharged product does not substantially degrade immediately when in contact with the warm liquid; (d) allowing the discharged product to be warmed by the warm liquid; (e) separating the warm liquid from the discharged product by pouring out at least a majority of the warm liquid from the discharge housing through the strainer, the strainer being configured so that at least a majority of the discharged product is retained within the reservoir after pouring out the liquid; and then (f) removing the discharged product through the product access port of the housing.