Hot stones - profressional warmer vs. crock pot vs. roaster

[John S.]

To everyone that does Hot Stone therapy - do you have any advice on a professional stone warmer? I've tried crock pots, but find them too small and deep and too hot. I now have a large roasting pan which is bigger and allows for lower heat but is still awkward to use. I'm considering buying a professional stone warmer (they are hard to find but there is one online at BannerTherapy. com) so I wanted to get other peoples advice first.

I really think crock pots and roasters aren't designed for massage work and are too hot - not to mention that they look very unprofessional.

I would love to hear from someone who has worked in a spa with this kind of professional equipment, or get other's thoughts on the above topic. Thanks!

 

[Sarah <3]

I have not actually used the "professional spa hot stone roaster" myself but another therapist at the spa where I work got one and it seems to be basically the same as the turkey roaster you get from walmart. Other than the branding and look of it, it seems the same. She much prefers using the skillet over the spa stone warmer in the spa, because the skillet heats up faster and the temperature can be adjusted more quickly/acurately. In a spa where you may have to do a hot stone massage on very short notice, this is pretty necessary.

I myself like to use very VERY large stones I harvested locally and they won't fit in a skillet. So I like to use the turkey roaster from walmart, 16 quart, I think. I don't think they look unprofessional. Maybe I've just been using them for so long that I don't notice, but I really think they are fine.

I feel that using stones, to me, always feels more awkward than a stone-free massage. I have gotten good enough at it and streamlined it enough that it doesn't bother me anymore. But there is always that one time I heat them up too hot on accident and have to handle them massageplanetefully, no matter what heater I'm using, or something happens to throw me off. It just adds to the complexity of the treatment, more things can "go wrong" since you're using equipment, etc. I think there is something less than ideal about each piece of stone warming equipment and you just have to find the one that works for you, or that you are willing to work with.

What do you find awkward about the roasting pan (I'm assuming this is the large turkey roaster from walmart)? And have you tried a skillet?

 

[Cyclist 2300]

Not sure why you're finding finding stone heater hard to find - the spa pro heater is available from lots of places online.
Crock pots, rice cookers, frypans, hot towel cabinets, etc are all designed to function at a heat higher than you should be working with stones.

Roasters are also designed to work at a higher temp, but they can be turned low enough to work with stones (unlike crock pots/rice cookers that usually just have warm/low and high/cook). The spa pro stone heaters ARE roasters, they're exactly the same as the nesco turkey roasters, except they have a stainless steel finish and say 'stone heater' on it. If you are working with a roaster and finding it is still awkward to use, the spa pro heater won't make much difference, it just looks a bit more professional, doesn't make it easier to use, other than the marks say soemthing a little different. (Nesco used to have stone heater info on their website, but I think they realised people would go for the cheaper kitchen model....)

The Amber stone heaters look amazing, but are based on their paraffin heater, they don't have good recovery time if you put stones back in the heater to warm up a lot, plus they're a bit small.

Did you do any training? They usually recommend something in training.

 

[Question]

check with your insurance co. there was another thread on a different forum that brought to light that ABMP won't cover you unless you use the professional warmer.

good luck!

 

[Cramle]

Just wanted to add.... Mary Nelson (developed the LaStone technique) worked with the manufacturers of roasters (not sure which one) to develop the stone warmer. Although they look very similar, the one made for stones is specifically designed to hold a more stable temperature than the pot roasters.

 

[Jane]

According to an article I read in Massage and Bodywork mag, it is the Nesco Spa Pro warmer. The wiring in the Spa Pro is supposed to be designed specifically for stone warming, keeping a more even heat than a typical roaster.

wellnessgarden

 

[Ontario Loyalist]

Thanks and to clarify...

I realize that there are Nesco Spa-Pro massage stone heaters available that are basically like roasters but I didn't realize that they had better/different wiring to maintain better temperatures. That was helpful. I find the large roasters are too hot and inconsistent in temperatures.

When I said the "pro" models are hard to find, I was referring to ones like the one on this website (I cannot list the full link b/c I'm a new member).

bannertherapy dot com - search for item #96-020
Any advice on these spa pro heaters would be much appreciated.

Thanks again!

 

[Julie E]

I have seen the Spa Pros' available at a site called Goodmans, here is the link..

http://www.goodmans.net/get_list_671.htm

I haven't ordered from them yet, so I don't know how they are, but I have noticed the smaller unit has increased a bit in price over the last couple of months.

wellnessgarden

 

[Kevin W]

Oh, so you don't mean the nesco spa pro heater, you mean the 'Standard Professional Stone Heater' that's an Amber heater, based on paraffin, doesn't really recover well enough if you are replacing a lot of stones. http://store.amberproducts.com/browse.cfm/2,127.html I think the retangular ones are a bit better than their Stone Spa heaters, but not great at recovery. Bruce Baltz uses the Amber heater in his DVD (one of the best DVDs around), though sells the nesco spa pro heaters.

Most posts on here about stone heaters are about how to spend less than $90, not if the $350 model is any good!

So the only challenge you find with the roaster is too hot and inconsistent? I'd believed everyone that had posted on here before that the roasters were exactly the same as the spa pro heaters, this is the first thread anyone has mentioned different wiring, but it's in this http://www.massageandbodywork.com/Articles/AprilMay2007/SolidGround.html

 

[balle b]

I have worked with both a professional stone heater, and a skillet and found the pro. heater to be much more user friendly. I got the one I use in my private practice off of the MW website.
http://www.massagewarehouse.com/itemdetail~cat~~MENU~~item~281+0001.asp
I used it at a spa I worked at in NY and liked how I could control the temp, and how deep it was. I can fit 3-6 large stones, 12-18 med stones, and a bunch of little toe/finger stones with no problems. It does take about 20 min to heat the stones evenly, but if you start with hot water, it takes half the time. Reheating the stones is not a problem either.
Another spa I worked at had a different technique that I didn't find very easy, but they had been doing it that way for quite some time and had no problems.
They used a skillet to warm the stones to the desired temp. and then transfered them onto a tray that had a heating pad on it. They would lay the stones on half the pad, and then cover them with the other half. I didn't feel like the stones held the heat long, and didn't re-heat well, but like I said they had no issues with clients not loving the session.

 

[fatima]

I use a $25 chicken-size roaster from WalMart. The larger $40 turkey-size roaster I use for hot towels and my rice bags.

The only problem I have had is with occasional scorching of the edges of towels. If I spritz them with water from a spray bottle before putting them in--it solved this problem.

 

[ZoomN]

I have the professional warmers and work for a facility that uses the kitchen models.
You need the large roaster style to accomodate enough stones to do a full body.
I think that skillets and crock pots don't cut it at all...unless you are only using a few stones. I know a couple of people that keep a few in their hot towel cabi's.

The "professional" stone heaters are exactly the same as the kitchen roasters.
I have NOT found that either of them ever maintains a consistent heat.
They both "cycle". If you set a temp it goes on until up to that temp then clicks off.
They do not make anything different that I am aware of.

 

[joewillgo]

I use the skillet at the spa where I work and it holds enough stones to do a full body. The stones I use in the skillet I purchased at Rub Rocks. I know some people have different ways of doing it, but once I use a stone, I put it right back in the skillet. It holds about 2 giant stones, 4 large stones, 10-15 medium stones, and some facial and toe stones. I arrange them so they are sitting on their edge, with some of the large stones only half of them is submerged. But that doesn't seem to affect how they are heated by the water. They still get very hot.

I also use the non-skid drawer liner to line the bottom. It keeps the stones in place and I got a yellow one so it helps me see the stones better.

After each treatment I fully wash every stone and the skillet.

 

[Shae]

Great idea for the bottom of the heater! I just use a towel, and it's dark and hard to see the stones. I am going to go pick some of that up today!

 

[Night Otter]

I use a towel, but it's white so I can see it easily.

Angie