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I think the fact that you'd need a natural gas pipeline, or a propane tank out back, kind of negates the "disconnected from the grid" thingy.

Also, where does one get the energy to heat the magic box to 1800 F?

from the box itself, i'd guess... electric heating elements?

electric heating elements to get 1800F? Wouldn't that take more power than this thing would create? I missed the part about heating to 1800.

The chemical reaction heats up the box. However, large amounts of insulation is needed to retain the heat.