Well unfortunately i cant seem to find myself a hot plate, but as the thinker I am. I was thinking, hey what about those things we grill pancakes on, I think they call it a gridle, it looks kind of like a big hotplate. Would this work as a substitute?

Any cooker with a temperature dial that goes over 212F should suffice. So long as you can get into it without burning the hell out of yourself. Have you looked in the 'crock pot' area in the kitchen section of your local department stores? Another area to look in would be in camping supplies. If nothing else... purchase something, keep the reciept, place a pan of water on it and see if it boils. If not, return it. If you're out in the sticks like I am, I know that can be a pain in the ass... Best of luck. (you might also consider looking to see if you can purchase something like this online.)

portable hotplates are quite cheap from your local electrical appliance store-- about $60--if your using like an electrical frying pan, the area of the beaker or pot that actually sits on the heated surface is quite small--it speeds it up tenfold if you put in about 3/4 of an inch of oil for the beaker or pot to sit in to--peanut oil is best as it has a high boiling point--good luck

I have used a coffee maker with the top part taken off. No temp controll though. Good for evaping stuff.