Mr D's Thermal Cooker vs other cooking pots

[Halesowenmum]

Hi all

 

I read about the above cooker on another thread about saving money and had a look. I've now recovered from the £75 or more price tag and wondered, could you not make something like that yourself?

 

Could you sear your meat in a pan, add the stock/veg, bring to boil, simmer for 15 mins.

 

Then, would a thick polystyrene box do the trick do you think? Do you think it would have to be very tight fitting or could you pad it out with straw let's set to fill in the insulation gap??? Just wondered if that would work... I like all these ideas which use insulation to complete cooking - then you can leave the thing on the counter, head off for the day, and dinner will be done when you get back - without using any power over and above the first 10-15 minutes heating it all up time.

 

I am imagining that leaving a pot of stew to cook on a stove top would end up a dried up and burnt on the bottom disaster (but tell me if I'm wrong!!).

 

I like anything where you get double duty out of fuel/heating or whatever!!

[ditchcrawler]

Hi all

 

I read about the above cooker on another thread about saving money and had a look. I've now recovered from the £75 or more price tag and wondered, could you not make something like that yourself?

 

Could you sear your meat in a pan, add the stock/veg, bring to boil, simmer for 15 mins.

 

Then, would a thick polystyrene box do the trick do you think? Do you think it would have to be very tight fitting or could you pad it out with straw let's set to fill in the insulation gap??? Just wondered if that would work... I like all these ideas which use insulation to complete cooking - then you can leave the thing on the counter, head off for the day, and dinner will be done when you get back - without using any power over and above the first 10-15 minutes heating it all up time.

 

I am imagining that leaving a pot of stew to cook on a stove top would end up a dried up and burnt on the bottom disaster (but tell me if I'm wrong!!).

 

I like anything where you get double duty out of fuel/heating or whatever!!

We use a slow cooker while travelling.

[Grace and Favour]

Hi all

 

I read about the above cooker on another thread about saving money and had a look. I've now recovered from the £75 or more price tag and wondered, could you not make something like that yourself?

 

Could you sear your meat in a pan, add the stock/veg, bring to boil, simmer for 15 mins.

 

Then, would a thick polystyrene box do the trick do you think? Do you think it would have to be very tight fitting or could you pad it out with straw let's set to fill in the insulation gap??? Just wondered if that would work... I like all these ideas which use insulation to complete cooking - then you can leave the thing on the counter, head off for the day, and dinner will be done when you get back - without using any power over and above the first 10-15 minutes heating it all up time.

 

I am imagining that leaving a pot of stew to cook on a stove top would end up a dried up and burnt on the bottom disaster (but tell me if I'm wrong!!).

 

I like anything where you get double duty out of fuel/heating or whatever!!

 

Yes! although whatever you're cooking will affect the success rate/time required/volume of liquid required of course.

 

 

(example linky - though there are many many ways of doing it - but I think one of the key ingredients in every recipe will be a big portion of 'trial and error'!)

anotherexample

Edited February 16, 2013 by Grace & Favour

[jelunga]

We use a slow cooker while travelling.

We do to. Little cheapee from Argos. 30w I think?

[pete.i]

Hi

 

Slow cookers are good we have just bought one but not to use on the boat as we aren't livaboards, although we will be taking the proceeds of the cooker on board when we go for a cruise. But when I was in the army, many moons ago, the cookies used to use hay boxes. Basically a big thick steel box which had another steel lining inside and inside that was a removeable container that contained the food. This was either a stew or it could have separate containers that contained whatever foods they decided to put in. Between the outer box skin and the inner lining was packed straw. The contents were usually made the night before by the cooks and then we took them out into the field when we were doing whatever army types did in those days, usually practicing for nuclear war in Germany in my case LOL, the contents had been cooking overnight just using the latent heat of the contents and by the time we got to eat the contents they were still hot and delicious all without any power other than the initial cooking. Obviously in this day and age I would have thought that there would be much better insulating materials and more practical boxes. I'm afraid that to find those more efficient "hay boxes" will be down to you if they exist. But it worked for us army lads back then.

 

Pete

[Bob18]

Failing the availability a "proper" army issue hay box you can always use a quilt or duvet.

Simply get the nosh hot, seal it in a suitable container, then wrap it up in a quilt or duvet. After a few few hours, devour the contents, then use the now warm quilt/duvet to snuggle up in...

[Grace and Favour]

Failing the availability a "proper" army issue hay box you can always use a quilt or duvet.

Simply get the nosh hot, seal it in a suitable container, then wrap it up in a quilt or duvet. After a few few hours, devour the contents, then use the now warm quilt/duvet to snuggle up in...

 

Oh ~ to fall asleep in a Vindaloo scented duvet..........

[Halesowenmum]

Failing the availability a "proper" army issue hay box you can always use a quilt or duvet.

Simply get the nosh hot, seal it in a suitable container, then wrap it up in a quilt or duvet. After a few few hours, devour the contents, then use the now warm quilt/duvet to snuggle up in...

 

I like your thinking!

 

Oh ~ to fall asleep in a Vindaloo scented duvet..........

 

Ahh yes indeed! And this issue of smelliness is why I hate having to use my cooker (in my house currently) - I always end up reeking of roast chicken. I love a roast but always end up ponging. These days I'm so skint I've not seen a joint of pork beef or lamb for about a year. I do chicken thighs and get the skin really crispy - much cheaper even than a whole chicken and the kids (and me!) get more crispy skin per mouthful of chicken than you do with a whole bird!! Yummy.

 

Live life, eat the skin that's what I say.

 

Hi

 

Slow cookers are good we have just bought one but not to use on the boat as we aren't livaboards, although we will be taking the proceeds of the cooker on board when we go for a cruise. But when I was in the army, many moons ago, the cookies used to use hay boxes. Basically a big thick steel box which had another steel lining inside and inside that was a removeable container that contained the food. This was either a stew or it could have separate containers that contained whatever foods they decided to put in. Between the outer box skin and the inner lining was packed straw. The contents were usually made the night before by the cooks and then we took them out into the field when we were doing whatever army types did in those days, usually practicing for nuclear war in Germany in my case LOL, the contents had been cooking overnight just using the latent heat of the contents and by the time we got to eat the contents they were still hot and delicious all without any power other than the initial cooking. Obviously in this day and age I would have thought that there would be much better insulating materials and more practical boxes. I'm afraid that to find those more efficient "hay boxes" will be down to you if they exist. But it worked for us army lads back then.

 

Pete

 

Interesting stuff! I suppose nuclear would cook your stew in a trice! (Let's not try that one!!).

 

I've use slow cookers before and agree they are really good (make a great macaroni cheese in them for instance not just stew-type meals) but I thought I'd look at this heat it and cook it with residual heat/insulation thing as I like the idea of it not using any further power as it stews away for another 6-8 hours. Perfect for when I come in knackered after a day at work. Maybe I'll try something out on these lines before I get onto a NB so my technique is perfected by then! You can all come round for a lovely stew!

 

Thanks everyone for their input - muchos appreciatos.

[ditchcrawler]

I like your thinking!

 

 

 

Ahh yes indeed! And this issue of smelliness is why I hate having to use my cooker (in my house currently) - I always end up reeking of roast chicken. I love a roast but always end up ponging. These days I'm so skint I've not seen a joint of pork beef or lamb for about a year. I do chicken thighs and get the skin really crispy - much cheaper even than a whole chicken and the kids (and me!) get more crispy skin per mouthful of chicken than you do with a whole bird!! Yummy.

 

Live life, eat the skin that's what I say.

 

 

 

Interesting stuff! I suppose nuclear would cook your stew in a trice! (Let's not try that one!!).

 

I've use slow cookers before and agree they are really good (make a great macaroni cheese in them for instance not just stew-type meals) but I thought I'd look at this heat it and cook it with residual heat/insulation thing as I like the idea of it not using any further power as it stews away for another 6-8 hours. Perfect for when I come in knackered after a day at work. Maybe I'll try something out on these lines before I get onto a NB so my technique is perfected by then! You can all come round for a lovely stew!

 

Thanks everyone for their input - muchos appreciatos.

If you have a solid fuel stove on the boat you could always stand a pot on top of that.

[Dyertribe]

If you google "hay box" you will find instructions on how to make a modern version using a cool box and polystyrene. We used the old fashioned version in Girl Guide camp

 

You can roast a chicken in a slow cooker too. I particularly like stuffed and rolled breast of lamb cooked this way, it's known as roily poly meat in our house! Tasty and inexpensive too

[Halesowenmum]

If you google "hay box" you will find instructions on how to make a modern version using a cool box and polystyrene. We used the old fashioned version in Girl Guide camp

 

You can roast a chicken in a slow cooker too. I particularly like stuffed and rolled breast of lamb cooked this way, it's known as roily poly meat in our house! Tasty and inexpensive too

 

 

Ooohm roly poly meat - that sounds bloomin' fab. Yum Yum. I shall head off to Google tute de sweet and see what they can show me on the rig-up you've spoken of.

 

All I need is a narrowboat now I guess lol!!

[Ex- Member]

If you google "hay box" you will find instructions on how to make a modern version using a cool box and polystyrene. We used the old fashioned version in Girl Guide camp

 

You can roast a chicken in a slow cooker too. I particularly like stuffed and rolled breast of lamb cooked this way, it's known as roily poly meat in our house! Tasty and inexpensive too

 

 

 

I've looked in to quite a few of these eco cooking items and I do like some of them, at the end of the day though a pressure cooker takes some beating, were full time aboard and cook a lot even been baking loads of stuff in the last month. I have 1 of 3 gas bottles connected and that's still going since mid October, so 4 months and we boil water with gas for tea and coffee.

 

You're not going to save any real money or the planet with one of these type cooking impliments so we didn't bother. the pressure cooker is very efficient.

Edited February 16, 2013 by Julynian

[Halesowenmum]

Wonder how good these are?

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2121794/Wonderbag-It-looks-like-beanbag-So-does-cook-soups-stews-porridge-perfection.html

 

Thought they looked good from the point of view of not taking up a massive amount of room like an esky or big box might. I've got a few beanbags that could be pressed into service to help cook my food instead of sitting on them!

[Grace and Favour]

Wonder how good these are?

 

http://www.dailymail...perfection.html

 

Thought they looked good from the point of view of not taking up a massive amount of room like an esky or big box might. I've got a few beanbags that could be pressed into service to help cook my food instead of sitting on them!

 

Chickens work wonders by sitting on eggs - - so maybe sitting on a chicken buried in your beanbag may work wonders?

[Chris Botes]

This is another example the OP was looking for

 

http://www.thehotboxco.co.za/gallery.html

[Halesowenmum]

Brill - lots of different ways to achieve the same thing - all very interesting.

 

I don't know why but I've never used a pressure cooker. My mum used to use one but I've just never somehow ended up using one - tend to cook things on the hob so I guess I probably should have done really - duh!

[OldPeculier]

Or you could do this. (on a summy day)

 

I didnt think it would work either but I can assure you it does.

[Naughty Cal]

We use a slow cooker while travelling.

 

Same here. We use it pretty much every weekend on the boat. Currently got Cajun pork with sweet potato in there. Stuffing and asparagus to be added later.

 

Wouldn't be without it now. So easy to use, makes great food and doesn't use much power.

 

If you google "hay box" you will find instructions on how to make a modern version using a cool box and polystyrene. We used the old fashioned version in Girl Guide camp

 

You can roast a chicken in a slow cooker too. I particularly like stuffed and rolled breast of lamb cooked this way, it's known as roily poly meat in our house! Tasty and inexpensive too

 

Well a slow cooker doesn't really roast meat. Agree though it does make a great juicy chicken. Lamb shoulder is one of our favourite meals from the slow cooker but top has to be slow cooked beef brisket. Or maybe pork belly!

[Dyertribe]

I forgot about belly pork! Slow cooked then crisp up the crackling, heaven! Especially with a dusting of five spice powder

[Naughty Cal]

I forgot about belly pork! Slow cooked then crisp up the crackling, heaven! Especially with a dusting of five spice powder

 

We don't have the benefit of an oven on the boat so have it straight from the slow cooker. The fat melts in the mouth.

[bizzard]

Save gas with a pressure cooker. Once up to pressure the cooking time for most meals is not much more than a Microwave.

[Arducius]

I built myself a "hay" box recently out of some old ply that was once used for the lining of my boat, and some old polystyrene slab (also from the boat). Cost me nothing but a little time and works incredibly well. After about 8 hours the food is still at about 50 degrees C. It's great for anything you want slow cooked like stews and casseroles.

[FadeToScarlet]

Cooking on top of the solid fuel stove is the absolute bee's knees. Put ingredients for stew in pot, go to work, return to a lovely hot meal already cooked. There's few better feelings than returning to the boat through the snow or rain after a hard day at work, only to open the door and be greeted by a waft of heat and a succulent smell. Pure joy!

[pquinn]

Cooking on top of the solid fuel stove is the absolute bee's knees. Put ingredients for stew in pot, go to work, return to a lovely hot meal already cooked. There's few better feelings than returning to the boat through the snow or rain after a hard day at work, only to open the door and be greeted by a waft of heat and a succulent smell. Pure joy!

 

i agree.i cook lots of food on the stove.

[Halesowenmum]

Cooking on top of the solid fuel stove is the absolute bee's knees. Put ingredients for stew in pot, go to work, return to a lovely hot meal already cooked. There's few better feelings than returning to the boat through the snow or rain after a hard day at work, only to open the door and be greeted by a waft of heat and a succulent smell. Pure joy!

 

You've got me interested in stove top cooking now! (I love eating). It doesn't catch on the bottom? What sort of pot are you using (my best sized one is a Le Cruset and they tend to stick/burn things).