a non electric slow cooker

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I always thought the point of a slow cooker was LESS work? That seems like more
Not that I'm any expert, my meats always seem to come out soggy, yech
 
A small pressure cooker taken off of the stove and wrapped in a a well insulated blanket and reflectix would probably work better.
 
A Wonderbag works very well. BUT.... It's big.  It requires a lot of space.  It's size is a negative for me because I have a very small camper.  A pot with a handle does not work well in the bag.  If the cooking container is not leak proof, the contents leak while in transit.
 
Amazon has a cheap ($40.00) thermal cooker.  I've only had this a few days, but preliminary experimentations have me wanting to kick my own butt for not buying it sooner.  As a comparison between the Wonderbag and the thermal cooker, I'll use the example of making yogurt.  Yogurt is cultured at around 115 degrees.  After incubating for eight hours in a Wonderbag, a batch of yogurt will have lost its heat.  Amazingly, after fourteen hours in the thermal cooker, the yogurt was still warm.  Remember, that's a starting temperature of only 115 degrees.  With the Wonderbag, after a long day's drive, the meal that went into the bag at boiling temperature that morning was cooked but needed to be reheated.  I'm thinking that with less heat loss in the thermal cooker, the food will be safer.  Plus, the cooking pot is contained within the unit so no worries about leaks.

I have not attempted Danny's suggestion with 'straw-boxing' a pressure cooker. I can tell you this--a four quart pressure cooker is so much quicker to reach pressure than a six quart.  It drops pressure faster too making it far more time and fuel efficient.  Since it takes so little time to cook in the four quart, I've never felt inclined to straw-box it.  Hope this helps.
 
Put the food in a jar on your dash in the sun.
 
I have food in a "hay box" on my bed as I write this. Its any old pot with a proper fitting lid, well insulated.

I have been known to strap a bundle into a spare seat with a belt and arrive with cooked food even in a car.

If I post a picture on FB of my pillows in a pile my friends ask what's cooking.

My Mom & Grandma both did this too.

Just to be safe as I have a bit of a sensitive stomach I always bring thing back up to a hearty simmer (165°F) for a 3 minute finish. That is pasteurization temp and will kill off anything that might grow should the food linger in a warmer zone.
 
Mizmozy could you give a link for the thermal cooker you are referring to?

I don't use FB, HippieCk, and wonder if you can post a photo of your setup?

Thanks everyone,

AD
 
AD64 said:
Mizmozy could you give a link for the thermal cooker you are referring to?

I apologize for the delay AD64; I just saw this.  Here's the Amazon link.  Okay, I'm having trouble doing a link.  On the Amazon website, search for Tayama Thermal Cooker. 

I should warn you.  I bought mine two months ago.  It was $39.99.  It's now $64.   What's up with that?
 
CanCooker Jr
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The best slow cookers I know of are my solar ovens by far. No fuel or electricity, no hassle of a camp fire, just point it at the sun.
 
Thanks everyone. Happy to have the links, descriptions, and photos to meander through.

Jimindenver, are you using a car sun shade/reflector for yours, do you have one of those boxes?

Best,

AD
 
BobBski, what's your experience with the Can Cooker Jr? How does it operate? Does one put it on a fire/stove or does it use some other method?

Thanks,

AD
 
AD

I have two solar ovens, a Sos Sport oven and a Global sun oven. I also have a solar cooker called a Sunflair that is more like the windshield reflector version you mentioned. They are all commercially made and work well. The Sunflair folds down into a small bag taking much less room that the two ovens do.
 
JiminDenver,

This is helpful. Glad to know the Sunflair folds down small too. I'm in a minivan and so size does matter.

Of the three though, which one does Max the Wonder Puppy prefer?

thanks,

AD
 
Max hasn't decided yet. He wants me to use all three at once so he can do a taste test.
 

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