!dweller yet Crockpot/dehydrator

[NomadBob]

Not a dweller *yet*.  But 2 of my fav food items are my crock pot and my dehydrator.
I can remake/build my dehydrator to collapse into almost nothing/flat, and run low power.
Crockpot might be another issue.  The heat source plus the thermal mass of the ceramic pot seems a possible issue.

Ideas, links, comments, solutions?
Space and power/energy are my main concerns.

 

[djkeev]

Welcome!

Road Pro crockpot may become your best buddy......

https://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-RPSL...8&qid=1476131371&sr=8-1&keywords=12v+crockpot

Dave

 

[VanForNow]

A dutch oven would be a reasonable substitute for a crockpot, and I would like to take my dehydrator on the road as I prepare to launch my new life.

Dehydrated meals,  compact and long-lasting, make perfect sense for on-the-road life with its restricted storage, allowing us to stay in remote areas longer, without having to go to town to re-stock on food.

The problem is the volume taken up by the dehydrator and its trays. My Nesco brand dehydrator has a large volume. Another problem is the power needed to run the Nesco for the 8-10 hours needed to dry meals. 

Oh well, maybe I can figure out a way to take it with me.

 

[DannyB1954]

Pressure cookers are a popular alternative. What takes hours in a crock pot can be done in an hour in a pressure cooker. You can also take the pressure cooker off the heat and wraap it in a blanket and it will cook some more with its residual heat.

 

[highdesertranger]

I vote dutch oven. oh there is no poll. I still vote dutch oven, it's a very versatile cooking tool. highdesertranger

 

[eDJ_]

I have a friend who is a retired Electrical Engineer.   He swears by these hot air convection ovens and says they are superior in every way for cooking and energy conservation. (130 watts for his Nu Wave)  to 1300 for Magic Chef  Convection Cooker etc.   He's worn out about 5 of the things now and just about does all of his cooking in them.  He still cooks, bakes, and cans on his electric range as some  things he fixes are beyond the scope of he air convection cooker.   But for living in an RV one of these could play well to the cooking for one or two.  

He likes the NuWave as it has a lexan bowl you sit over the food and it uses far less electric.   I is a more expensive unit however.

Several other nice things to have listed here:

https://www.wired.com/2012/06/cigarette-lighter-gadgets/

 

[jimindenver]

Crack the lid on a solar oven and it acts like dehydrator.

 

[NomadBob]

Thanks all !!
I have the Road Pro 'stove' and just tested it out on a recent road trip. Worked better then I thought. Have a cool hack for it on the way.

I do have a pressure cooker but its a massive All-American one. And just got a dutch oven.

My dehydrator is a 4 tray Excalibur, that I can easily hack into a collapsible. Dehydrating is fairly easy thing to do. Though I disagree on using a solar oven. You aren't trying to cook the food, just remove the water content. (but a solar oven has always been in my cross hairs, as is solar water heating and even air heating)

Convection is cool, but still on the fence with them for energy vs space vs versatility.

How about a dutch oven pressure cooker crock-pot? I think its about do-able. Time to fire up the machine shop.

 

[jimindenver]

When you vent a solar oven they run around 150 degrees. I've never done it but they have it on you tube so it must be true.

 

[NomadBob]

LOL on the truth of YouTube/internet. (owe ya a beer)
150F is about the top temp for dehydrating.
Its *dry* air flow more then temp.

 

[TejasThreads]

In place of a crock pot / slow cooker, I use a thermal cooker also known as a haybox cooker or Wonderbag.  Bob has a great review of the Wonderbag here --> http://www.cheaprvliving.com/cooking-refrigeration/hay-box-cooking-wonderbag-nissan-thermos/

I made my thermal cooker using an insulated grocery bag and some filler pads made from an old wool blanket.

 

[SternWake]

Any higher wattage 12v items that come with a Ciggy plug, work a lot better wired directly to the house battery fuse block. They will get hotter faster, but also use more electricity while they are on( likely for less time though) as the heating elements will get significantly higher voltage and get hotter, once the Ciggy plug and receptacle's resistance are removed from the circuit.

Ciggy plugs and receptacles insult electricity, and your battery, and anyone who has faith in them to deliver more than 60 watts for any period of time.

 

[jimindenver]

I did that to a 12v, 200w coffee maker. It went from a half hour to 15 minutes once it got its 200w.

 

[NomadBob]

Wiring up stuff correctly is in my wheelhouse.