Mobile Cooking Apparatus & Techniques

[akrvbob]

Let's stay on topic of cooking.

Anything off-topic of cooking will be deleted.
Bob

 

[BradKW]

I'm debating what to use for cooking between propane and alcohol. I'm a bit concerned about propane canister stored inside the van...but searching archives I found that there are detectors, and only akrvbob has made a flamethrower. A boating friend has suggested alcohol...I found this http://sailing.about.com/od/equipmentgear/gr/Origoreview.htm ,but think he was talking about a pressure one that you would pump similar to a coleman, but fixed mounting. I find the idea appealing...search of archives turned up too many "alcohol" related posts that had to do with drinking it

Also, I had thought that a good solar setup would power electric instaheat water, like an Ecosmart 50. But seems I might be wrong about this? So is propane the only other option? I've seen propane units that looked far to bulky for what I was hoping for...

Thanks!

 

[USExplorer]

I have a DIY two-can alcohol stove that burns fast but is very difficult to extinguish. I burn generic gas line antifreeze (100% methanol) in it.
I can also replace the alcohol canister with a more expensive and slower burning Sterno, with added advantages of easy snuffing and non-spillability.
I also have a case of Safe Heat glycol wick heaters, got 'em for free. Too slow for most cooking.
I have a Primus stove with several half empty cans of propane-butane mix I have accumulated at my job. The fastest, most compact and most controllable stove but fuel costs a lot, unless you get it for free.
I need to expand my road diet beyond cheese and crackers and cold Chef Boyardee and peanut butter sandwiches and actually start using the durn things though.

 

[compassrose]

For Recipes, my daughter picked up a cookbook called The Everything One Pot Cookbook. It has some very good recipes and you make it all in a single pot. Also do a 'net search for "one pot pasta".

Another One Pot Cookbook

Then there is the One Pot Chef show on Youtube.

 

[Reverse Engineer]

I have a DIY two-can alcohol stove that burns fast but is very difficult to extinguish. I burn generic gas line antifreeze (100% methanol) in it.
I can also replace the alcohol canister with a more expensive and slower burning Sterno, with added advantages of easy snuffing and non-spillability.
I also have a case of Safe Heat glycol wick heaters, got 'em for free. Too slow for most cooking.
I have a Primus stove with several half empty cans of propane-butane mix I have accumulated at my job. The fastest, most compact and most controllable stove but fuel costs a lot, unless you get it for free.
I need to expand my road diet beyond cheese and crackers and cold Chef Boyardee and peanut butter sandwiches and actually start using the durn things though.

Even though there is some risk involved, I like propane because it is so available right now.  My RV has a 100 lb propane tank stored below the cabin, so that is not a danger except in a crash of course.

For a Van, I think if I was still living that way I would make a separate compartment for a 5 gallon Propane cannister, and then vent the compartment by drilling some holes through the sheet metal of the exterior.

If you do slow cooker stuff as I do, you can in fact use a Candle (well, 3-4 candles really).  If you are parked and can bury your crock, you can slow cook just by heating rocks in a fire, clambake style.  Heat the rocks in a fire, drop in a hole using some tongs, add a layer of dirt, drop in your slow cooker and leave overnight.  In the morning, you have hot and delcious stew or gumbo of some sort to eat.

 

[Reverse Engineer]

Even though there is some risk involved, I like propane because it is so available right now.  My RV has a 100 lb propane tank stored below the cabin, so that is not a danger except in a crash of course.

For a Van, I think if I was still living that way I would make a separate compartment for a 5 gallon Propane cannister, and then vent the compartment by drilling some holes through the sheet metal of the exterior.

If you do slow cooker stuff as I do, you can in fact use a Candle (well, 3-4 candles really).  If you are parked and can bury your crock, you can slow cook just by heating rocks in a fire, clambake style.  Heat the rocks in a fire, drop in a hole using some tongs, add a layer of dirt, drop in your slow cooker and leave overnight.  In the morning, you have hot and delcious stew or gumbo of some sort to eat.

BTW, slow cooking with candles solves some of your Heating issues also.  Your slow cooker radiates plenty of heat, so in a small space once the crock gets heated up, it's like a radiator.  In the truck, I often would set a candle (or sterno can) burning under my crock, and this raised internal temperature of the cab overnight probably by 5F at least.  At marginal temps in the 10-30F range when you don't run the engine all night, that 5 degrees makes a big difference.

 

[accrete]

my wife and I've been cooking on a single burner Iwatani 12K BTU Butane stove for over 5 years. Clean and easy to regulate.

On _slow cooker_ we utilize a thermal cooker by "Saratoga Jacks". Simply get your crock-pot-recipe type meal up to boil, keep it there for ~10 minutes and then take the 7 quart SS pot off the stove and place into the thermal cooker. Go down to the river, take that hike up a mountain... come back in ~4 hours or so and your meal is ready to eat.

link to SaratogaJacks

: ) Thom

 

[jimindenver]

Lately and oddly enough at home, I have been using a Globe Trotter single burner Butane stove made by Camping Gaz. I use it because the Moka pot I use at home doesn't do well with the electric stove. It was given to me with 5 canisters but I found out that they don't fit it and the ones that did are no longer made. Too bad too because the stove fits inside the pots and it all straps together real nice.

 

[Reverse Engineer]

You can use your slow cooker Crock with almost any heat source, even Candles will work. Solar Ovens work great for this. The variety of soups and stews and gumbos you can cook up this way are infinite. Once you cook up a batch, store your leftovers in mason jars and keep in the cooler.  Reheat in a microwave at a convenience store, you got meals for a week.

If you are driving between locations, run the slow cooker off your 12V Ciggy outlet.  By the time you finish the drive of 200-300 miles, a tasty meal is all ready for you to consume.

 

[LeeRevell]

I awoke one fine north Florida morning in camp to find my 'kitchen' iced over.......

Of course, there is something to be said for having "Multi-use" gear.......  

 

[Reverse Engineer]

For a Van, I think if I was still living that way I would make a separate compartment for a 5 gallon Propane cannister, and then vent the compartment by drilling some holes through the sheet metal of the exterior.

I want to revise this.

I did a Podcast today with one of the members here who was NOT Mic Shy, and he recommended Kerosene over Propane for Van Dwelling.  He definitely had good points to make on this in terms of energy density and safety.  I'm going to look into converting over to kerosene from propane, or at least have an alternative set of preps which run on this type of fuel.

Should have the first part of the Podcast up next week.

RE

 

[jimindenver]

I love my solar ovens when the weather permits. The thing is they are big. One is big enough that I am picking up the smallest turkey I can find to do in it. The other can cook two large chickens side by side.

I think if I were in a van or had limited space I'd get one or two of these.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUNFLAIR-So...800711?hash=item233304b087:g:0p0AAOxyNo9SvjWH

There are home made cookers that fold flat but they take oven bags. This is everything you need.