Preparing meals.

[highdesertranger]

"I am famous for turning all leftovers into chimichangas. Yum."

I see nothing wrong with that, when can I come for Dinner?

highdesertranger

 

[bagabum]

I been using my 12 volt roadpro lunch bucket for the past 8 years. I do use it to cook frozen food now that I have a fridge. It takes about 30 minutes to heat up some fish sticks or taquitos. For can food like stew,soup,chili etc, it takes about 15 minutes to heat it up. It won't cook food but it will heat everything up. It uses about 4 to 6 amps to heat up most foods.

I just use aluminum foil to line it instead of the special aluminum inserts they sell. On mine I replace the cheap cigarette plug with an xt60 connecter and cut the wire as short as possible, it uses thin 16 gauge wire which gets very warm while in use. You can use it with the small lithium power generators, the 11 volts of those units is no problem, I use mine with my 65ah li-ion pack.

When you need a hot meal and don't got a giant battery bank, and don't want to mess with gas, this will work and gets your food very hot. It doesnt have an on off switch, I always use a audio timer so I don't leave it on.

I use it several times every week, and after 8 years, still working. Never had reason to use anything else.
Great idea. I like the timer addition also. This is a good option for certain foods.!! Thanks

 

[bagabum]

Depends on whether or not you want to do your reheating inside the vehicle. Years ago on a trip with NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) I was introduced to an item - the Banks Fry-Bake. This is an outstanding item for outdoor wood or charcoal cooking. Works mostly like an oven and can be used as a fry pan as well. Similar in use to a cast iron Dutch Oven. Definitely not cheap but reasonable if you are trying to avoid solar panels or high electricity using appliances. I like them, just takes awhile to get accustomed to the methodology. YMMV.

https://frybake.com/

Thanks Michael, knew about the cast iron version but wasn't aware of the alloy version. Something to consider for cooking certain meals!

 

[HungryCoyote]

I use a Hot Logic. It works great for Stoffers frozen lasagna and canned food like Dinti Moore stew.

 

[B and C]

120V Ac appliances are great if you have shore power/generator or enough battery and recharge capability.

 

[George Mason]

I haven't decided which way to go yet, but I'm leaning towards either a propane or a butane stove single burner. I want easy to cook stuff that I can do in one pot. I plan to do a lot of fishing. I am thinking about building a collapsible solar oven. Has anyone tried cooking with one of those?

 

[highdesertranger]

Jim in Denver is who you want to talk to about the solar ovens. He knows how to yum it up.

as far as propane or butane keep in mind butane is very hard to find in the sticks.

highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

Doesn't butane also have problems in the cold/altitude? I use propane and it has never let me down.

 

[highdesertranger]

"Doesn't butane also have problems in the cold/altitude?"

short answer yes and yes.

highdesertranger

 

[vanbrat]

I use a microwave for 80% of my cooking. We will be needing a generator for our traveling shop so it was easy choice. I am now looking into battery/solar thing for when I don't want to pull out the generator. But have not found what I want yet. My family had a few close calls with propane when I was a kid so that scares me. I know, every one else likes it that uses it so don't go by me on that. I have always loved my zapper. And I can cook just about anything in it. Pasta, Rice, Casseroles, cakes (not really cakes you think about but microwaved cakes) Nachos, brownies, ETC.... Most frozen foods have directions for zapping. It just takes practice.

 

[travelaround]

One of the best things I bought when I started my vandwelling adventure was a Hot Logic Mini - I bought Lean Cuisine frozen dinners and put them in there to be heated, slowly for 4 hours... via 12v. while I was driving. Just remember, if you do this, you're supposed to put in the entire box without opening it first... then open when it is done heating. My van doesn't have a kitchen yet... so I needed an easy solution to get a warm meal.

 

[Weight]

I do have a soft spot in my heart for some of Stouffer's frozen meals. But i zap them with microwave.

 

[George Mason]

I do have a soft spot in my heart for some of Stouffer's frozen meals. But i zap them with microwave.

 some of them some of them are quite good. However, I find the microwave ruins them in my opinion

 

[StacyK]

I haven’t tried this myself, but something like a Ridge Monkey deep dish sandwich toaster would work for many frozen foods. They’re a UK brand but available here and there in the US. They’re like a short-handled pie iron—a closed box you put on the stove over low heat and then turn a few times. Amazon has some knockoffs. 

https://www.carpkit.com/ridgemonkey-deep-fill-sandwich-toaster/

 

[bagabum]

I been using my 12 volt roadpro lunch bucket for the past 8 years. I do use it to cook frozen food now that I have a fridge. It takes about 30 minutes to heat up some fish sticks or taquitos. For can food like stew,soup,chili etc, it takes about 15 minutes to heat it up. It won't cook food but it will heat everything up. It uses about 4 to 6 amps to heat up most foods.

I just use aluminum foil to line it instead of the special aluminum inserts they sell. On mine I replace the cheap cigarette plug with an xt60 connecter and cut the wire as short as possible, it uses thin 16 gauge wire which gets very warm while in use. You can use it with the small lithium power generators, the 11 volts of those units is no problem, I use mine with my 65ah li-ion pack.

When you need a hot meal and don't got a giant battery bank, and don't want to mess with gas, this will work and gets your food very hot. It doesnt have an on off switch, I always use a audio timer so I don't leave it on.

I use it several times every week, and after 8 years, still working. Never had reason to use anything else.

Jonyjoe, great option for certain type foods. I have one similar  coming...thanks

 

[bagabum]

I haven’t tried this myself, but something like a Ridge Monkey deep dish sandwich toaster would work for many frozen foods. They’re a UK brand but available here and there in the US. They’re like a short-handled pie iron—a closed box you put on the stove over low heat and then turn a few times. Amazon has some knockoffs. 

https://www.carpkit.com/ridgemonkey-deep-fill-sandwich-toaster/

StacyK, thanks , I'll check them out.