Cooking without electricity.

[Mountain Dragon]

Wow im late for the party . Will think more about it but one of the last resorts could be a simple fondue set.

A metal fondue pot is more versatile temperature wise. It can heat to higher temps for a good boil, or the flame can be lowered as to not burn the cheese.

A ceramic pot will get hot and bubble your food a bit but may not vigorously boil without some effort. It will also take longer to heat than metal. It is, however, less likely to burn the bottom of your food and make it stick to the pot.

The pot is simple to use with either its ethanol fuel base (just pour and light, ethanol Fondue pot fuel is inexpensive) or heat it with small candles/tea lights under it (some have a base you can buy to ensure they don’t tip over and stay the right distance from the pot.)

Will think about it a bit more and try to come up with something better.

Let me answer as an Swiss who grown up with Cheese Fondue:
In general your idea isn't that bad.
An real (swiss) fondue pot is an emailed iron pot. The heather is mostly working with spiritus. With candles you may can keep the cheese warm, but not really boiling.

 

[poltiregist]

One of the first things I did after building my home at my survival grounds was build another structure to hold a cast iron wood cook stove that has an oven and 4 cooking eyes , Beside it is a stack of firewood waiting for SHTF -- The wood stove though is not our main cooking appliance . Also shortly after getting a roof on my survival structure , I went to a small local appliance dealer and explained to him that I wanted a non-electronic propane stove that I could use when there was no power grid electricity . He had just what I was seeking . So I have two practical ways of cooking off the grid without having to resort to a barbecue grill or a fire built out on the ground .

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Let me answer as an Swiss who grown up with Cheese Fondue:
In general your idea isn't that bad.
A real (swiss) fondue pot is an emailed iron pot. The heather is mostly working with spiritus. With candles you may can keep the cheese warm, but not really boiling.

I am not Swiss and I concour with Mountain Dragon, an enameled cast iron is the way to go.
You need the right fuel for what you are cooking. A Sterno can is not hot enough for an oil Fondue, not even hot enough to keep it warm if you preheat on the stove. I did get the right fuel for my next experiment with it.
I have so many different ways to cook, Fondue, Propane camp stove, 2 Antique cast iron camp stoves, Turkey Fryer. Grill, Stick burning smoker. Valve to fill 1Lb propane canisters from 20lb tank (CA is going to ban disposable tanks)

As someone pointed out, Heat source. A pot of water on a stove can heat up a decent size room. I did this during many Ice Storms without power.

And a CO2 detector is a good idea.

 

[Oddcaliber]

If you want to go hard core cast iron and a fire pit.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

If you want to go hard core cast iron and a fire pit.

Forgot about those. Got them in my escape trailer with a bag of briquettes and lighter fluid.

 

[Amish Heart]

I use alot of cast iron. Easy to find and buy. I can make soup on our wood burning stove top. Or cook outside.
That's terrible that they're banning the propane tanks in California. Now how is good barbeque going to happen? Back to briquets?

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I use alot of cast iron. Easy to find and buy. I can make soup on our wood burning stove top. Or cook outside.
That's terrible that they're banning the propane tanks in California. Now how is good barbeque going to happen? Back to briquets?

It’s the throwaway 1lb tanks that will be banned.
Big fan of cast iron too. Easy to restore. Wife’s horse trading in it is going to bring her into IRS attention soon.
My best BBQs are always with my stick burning smoker.

 

[GaRp58]

It’s the throwaway 1lb tanks that will be banned.

STUPID. Those are just recylable steel cans.
INTELLIGENT. Re-fill instead of re-cycle.
Stupid CA, Smart EW
Where did you find the re-fill valve?

 

[Proud Prepper]

STUPID. Those are just recylable steel cans.
INTELLIGENT. Re-fill instead of re-cycle.
Stupid CA, Smart EW
Where did you find the re-fill valve?

All you need and to know is here.

https://www.campingforfoodies.com/h...ders-tanks-and-small-camping-propane-bottles/

 

[Mountain trapper]

We do a lot of cooking/reheating on our wood stove now. Also use the smoke house a lot. We have a fire ring out back where we cook using a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet sometimes. And a couple bbq's, one gas and the other wood fired. We cook outside a lot already. There's really no need for special gadgets or gizmos for cooking. Until fairly recently (historically speaking), our ancestors did all of their cooking outside over a fire.

 

[Jim Costa]

Simplest Option for us: Coleman Gasoline Stove; 2 burner. $109 Amazon
Have a large container of gasoline for it.
(Much cheaper than propane fuel)

Anything in Between: ????

Cheapest Options for us: Homemade Rocket stoves
Tin Can (Free)
Single or Double burner - Concrete Block ($15)

 

[DrHenley]

I use alot of cast iron. Easy to find and buy. I can make soup on our wood burning stove top. Or cook outside.
That's terrible that they're banning the propane tanks in California. Now how is good barbeque going to happen? Back to briquets?

How stupid can you get? Burning liquid stove fuel, wood or charcoal creates tons of carbon monoxide and unburned carbon emissions that propane doesn't, and creates more CO2 than burning propane. And as PP mentioned, you can refill the damned things, you don't have to dispose of them. Last week I filled four of the 20 lb tanks at Tractor Supply for around $60.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I guess it all depends on where one lives on how they might cook after SHTF. If someone is unfortunate enough to live in the city, their options may be limited. For us wood is free, why buy any cooking device, or fuel, when it's so easy to just build a fire? And why bring any type of camp stove inside to cook on?
Just about anything that you would need an oven for can be cooked in a Dutch oven outside.
We usually have a fire burning in our wood stove from September/October through May. We cook a lot of stews, soups and chili on it. It's also our toaster.

 

[Jim Costa]

Doc is right. So is Articdude.
It all depends. . . .

If in suburbia the Rocket can on a desk in the back bedroom would be best, after dark.
Otherwise your neighbor will see you cooking in the kitchen and invite himself with a gun.

Chimney smoke on a non-cold day will do the same.

Bonfire at night in the country may turn out to feel like suburbia.

So there is cooking rough in good times and cooking rough in bad times.

We have 4 or 5 options for cooking for our large group.
Success is always having options ready to go, if possible.

 

[user 7368]

Chimney smoke on a non-cold day will do the same.

Smoke from a chimney in a crisis or light in the house during a prolonged power outage is always a direct invitation to the Goddess of Death.
Unless you are well equipped and prepared for visitors, then the goddess of death will be content with the intruders.

That's why I have portable gas, petrol and petrol cooking facilities. If you are outside and you know that there are hungry highwaymen who want to get to you, there is a good remedy.

Place a large, full 20 liter army petrol can inconspicuously in the field, stack lots of wood around it and put a few skewers and some meat in the place. If you know the guys are around light the wood and when they come run away, very likely they will then want to roast your meat over the fire, if you're lucky it will be the last thing you roast before They are fried.

 

[GaRp58]

If you know the guys are around light the wood and when they come run away, very likely they will then want to roast your meat over the fire, if you're lucky it will be the last thing you roast before They are fried.

You have an evil way to get rid of bad guys, but I like the way you plan things. By-the-way, I have enough experience with doing crazy things and 20 liters is a terrible waste of petrol...2-3 liters is more than enough.
Especially if you only use 2 liters of liquid in the same 20 liter container and get it warm into the fumes state and it doesn't burn--it blows up.

 

[DrHenley]

I guess it all depends on where one lives on how they might cook after SHTF. If someone is unfortunate enough to live in the city, their options may be limited. For us wood is free, why buy any cooking device, or fuel, when it's so easy to just build a fire? And why bring any type of camp stove inside to cook on?
Just about anything that you would need an oven for can be cooked in a Dutch oven outside.
We usually have a fire burning in our wood stove from September/October through May. We cook a lot of stews, soups and chili on it. It's also our toaster.

Arctic, I was talking about the stupidity of California lawmakers who are supposed to be be "environmentally friendly" yet are forcing people to create more "pollution" by dramatically "increasing their carbon footprint."

I don't really subscribe to all that crap. In your world and mine, CO2 is not a pollutant, it is is "plant food", and the abundant forests in our worlds scrub the air of the other stuff.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Doc is right. So is Articdude.
It all depends. . . .

If in suburbia the Rocket can on a desk in the back bedroom would be best, after dark.
Otherwise your neighbor will see you cooking in the kitchen and invite himself with a gun.

Chimney smoke on a non-cold day will do the same.

Bonfire at night in the country may turn out to feel like suburbia.

So there is cooking rough in good times and cooking rough in bad times.

We have 4 or 5 options for cooking for our large group.
Success is always having options ready to go, if possible.

The more options that you have for cooking the better. We live in a very sparsly populated area and far away from any road or another person that our wood smoke would never be seen. When I have the damper closed on our wood stove, there is zero visible smoke coming out of the chimney.
Situations could change at any time. Just because we don't have any concerns about anything where we live now, something could happen that would force us into town.

 

[Mountain Dragon]

It's the way of the mountain people over here

You have an evil way to get rid of bad guys, but I like the way you plan things. By-the-way, I have enough experience with doing crazy things and 20 liters is a terrible waste of petrol...2-3 liters is more than enough.
Especially if you only use 2 liters of liquid in the same 20 liter container and get it warm into the fumes state and it doesn't burn--it blows up.

 

[Captjim_NM]

Does that include stick stoves like the Solo?
We have fire bans on occasion but they dont include fires that have safety screens and they allow charcoal fires.

That is a total campfire ban, you must use a gas stove.

 

[Kahreh]

Might look into making pemmican!

 

[LiveTrap]

Could someone use VP Racing Methanol in a little alcohol stove? I have no idea the level of toxicity of the emissions. The fuel can be be bought for $61 per five gallons and the little stoves can be had for under $30. I would think 5 gallons would last a long time.

 

[DrHenley]

Methanol itself is considered a clean burning fuel, suitable for use in stoves. But I don't know what additives are in the racing methanol.

 

[DrHenley]

Found this:
https://www.vpracing.com.au/collections/methanol
"VP M1 stands as 99.5% pure methanol, meeting legal standards for all motorsport applications. On the other hand, VP M5 is meticulously crafted for amplified horsepower and torque, although it isn't entirely pure methanol."

So VP M1 should be safe. I have no idea about VP M5.

 

[GaRp58]

You can use the methanol for cooking just a you can any other burnable material. Many have died from actually grilling inside their house with coal and wood....any and every type of material is acceptable for emergency cooking or heating--only beware of the enemy SMELLING you and your fire and always have a fire extinguisher nearby for any liquid fuels. ALL TYPES alcohol and methanol, gasoline and such are terrible fires if spilled and you see no flames for the alcohol based ones.

 

[jimLE]

Here's something I bought yesterday.in which it should be here by monday.i already have the buddy heaters to use it with.i also have a 2 burner camp stove that I can use.all of this is great for the here and now.but yet ,I still need items that I can use once things go south and not come back.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305330216334

 

[Dani]

Sorry have not been following this thread and probably should read thru. My thought about cooking without electricy is utilize your wood burning stove if you have one. We keep ours burning thru the cold times. Whatever you normally cook on the stove take around triple time for me but may be different for a cooler area where you burn your fire hotter than us.

 

[DrHenley]

There used to be an expression "Now you are cooking with gas" meaning that you were on the right track and making progress.

 

[lonewolf]

if the electricity is off it is most likely SHTF and those propane cylinders you have wont be refilled so if you rely on propane what you have is all you have.
in a SHTF situation Co2 wont matter, staying alive will.

 

[Mountain trapper]

if the electricity is off it is most likely SHTF and those propane cylinders you have wont be refilled so if you rely on propane what you have is all you have.
in a SHTF situation Co2 wont matter, staying alive will.

That's a good point BP. We have a capacity of around 1,200 gallons of propane here. Currently we have all the tanks filled twice a year. After SHTF we could stretch the propane out for at least 2 years, if propane was no longer available. After that we'd be in trouble. Not so much for cooking, but for pumping water and keeping the pump house warm. I've been considering swapping out the 500 gallon tank at the pump house for a 1,000 gallon tank.