Thermal Cookers

[StarvingHyena]

A few weeks ago someone posted an article about "Thermal Cookers" and I'm interested. Seems like a perfect 'slow cooker' for our trailers out camping without an electric bush nearby. I'm interested in learning how well they work. Great concept ....

I called them Thermal Cooker but that may be a brand name. A search on Amazon turned up a half dozen brands. I'm using 'Thermal Cookers" as a generic type of cooking appliance.

If you haven't looked, they consist of an inner pot ... best with a clad bottom. Brown your meat in it, add veges or what ever and water. Boil for somewhere between 4 to 20 minutes depending on directions . Place inner pot inside outer pot which is like a giant thermos. Close lid and leave alone for 6 - 8 hours while it 'cooks'. No electricity required.

I like the concept but does it really work? Who knows please advise. What brand do you have?

One comment on Amazon was that someone tried to cook a rump roast in hers and it came out "tough as nails". Did she need to take apart 1/2 way done and bring up to a boil again and reseal?

I know that my crock pot would sure take the shine off my twin 6v batteries. I like to make soups, stews and chilies.

Tom

[parfsten]

Same concept - I use a small wonderbag and it is great! Have cooked lasagne, chicken, veggies and more... love it.
https://thewonderbagshop.com/collections/all

[New Adventures]

Originally Posted by parfsten

Same concept - I use a small wonderbag and it is great! Have cooked lasagne, chicken, veggies and more... love it.
https://thewonderbagshop.com/collections/all

Completely off topic - we were married in Petaluma at Two Rock Ranch (Coast Guard Training Center) 40 years ago on Labor Day weekend. My guess is that Petaluma is no longer a small, rural town. Our Escape is our 40th anniversary present to each other.

[snowmtn]

I saw this cooking method discussed on the Casita forum quite a while back. I would think this would be great for travel day--set up your evening meal in the morning before de-camping (is that a word?), set the pot in the sink padded with a towel or somewhere it won't get tossed around and you have a hot meal later in the day. If I hadn't already spent way to much money on various cooking devices I would be tempted to get one of these. Seems ideal for the type of cooking you like to do.

[cpaharley2008]

I have not tried the thermal cooker as I already have too many other choices, the Cobb Grill is a slow cooker using charcoal, cook a roast for 2-3 hours. Cobb Grill America
Then there is the can cooker, similar to a pressure cooker, great for Frogmore Stew https://www.cancooker.com/instructions/
I'm running out of storage space to start another mode of preparation....

[parfsten]

Originally Posted by New Adventures

Completely off topic - we were married in Petaluma at Two Rock Ranch (Coast Guard Training Center) 40 years ago on Labor Day weekend. My guess is that Petaluma is no longer a small, rural town. Our Escape is our 40th anniversary present to each other.

Well, it has changed a bit since I grew up here... After a career stint in SoCal I am so delighted to be back in Petaluma living on the remaining four acres of my Grandfather's chicken ranch (Egg Basket of the World at one time... ). The Two Rock area and drive out to Bodega Bay from Petaluma has changed very little in the last 68 years. Any Escapes in the area - please don't hesitate to contact me for info/direction and camping areas - one of my favorites for a quick get-away is Doran Park although it is more of a challenge these days to simply head out without reservation!

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by New Adventures

Completely off topic - we were married in Petaluma at Two Rock Ranch (Coast Guard Training Center) 40 years ago on Labor Day weekend. My guess is that Petaluma is no longer a small, rural town. Our Escape is our 40th anniversary present to each other.

While we're off-topic-- that Coast Guard station has an RV park. It has only six or eight campsites, $25 for active / retired military, and as I discovered, $50 for retired DoD civilians. I have a reservation I have to cancel tomorrow as I'm not going to make it out there after all on this trip. Dang.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by New Adventures

Completely off topic - we were married in Petaluma at Two Rock Ranch (Coast Guard Training Center) 40 years ago on Labor Day weekend. My guess is that Petaluma is no longer a small, rural town. Our Escape is our 40th anniversary present to each other.

Oh-- and happy anniversary! Dang, I've forgotten my manners..

[Zardoz]

We have a Nissan thermal cooker and it works well. Built like a tank and seals like a bank vault. It's great for stews, soups, and other liquid-based "pot" dishes. The major drawback for frequent use is that the pot needs to be filled to the top in order to maximize its cooking efficiency. Since there's just the two of us, that means lots of leftovers and we're not inclined to eat the same thing for days on end.

[caddoster]

I use a thermal cooker sometimes, as mentioned by others, it works better when you are making soupy things, the more liquid and more "content" the better (to keep the heat).

The same trick can be done with a thermo funtainer food jar too, we sometimes make a small thing of rice this way.