Thermal cookers: have you used one?

Memory_Girl

Ooops linkie doesn't work hon - ask Mooloo how much she uses - she has them down to a fine art.

I do know that the old beanbag I had made six thermal cookers

And greenbee - they are brilliant for pulses - never had a soggy bean since I started using them.

MG

cornishchick

Hi all.. Wanting to try this since I first heard about it on MG's blog, but I can't sew.. But I have just brought the lovely cast iron dish some one linked to in Argoosy . And I had an idea, and will be trying it later.
The dish comes snuggled in its own cardboard box, now I am going to fill the gaps with shredded paper, put the cardboard box inside another box and put an old pillow on top. Will experiment with some of the soup base I had soaking for tea and get back to you....

Memory_Girl

Well ................... ??

How was it?

You can't leave us hanging like that :rotfl:

MG

cornishchick

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Well ................... ??

How was it?

You can't leave us hanging like that :rotfl:

MG

Sorry for not posting, head ache attack. Think it's the weather.

Well it works, just needs some refinements, such as another layer on the bottom as I could feel heat escaping.


Soup base, Random veg , tin of toms and some chunks of smoky bacon.


Snuggled up.


Finished product. Needed another couple of minutes boiling to cook the pulses, but the veg was lovely and soft.


It was worth the effort and I will dig some cardboard out of the recycling and have a play around.

X CC

[Deleted User]

CC find a slightly bigger and deeper outside box and line all it's surfaces bottom and sides with a couple of layers of whole newspapers until there is no airspace between it and the inside box, line the lid flaps too and close those over your pillow and tie it shut with some string. That will give you much better insulation very much like the old fashioned hayboxes they used in WW2.

suzybloo

Before I made my thermal cooker I used the cast iron dish wrapped in a tea towel, then wrapped in a couple of layers of bubblewrap and placed in one of these thermal carrier bags for frozen food from tesco, and then made sure the seal was closed along the bag. It worked a treat and was used a good few times, just a thought for those who can't sew or are on a really tight budget for materials,

**purpleprincess**

I am looking forward to making my thermal cooker

Just need to locate some cheapy beans now.

[Deleted User]

If I remember rightly from the 1970s I used a large box lined with tightly wadded 'freebie' newspapers and an old single spare duvet and just kept wadding as much as I could into my box (it was an old toy box originally) an old pillow over the top and I made sure that no heat could escape.It was brilliant for stews etc as back then when the country was on a three day week the electic used to go off for three hours at a time and rarely did you have any notice.So when it was on I'd make my food and get it as hot as I could and then bung into my box.The kids called it 'Mum's food nest' but it meant we could have hot food whilst sitting by candlelight .No TV ,no radio (unless I remembered to get batteries for the 'tranny') but we camped in the sitting room on the sofa and a couple of put-u-ups as the heating was a bit erratic as well.We had board games and cards and domino's and we survived .Its amazing how adaptable children are.grown-ups found it harder I think..But layered up in PJs and cardis we got through the dark (literally) days :):)
Only problem was my late OH grew to dislike stew after having to eat that or nowt :):)

Memory_Girl

Been ages since I reported in how my adventures in Thermal Bag Cooking were going on.

I think I have cracked the method and am slowly working through lots of recipes to "thermalise" them.

This weekend - a handful of store cupboard ingredients


After just ten minutes simmering and four hours in the Thermal Cooking Bag became:



A fabulous pot of "Three Sisters Chilli" - kidney and black beans, green lentils and corn ... lovely and spicy and cheap as anything.

With plenty left over for lunch to boot



So what has everyone else been cooking in their pots and bags then??

MG

caroc

Since my last post I have been taking sewing classes and making various items. I took apart my worn and slightly burnt m u f f teacosy and sewed a new one. Then I made 2 more to fit my other saucepans for stovetop 'haybox' cooking things which do not need too long. I am finally ready to try making a 'thermal cooking bag'. Which is the best site for instuctions ? Too much dialogue and I lose the thread. Basically when opened, it looks like a giant flower with 10 sections and a round section in the middle, or do the 10 sections join in the middle ? Do the inner and outer material circles have to be the same size as the inner one would need a smaller surface area ?


Ah ! I've just found a £3 tutorial on the web.