Thermal cookers: have you used one?

Memory_Girl

moments_of_sanity wrote: »

Green bee, this is the one I bought and it feeds 1 hungry man and 2 adult females. Mine had a 1.2kg gammon joint in today after I did the bacon joint.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8616142.htm

Blimey!! that is the very one I found in the charity shop for £3. Works fabulously in the thermal cooker.

MG

moments_of_sanity

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Blimey!! that is the very one I found in the charity shop for £3. Works fabulously in the thermal cooker.

MG

I spent ages looking for one in the charity shops but they didn't have any so took the plunge. This is the cheapest I could find! :eek:

Absolutely loving my thermal bag, yesterday I cooked a back bacon joint and a gammon joint and all it took was about 30 mins of heating up on the hob as a posed to the 70 & 1hr 30mins it recommended simmering them for!

With DH working as a temp this is going to save us so much money and he is still astounded that something so simple works!

Memory_Girl

Me too hon - it was one of my MSE mates that suggested I make the tutorial - my first reaction was "surely that can't work???"

Only it does :rotfl:

Saving us loads too - I'm sure the utility companies are not going to be pleased at my ever decreasing bill though

MG

Honeythief

I made chicken and vegetable korma in mine tonight. It was meant to simmer for 30 minutes after being brought to the boil, so I stuck it in the thermal bag for about an hour instead. Came out delicious and piping hot of course.

The only problem now is that there is only so much I can eat, my husband is vegetarian so won't be helping with anything that has meat in it, and we are running out of tubs to portion things out for the freezer! Normally I am greeted by an avalanche of plastic whenever I open the "tub cupboard" but now they are all in use, apart from one old takeaway tub with no lid and a handful of little ones that don't hold a full portion of anything. Never thought that could happen...

moments_of_sanity

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Me too hon - it was one of my MSE mates that suggested I make the tutorial - my first reaction was "surely that can't work???"

Only it does :rotfl:

Saving us loads too - I'm sure the utility companies are not going to be pleased at my ever decreasing bill though

MG

Very true about the utility companies! Today I am planning on putting our beef and peppers in it to cook, will start it about 3 this afternoon and can then put in the thermal cookers for a couple of hours til DH gets home

moments_of_sanity

Honeythief wrote: »

I made chicken and vegetable korma in mine tonight. It was meant to simmer for 30 minutes after being brought to the boil, so I stuck it in the thermal bag for about an hour instead. Came out delicious and piping hot of course.

The only problem now is that there is only so much I can eat, my husband is vegetarian so won't be helping with anything that has meat in it, and we are running out of tubs to portion things out for the freezer! Normally I am greeted by an avalanche of plastic whenever I open the "tub cupboard" but now they are all in use, apart from one old takeaway tub with no lid and a handful of little ones that don't hold a full portion of anything. Never thought that could happen...

We are the same here, virtually no room left in the freezer and no tubs to put it in :eek: might have to eat out of the freezer for a few weeks at this rate!

[Deleted User]

Wow just undid the bag strings to be greeted by such a lovely aroma, the casserole is cooked to perfection and the pot was still so hot I had to use a pair of oven gloves to lift it out. Magic!!!

greenbee

Memory_Girl wrote: »

The largest size - although it takes a 2 litre pot as well - thought you might need the extra size for feeding the visitors and a regular size for you.

MG

Thanks!

Hopefully by the end of next week I'll have the kitchen in a state that means I can use it (until the next round of disruption...) and refill the freezer ready for when I'm back on microwave-only meals!

Memory_Girl

A month in and we have had feedback on the energy savings from one of our ladies

"Hi E,
Just wanted to give you a quick update on my gas cost over the last month having used my thermal bag for lots of meals.....
Gas units used in March were 406kWh and for April they were 377kWh and the only difference is my cooking on the hob costs as my heating has been off since March 1st! So we have saved 29kWh of gas in a month, so impressed with it and am using it today to make spag bol and everyone loves the results from it.
Let's hope everyone who made it has similar or even better savings!
Best wishes, H"

I make that about 1kWh per day which is a not too shabby saving for something made from an old duvet cover and some polystyrene beads :T:T

MG

[Deleted User]

Thats incredible MG such a saving and a very good thing to take on board on the day that the head of the Bank of England is saying (on the news)that interest rates will start to rise before the end of the year which means that mortgage repayments will be so much more expensive. As you say what a saving from a couple of hours work, an old duvet cover and some polystyrene beads. Used sensible the Wonderbag might just give you a little slack in the system to help with increased outgoings, they are amazing things!!! Lyn xxx.