Thermal Cookers: Powerful Solution for Efficient Emergency Cooking

During our 30-Day Grid Down Cooking Challenge, we frequently used retained heat or thermal cooking to save fuel. This ancient method of fuel conservation can be beneficial to use every day, as well as when during hard times.

In retained heat cooking, food is brought to a boil in a pot and then transferred to an insulated container to continue cooking the food. The retained heat cooker maintains temperature long enough to complete the cooking cycle.

Retained heat, thermal cooking, and fireless cooking are all different names to capture the same concept. In this video, we will share with you the basics principles of retained heat cooking. Knowledge is power. This little gem of knowledge may just come in quite handy when times get tough.

To learn more about retained heat cooking visit The Provident Prepper and check out the post that this video was created from:

Thermal Cookers: Powerful Solution for Efficient Emergency Cooking

Or this great post by Megan Smith on retained heat cooking:

Retained Heat Cooking: The Secret to Stretching Your Fuel Supplies

You can learn more about the lessons we learned during our 30-day grid-down cooking challenge on our post:

30 Day Grid-Down Cooking Challenge – Lessons Learned and Fuel Usage

Some of the retained heat cooking options you may want to explore are listed below:

Hungry Fan Insulated Thermal Bag

Take courage and learn how to use retained cooking to simplify your life and extend your fuel supply.

Thanks for being part of the solution!

[mkmason]

I did it! I cooked rice and onions in my daughter's youth {mini} bean bag chair!!! I set the boiling rice pot in the center of the chair and covered it on all sides and top with the chair. I then covered the top with a pillow and then a large blanket completely covering the chair. I checked it after 2 hrs. and found the rice perfectly cooked and steaming hot. So hot I burned my finger when I grabbed the top of the lid. Thanks so much for the video! This is an amazing way to cook in an emergency! : )

[pluisnonplux]

In Europe 60 or more years ago, a haybox was quite common, specially to cook beans. People had a coal or woodstove, but that didn't burn all day.

[littlesquirrel]

I don't know if this would be considered retained heat cooking how you do it because it does not go into a package, but whenever I add the tiny pasta 2 soup I always turn the burner off, and it creates a much better product. My grandmother taught me this method oh, she said they did it during the Depression because they had to cut down on the amount of fuel they used. You do need to make sure you're using small noodles though. I make my soup and then I bring it to a full boil I dumped in my pasta, I stir it then I turn the burner off and put the lid on and I keep it on that burner. I do not lift the lid for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes oh, you lift the lid and give it a stir in the pasta is perfectly cooked without being mushy at all! So much better than when you boil the noodles for soup. Keep in mind I only add noodles when I'm making a small batch of soup because I don't like to store the soup with noodles in it as they will continue to swell

[karinhart]

Got other members of extended family to try thermos cooking this winter holiday break. BIL even called to make sure he had all the steps for making steel cut oats.

[monkeynews]

Have never tried this....but I will now! Thanks!

[sheepseven]

GREAT JOB THIS WAS DONE IN THE 1800S AND 1900S ON A DAILY BASES TO COOK FOOD OVERNIGHT SO BREAKFAST WAS READY IN THE MORNINGS AND SUPER IN THE EVENINGS FOR A TRULY HEALTHY MEAL WITH VERY LITTLE EFFERT. AND LOW FUEL USAGE IT WAS CALLED THE TIRELESS COOKER.❤💚💙💟💜💛💖

[bennystark]

my grandma used it in germany after ww2 . it worked well

[mkmason]

Super video! Lots of great ideas. My daughter has a bean bag chair that lost its shape. I couldn't throw it out so it's in the cellar. I just knew someday there would be a use for it. I'll try setting a pot in the middle and covering it with the sides of the chair. : )

[donnabrown]

Did you know that you can boil eggs simply by putting the eggs in a pan of water, bringing it to a boil, covering the pan and leaving it set for the same length of time that you would otherwise boil them?

[NorthcoastPatty]

Thank you for the information on the "Wonder Cooker!!!"

[barnabyvonrudal]

Some tips I didn't know, thanks! Haven't tried yet but will if/when I get the opportunity - already experimenting a bit with covering the saucepan and turning off the heat.

[matthewwynne]

The military version made me think that I could use my similarly shaped drum bags or drum cases. I could add some insulation and would have an easily transportable container with zipper closures.

[joeljones]

very good video, just ordered a few of the commerical units and got a few old coolers put both together and hope it works. Again Awesome info . the way the world is headed, may need to use it pretty soon.. Thanks Mrs Jones.

[JessicaWheeler-kxgu]

Do you have any recipes for breakfast casseroles in the thermal cooker? My daughter goes to work at 4am and gets tired of oats. Thanks.

[noracharles]

First, thank you for always being so thorough. I appreciate how in depth your videos are. I have a question. Have you seen the Hungry Fan 3 which is sold on amazon? I would love to see a review on how this product could work for Preppers. Thank you.

[gracehomes]

How do you prevent the hot pot from burning or possibly melting the styrofoam or other material the pot is sitting on/in?

[phyllispitts]

I wonder if a roasting pan, with a good lid could be done this way? I understand it may need to start in an oven, up to a certain temperature.

[AnnBearForFreedom]

I tuck a wide mouth thermos into a block of Styrofoam that has been scooped out to fit the thermos then sliced in half. Weigh the Styrofoam together with a cinder block. No problem! BTW, its the design concept for a crockpot (but better!), with the retained heat materials replacing the heavy ceramic crock.

[TheXJthatCould]

I thought someone was sitting on it in the thumb nail, just had to stop by and throw that out there, gave me a good laugh

[richspencer]

A quick variant. 20 oz HydroFlask. Thin egg noodles. McCormick spaghetti mix. Sliced black olives. Dehydrated mushrooms, tomato flakes and sweet peppers. Garlic powder. Splash of olive oil. Boiling water. Wait. Enjoy!!!