Low Energy Cooking & convenience

[Owly055]

Cooking often means babysitting when you would rather be out on deck, etc.

     I've mentioned Sous Vide before.    This low temp cooking in a sealed bag produces superb results, and is not time critical.  Put the stuff in the bag, seal it, and drop it in the precisely controlled water bath.
     Unfortunately my Annova is 1500 watts...... though not continuous, that's a considerable load.   Taking inverter inefficiency, that amounts to almost 140 amps @ 12V.

     I'm looking at building a simple 12 volt Sous Vide system using a 12 volt crockpot for heat, an inexpensive precision temp controller, and a small pump for circulation.   The temp controller and pump will be built into an integrated unit.   The pump lines will go over the top and into the pot through holes in a custom lid, as will the thermocouple.   Because the pump will not self prime, there will be a provision to "suck start" the pump to prime it.   I've done this before with an external pump used in brewing during the mash.   It's not dignified, but it's just water and it's simple.... and I like simple.

     The idea is to keep the wattage down, and use solar energy as it is being produced.  With some added insulation, energy consumption would be extremely low as Sous Vide used cooking temps from about 130F up to about a max of 190F..... mostly in the lower range.     

      Put your food in and forget it............


The other technologies that greatly increase efficiency are the thermally insulated cooking systems, and pressure cookers.  With thermal cookers, you heat and then set it aside to slowly cook from residual heat.... This seems to be a fairly new technology, though in truth it's been around a long time... Remember burying food in the coals of a campfire.  In the south seas they used to cook "long pig" in a pit ;-)
We are all familiar with pressure cookers....... and they have made a resurgence in the consumer market with all the electric units..... I've owned pressure cookers and used them for  well over 40 years.  They are said to be far more efficient than ordinary cooking...... for obvious reasons.   

   "Kuhn Rikon sells a product that is easily the most efficient way to cook: the Duromatic Thermal-cooker. t is a combination pressure cooker and thermal cooker."

The above is a quote from an article on the web:   https://thermalcooker.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/most-efficient-cooker-ever-green-edmonton/   They are not cheap, but less than what is quoted in the article.   Pressure cookers  have served cruisers for a long time....  even as an oven.    This combines thermal efficiency with the benefits of pressure cooking.  Run it on an induction hob if you have that kind of AC electrical capacity.    Use it for pressure cooking, or for ordinary cooking.... heating and walking away.   I like things that are not a "one trick pony".   

                                                                                                                      H.W.

[Frank]

CJ has a lot of experience with prepping and storing food.
Knows pressure cookers pretty good.

Post some pics of what your building!

[CharlieJ]

Pressure cookers are great tools. I've baked bread, biscuits, etc in one- Also used one to hot pack can meats, while a anchor, on the one burner kero stove.

Settled on half pint jars as that usually left zero left overs, since I only use ice , and that mostly for beveages

[Owly055]

     I've used pressure cookers since I was a child helping my mother can foods, and always owned one.   The Kunn Rikon shown above is on my must have list.  It takes things to the next level of either maintaining pressure or just temperature through being insulated.  That has several benefits.  One being that it will use less fuel to cook, another is that one can heat and leave, and another, non-insignificant advantage is reduced cabin heat from cooking when in the tropics... by virtue of running the stove less.  Reduced fuel usage means not just less cost, but less weight, and that much longer before you have to deal with filling bottles.

                                                          H.W.