Flameless Cooker Test 2: The Reckoning. Will it cook rice, pasta, & ramen? Camp cooking without fire
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- A little follow up to my previous video about flameless cookers, like Barocook and TrekMates -- a backup cooking method, for when you can't cook over fire, or with fuel, and don't have electricity. This time, I'm trying some of my favorite carbs: rice, pasta (in the form of macaroni), and another pasta -- ramen.
Will they cook,? And if they do, are they something you WANT to cook this way? And finally, are Dollar Tree groceries fit for consumption? Let's find out!
I'm using a TrekMates flameless, cooker, since I found it cheap and used. But the Barocook one is just like it (maybe even better):
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The heat pouches that go with it -- the price went up since I bought them!
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I'd love to see more flameless videos. Maybe some military ration heaters too.
Might add a pot grabber to your camping kitchen to avoid burning your fingers on the alum pan! Good video...now I'll add this cooker to my SHTF bag.
Thanks! I kid you not, after I was done with all this, I moved my tiny Vise-Grips from the center console to the kitchen kit, for this exact purpose. 😂 They're a little heavier than pot grabbers, but will do for now, until I get some.
Oh! Maybe try quinoa too!
Looking forward to your next AZ adventure. Maybe Bisbee 😎
Quinoa is a great idea! It has the advantages of cooking faster than rice, and unlike pasta, if you get your ratio right, you don't have to drain it.
Bisbee is on my list, but as we're getting into the 90s next week, after my April trip, low desert trips on hold until Fall. Halloween time might be fun! 😏
Hey! Hey! I am so excited you did these tests and posted today. You answered all the questions I asked you about it--I am grateful and so appreciate your thoughtfulness to do these follow-up tests. Thank you! I literally was pondering whether or not to go ahead and get one of these flameless cookers today. It's a yes for me!
You bet! I think these sorts of experiments are a lot of fun, so it was no real struggle on my part. 😂
@@ShoestringMartha wonderful. Although not flameless, I was considering a solo stove since it makes a nice easy campfire set up too.
Solid choice! I plan on adding a small butane backpacking stove to my mini kitchen kit, as another cooking option.
Thanks for your testing and sharing. Looks like something I will be adding to my nomadic life.
Besides opening it too many times you should have the food ready before you activate the heater. Those give off their greatest heat in the first 20-30 seconds after activation than at any other time. For best results get the food ready, put the pad in, add the activation water and quick put the pot in the cooker and properly seal the lid before the thing goes off.
Also, water to rice ratio was too high for a sealed cooker. I cook wash in an instant pot 1:1 because it's sealed. I would bet 1:1.25 sealed with heatpad would take 35 minutes for perfect rice
Love me some ramen, pasta and brown and wild rice! Brown rice takes longer to cook properly and would be a tougher test for the flameless, if you'd be interested in trying it. Thanks again for doing these, Martha. Namaste'. 💖
I think if I ever did rice in this thingie again, I would use parboiled, or those 90 second microwave pouches, or cold soak it overnight first. I think any rice is doable, with some adjustments.
you should try wild rice from mn or canada if possible. regular uncooked wild rice will take between 90 & 120 minutes too cook with a change of water at the hour mark. very good by itself. usually mix some with dressing/stuffing or white rice dishes. you cook until about 80% of the grains have opened up. now canoe does a canned version, tastes burnt as the rice is cooked in the can in a oven/ stove. you should try kraft old english cheese spread in mac& cheese. if you want a thinner mix add 2 teaspoons milk to the sauce. ah you did the ramen the hard way, break up the noodle cake before putting in the water. much much easier.
Thx for testing the flameless cooker on different carbs, how do you think it would do on some protein? Maybe chopped up steak or chicken?
Since it's a wet heat and doesn't get super hot, I wouldn't mess with raw meat. Fish, shrimp, tofu, and eggs would probably work OK. 😂 *Maybe* a small amount of ground meat or something sliced super thinly, but it probably wouldn't look very appetizing. 😂
I liked the bento cooker! The one on Amazon actually comes with the rack, in case you hadn't checked 😊
In a car camping scenario, you could set up your rice at a restroom stop and then let it cook in the seat beside you as you drive on to your campsite. It'll be done when you arrive and you can eat right away and you didn't lose any time, even though the rice took longer than normal to cook. $2 may seem like a lot for the cook pack, but you're still cooking cheaper than you can eat most fast food joint meals and it's HOT.
Good idea and this is true! Another thing I thought of was the cold soak the rice before cooking. That should shave off a good amount of time. 🤔
Wow! I was surprised the pasta cooked so quickly! Yeah, I wouldn't do the rice. I'd be so hungry, I'd probably flip my 4 runner over from the hangry-ness! Hulking out for some rice is no bueno. The ramen did pretty good too! Thank you so much for testing it out for the inquiring minds that want to know😉🙌 definitely a little gadget I would like to have 👍
I see I am not to only one with the hangry gene! 😂 For sure, the noodles were the clean winners over grains. Now I just need to try dumplings or bao buns. 🤔
@@ShoestringMartha ooooeeee!! Count me in for both🙌
Soooo awesome! Thanks!!
Opened too many times. 💁🏽♀️ I think that would be a great addition to my emergency travel kit.
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Have you tried the lunchbox cooker? I cook all kinds of meals in mine. You can use the car plug in the car or off the solar generator. There is nothing like doing a long road trip, pulling into a rest stop to throw the meal together, driving a couple of hours more and opening up the oven for a chicken with stuffing or a pork tenderloin dinner. There are all kinds of recipes out there for it.
I have one and use it occasionally. It is a nice option to have 😊
Thanks
That rice took a long time, wow!!
I wonder if soaking the rice before might decrease the time, hmmmmm
Love the idea of that cooker, thanks for testing it out.
I think soaking would definitely help it cook faster! Though I would worry about it getting mushy on the outside. It's such a finicky grain! 😣
@@ShoestringMartha It is a delicate balance for sure. There are precooked rice packets, but that increases the cost. I would make sushi if it got too mushy, lol. I might try it with a 30 minute soaking n check on it n see. Gotta get that cooker first, tho, lol.
If you do it, please report back - inquiring minds want to know!
I'm surprised it cooked at all, Making perfect rice is challenging. Essentially the flameless heater is a double boiler. I'm going to give that method a try for making rice.
The lack of fire, and additional cook time, means you can walk away from it without worrying about it .
Laughing Cow cheese wedges work good for making Mac-N-Cheese.
I believe this would be the ideal for heating up already prepared food or MRE's or dehydrated food
For sure, much more so than cooking from scratch!
Thanks for providing more info on the flameless cooker 😉 In order to get the rice to cook faster, maybe try using parboiled "minute rice" - it would likely decrease the cooking time quite a bit. Couscous would work well too...This cooker looks a lot like the electric lunchboxes some car campers use - you can plug them into the cigarette lighter in your vehicle and let the food heat up or cook while you're driving. Have you ever tried one of these?
I bet couscous would work really well! I have one of those 12v lunchboxes and I typically use it to have a meal ready when I arrive at my destination. Very handy!
The flameless heater should work well for heating up the precooked microwave bags of rice.
I wonder if not opening and takingthe top off sofrequently would reduce the time -keeping the heat in since it issuch a small container. Even 10 minutes time reduction would be alot.
Can you buy secondary metal trays for the cooker? Trying to think of what you could cook after cooking a dinner (say the rice} to use all the "energy" produced by the packet chemical reaction to increase the cost efffectiveness of using the cooker overall? A dessert? a breakfast for the next day?
I was thinking of using a smaller insert to make removal for draining pasta safer, but I like the idea of 2-for-1 cooking even better! I haven't seen replacement inserts, but I think the middle tier of my 3 part mess kit might fit. I also have a steel bento box set that could do the trick. 🤔
Oh and for sure, I wouldn't keep opening it, if one can help it. I only had to for testing purposes. Once you know the cook times, I bet we could knock a couple minutes off.
I really enjoy your cooking experiments! And as much as I would probably never use a flameless cooker (I like cooking with gas) it is fun to watch anyways! Maybe eventually they'll get better, but seems cheaper - not to mention faster - to use butane or propane still, right?
Oh definitely! This would be a last-ditch option for me, say, if I ran out of fuel and power. Also useful for those folks who are anxious about using fuel inside their vehicles at all.
@@ShoestringMartha yes exactly! It’s a nice backup to have just in case.
Auntie Ming say do the rice again, but this time no peeking!! Also, use finger method for measuring water! Ayaaa! 😂
I usually use the finger method for rice, but since I was being scientific, I thought I should actually measure. Currently burned out on flameless cooking, but next time I feel like blowing 2 bucks and 40 minutes or so - no peeking 😄
@@ShoestringMartha LoL, I'd love to see a comparison video of the various methods you've tried for cooking rice on the road, if you're interested in such a project
So far I’ve done flameless and in a mess kit over a fire. What’s next? In the electric tea kettle? 😅
@@ShoestringMartha Keith Titanium makes something they call a multifunction cooker that most people use for rice, and a friend of mine loves his tiny rice cooker that he bought from AliExpress
I happen to have a mini 12v rice cooker on my shopping list. It's about $28 on Amazon, but have to wait until my next camping gear expenditure comes through. 😅
I prefer pasta but will definitely be challenged with disposal of the cooking water. Maybe it would be ok to use less water.
I bet with small pastas (like orzo or fideos) you could probably get that water level way down. 🤔
Fun! Got your sticker in the mail the other day! Thank you!
Yay!!
Just a Idea. Cook your rice first then dehydrate it. When ready to eat just soak it in hot water to rehydrate /warm it up.
Probably the best way to go about it, but I am so lazy 😬
Same with pastas. I just purchased the Barocook which is similar as just another way to heat up food if all my different ways can’t be done. Love having the versatility!
Kenji Lopez says that in the restaurant kitchens he's worked in, they keep the pasta soaking in water. Once it's rehydrated, it only takes it 30 seconds to cook.
Would that help your situation?
I was satisfied with 13 minutes, but I love that idea for critically hangry situations 😈🍽️
@@ShoestringMartha yes, but you'd have had to plan ahead of time for the soaking stage! 😄
true truuuue 😔
@@ShoestringMartha 🤣
I wonder how this compares, cost-wise, to using propane, butane or campfire? Clearly campfire is out, given you’re care camping, so nix that option. Isn’t butane a bit more expensive than propane, but doesn’t it burn hotter? So maybe butane would be cheaper than propane and a bit less than these flameless packs. If you can vent your vehicle and shield your burner, which would you rather use? I still think butane makes more sense and would be easier to use. Plus, less water use.
Between fuel and flameless -- fuel definitely wins!
I’ve used my Jetboil (which uses isobutane/propane fuel mix canisters) to cook inside my teardrop trailer on crappy weather/cold days. I just make sure to crack the Fantastic Fan and a window for air circulation. I’ve done it on a tray, but I’m planning to install a hinged shelf to make it a little safer/avoid spills on the bed.
Awesome and thank you!
Very fun, thank you!
I am thinking this device might work better to reheat food, items that water is not needed. Getting water to boil is way too time consuming.
Indeed, they were created for heating prepared foods - like backpacking meals - but I just can’t leave well enough alone 😏
That was enjoyable. ❤🎉
Use a slotted spoon to get those noodles out
Amazon has those Velveeta pouches 12-24 for under $20
Oh my! That could be dangerous 😅🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀
I know I used them with my Ramen noodles. Amazon has a 24 pack Ramen noodles box😢
Morning Martha, Never seen the flameless cooker could get pricey if that is all you use. But it is a good option. Have you tried the plug in lunch box? I have only used it to keep food warm. If you do a video on this I would like to see a frozen flatbread pizza or a lasagna. Does it heat it up and how long will it take? I am a part-time car camper heading out one more time before I invest in a van. I watch quite a few videos for information on where to go and what people eat and new methods on to cook. What I have been noticing lately is that the women out there (that is who I relate to) are getting a bit lonely especially full timers, has anyone else noticed it.
Thanks! Yeah I consider it a method of last resort. I do have a 12v lunchbox. It's appeared in a few videos, which I'll link to below. It heats slow and low, like a crockpot. If I have a short trip planned (less than 2 hours), I'll get it started at home, while I'm loading in. I suspect it would take too long to heat anything from frozen, unless you were driving for a really long time. I would let it defrost in the cooler first. I think a pizza or lasagne would do fine, but it can burn on the bottom. So maybe add some foil, or turn it over midway.
It seems there are trends in UA-cam topics, and I have seen the loneliness one come up a lot lately. I think that vanlife has been a reality for a lot of people for long enough time for those feelings to really start creeping in. The upside is, I feel like there are more communities and events being created to help cope with it.
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I use a road pro often . I put in some chicken cut in small pieces, a packet of Knorr rice, and or Pasta, and the appropriate amount of water. Sometimes I’ll stick in some vegetables as well. I start it when I’m about 45 minutes to an hour away from my campsite. Hot delicious meal cooked in the car ready when I get there😃!
Do you feel like camping is an excuse to eat indulgently bad for you food because of the convenience? I mean the pie iron looks really fun and tasty but getting the fire started and filling the pie iron is a camping task but takes longer. So the instant food for the no flame cooking would be the fast food for hangry campers. 😋
Regardless of cooking method, I eat more indulgently when camping. It's not so much the convenience, as I often spend a lot of time preparing my food, but more, camping as an hedonist experience. The purpose of my trips is pure enjoyment. Good food and drink are part of that. 😊
Minute rice would have cooked right up.
This was my conclusion as well, but where is the challenge? 😄
How long do the heaters heat ?
I put a chart in the last video, but IIRC, it’s about 25 minutes at peak and 45-50 minutes including residual heat.
Rice usually takes 40 to more minutes to cook, your opening the probability didn't help.
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interesting, a lot of heat packets in a week. Maybe things you could start at one location and let cook while driving to another location.
That's a great idea!
@@ShoestringMartha They release hydrogen gas, NOT a good idea
Unlike most of the gear you've shown, which is 100% my style, this seems like a lot of single use, overly specific, cranky stuff. Not a fan
If I had my choice of any cooking method, I would rank: 1) fire 2)stove/fuel 3) electricity 4) flameless -- so basically, if I had no other option. 😂 Which is its purpose.
@@ShoestringMartha
I agree, this flameless is the very last preferred choice.
Can you cook meat? Not precooked, but actual meat? Lol
Maybe. The heat isn’t hot enough, long enough to safely cook a big chunk. You could probably get away with a few very thin slices - like for pho or hot pot.