Fourteen Ways to Cook Without Using Your Kitchen Stove

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 125

14 Ways to Cook Without Using Your Kitchen Stove

An important part of living sustainably is being prepared for the unexpected. In my last episode, I discussed the basics of food storage. In this next episode about being prepared, I want to discuss a second important skill. 

Imagine a scenario where a major storm comes through your area and the utility grid is non-functional for days to weeks. Numerous trees are down and blocking the road. It is impossible to make it to a supermarket. In fact, you cannot even make it out of your driveway.  

How do you think you would manage to cook your meals when your house is completely run off of electricity? 

In this next episode about being prepared, I am going to share with you 14 ways to cook without using your kitchen stove. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E125 which is called 14 Ways to Cook Without Using Your Kitchen Stove.

You must know from the outset that I love a good challenge. Along with me there are other that relish the idea of going off grid. Others would never even think about it.  However, when a major storm rolls through your area and cuts off all basic utilities, you are now off grid whether you like it or not. 

Learn From My Experience of Cooking Without My Stove

I have experienced such a scenario multiple times in my life. This is because I’ve lived in several areas that are prone to severe weather.  But because I was prepared for such events, being off grid was only a minor inconvenience. Each time it was similar to having a camping trip except for the fact that I was still at home.  It was simply another opportunity to practice my camp cooking skills.

If you watch the news then you know very well how many times a year this type of situation arises. Each and every time it does, there are thousands of people completely unprepared. They expect someone to come and rescue them instead of taking the initiative to be prepared to manage things themselves. However, if you are adept at camp cooking, have emergency supplies at home, and are prepared to be off grid, such events are simply a minor inconvenience. 

In the event of an emergency, you may be without utilities and forced to be off grid for several days, even weeks.  Knowing how to prepare meals using something other than your kitchen stove will make the difference between eating a cold meal, a hot one, or maybe nothing at all.  Take the time to learn the basics of camp cooking and even practice your new skill and there will come a time when you will be happy that you did.

14 Methods of Cooking Without Using Your Kitchen Stove

There are several ways to cook meals without using your kitchen stove. Some of these methods require little or no equipment while others will require a small financial investment. Most importantly, whatever method you choose it is in your best interest to master an alternative way of cooking before you actually need it.  Better yet, have several alternative means of cooking at your disposal.  If you spend time outdoors then campfire cooking is nothing new to you.  If it is, then take the time to learn a new skill.

Now, I am only going to cover each one of these methods very briefly. There is a lot more detail than what I am discussing. So, please take advantage of the transcript for this episode and/or follow the link to the related blog post. I am just going to attempt to give you the basics in this episode. 

Cook Over an Open Fire

For most campers and backpackers, cooking over an open fire is the highlight of the day.  If done correctly, food tastes even better than cooking in you kitchen. However, if you are not adept at this skill, it will take some practice.  Knowing how to build a cooking fire and using the right utensils makes the job so much easier. In fact, with the right tools, you can cook most anything over an open fire.

Be sure to place your fire pit in a protected area, have the proper fuel, proper utensils, and have plenty of water available. Now, there is a lot more detail to it than this. So, please refer to the transcript for this episode. 

The bottom line is that if you want to do this on a regular basis then construct a permanent fire pit and it will make you life a bit easier.  

Tips for Campfire Cooking

•  Practice, practice

Just like any other skill, camp cooking takes practice. Keep a good stack of kindling and dry, seasoned wood around just so you can practice cooking over a fire. The next time your skills are put to the test by being off grid without a choice, you will not be the least bit intimidated. 

If you have a place of your own, I would suggest setting up a permanent fire pit.  I’ve had one for many years and it gets used on a regular basis. Some great tips of help you be successful: 

Don’t cook directly over the flame because it produces intense heat. Slow steady heat is far better as in cooking over a bed of coals. 

Remove food from the heat source, that being the fires, a few minutes before you think it is finished cooking. Any food will continue to cook to some degree after it is removed from the heat source.  This is especially true for thick cuts of meat, pots of food, items in a dutch oven, or foods that are wrapped.  Both the food and the containers it is cooked in will retain heat. This retained heat continues to cook the food even after it is removed from the heat source.  

•  Choose your cooking method

For anything you do, having the right tools and equipment will always make the job so much easier and enjoyable.  Similarly, the same is true for campfire cooking. There are plenty of alternatives and various tools for the job. For example, a skewer, telescoping roasting sticks, Dutch oven, metal grill grate, hanging pots, coffee pot, hotdog and brat cookers, metal grilling baskets, and some heavy duty fireproof gloves. Keep in mind that very often the cooking method is going to vary according to the type of food.

•  Know what foods NOT to cook.

With campfire cooking, in general it is best to avoid foods that produce and drip a lot of grease.  Bacon is a good example. Also, frying foods produces a lot of splatter and should  be avoided if possible.  Dripping and splattering of oil causes flare up of the fire. Additionally, if the pan tipped over accidentally the oil would produce a significant fire hazard. 

Fuel source

Now one final tip that may sound sort of silly to even mention it, but dry seasoned wood is needed to build a good cooking fire. Furthermore, the type of wood that is used does make a difference.  Finally, the type of wood used for campfire cooking will impart a taste to the food.  Therefore it is important to choose carefully. 

Hardwoods, such as cherry or oak, are best.  They will burn hotter and cleaner.  Sappy wood, such as pine, will tend to leave an unpleasant taste to the food.  However, on a camping trip, or in a survival situation, you may not have a choice.  If you have to use pine or some other wood that contains a lot of sap, find the driest wood possible. 

Now one final comment that you may find entertaining. I was on a two week kayaking trip on Lake Powell which is in Arizona. I was trying to conserve my fuel source so when I would camp I would build a small fire for cooking. One night I stopped at a rather nice beach area and the only vegetation was small dry grasses. However, there was an over abundance of sun baked cow patties. I had always heard that they made a good fuel source so I decided to give it a try. Once you get them burning they actually burn very slow and hot and provide a steady source of heat. This is what makes a good cooking fire. There is virtually no odor. However, I did cook my food in a covered pot just to be safe. So, if you are ever in an emergency situation and all you have a dried cow turds, rest assured they make a good fire. 

Cook on a wood stove

If you have a wood stove and use it regularly, you should take advantage of that source of heat.  My wood stove is my primary source of heat about 7 months out of the year.  Consequently, I use it for cooking on a regular basis. I even bake on top of the stove.  One year, just for an experiment, I cooked the entire Thanksgiving dinner on top of the wood stove, turkey included. It may take a little practice but it is well worth the effort. 

Since I live off grid and at high altitude, having a wood stove for heat is imperative. However, if you live on grid and in a cooler climate, you should have a back up heat source in the event the grid goes down. A wood stove is the perfect choice.  

When most people envision cooking with a wood stove, they think of the older models that have several burners (or hot plates), an oven and a warmer above the top of the stove. These are very large, very heavy stoves. Even though they are fantastic stoves, they are not very practical if you are living off grid full time simply because hey are built for one specific purpose. 

What Is the Best Wood Stove for Cooking?

Old fashioned wood cook stoves are equipped with small hot boxes. The hot box is where the fire is built.  This means you can only add small pieces of wood at a time, which burns quickly.  Consequently, the fire requires regular attention because it burns down quickly.  Consequently, you are never going to have a good bed of coals to work with the next morning.  

In my opinion, the wood stove designed for heating a home is a superior stove for cooking purposes. Much larger pieces of wood are used because of the large hot box. After burning down, they leave a nice bed of coals hours later. If you use a stove with a large surface area on top, you easily have room for large pots and pans.  You also will end up with a nice heat gradient.  Essentially you end up with areas on the stove top that serve as “Hi”, “Med” and “Low”. For example, if your fire box is longer than it is wide, you can build the fire toward the back. This produces a nice heat gradient from front to back.  

For baking purposes, I use a Dutch oven on top of the stove. I have also cooked plenty of whole chickens and turkeys by placing them in the traditional roaster and then on top of the wood stove.  Smaller Dutch ovens are great for putting inside the fire box. I simply push the coals toward the back and then maintain a fire in the back of the firebox.  I rotate the Dutch oven regularly to ensure even cooking.  This method makes tasty baked potatoes!!

Cookware that is suitable for the open fire is also suitable for on the wood stove.  But, my favorite is cast iron and enamel ware.  

In all fairness, I should point out that the modern versions of wood cookstoves are very attractive and more versatile than their older counter parts.  However, they are expensive, ranging from $2500 to over $12,000 USD. I have a wood stove in each cabin that I use for cooking in the winter.  They were both free from people that “just wanted to get rid of them”. At any rate, a good wood stove is a great means of cooking off grid and is a much easier way to prepare food than campfire cooking. 

Use a Grill

Having a BBQ grill has saved me on several occasions.  Because I have traveled a lot for work in the past, I’ve lived in several areas that are prone to severe weather.  I’ve been evacuated three times due to hurricanes. Additionally,  I lived through an ice storm and had no electricity for 7 days in the middle of winter.  Consequently, I’ve leaned to be prepared. Because I love to grill, I always cart around my portable gas grill with extra fuel.  Even after an evacuation, I never missed a nice hot meal.  Although my preference is a gas grill, a standard charcoal grill is another great option.  

Needless to say, having a grill is an easy option for cooking especially if you are off grid, by choice or not!! Most grills are not very portable. For this reason they may not be the best alternative for camp cooking unless you are traveling by vehicle. However, due to the RV and tiny home movement, there are now a lot more choices for portable grills. Som take advantage of this. 

Rocket Stove 

Rocket stoves are an amazing heat machine. You can use them for cooking, baking, and even heating a house.  They can be a simple portable model or something large enough to need a permanent location. These stoves can be used in multiple different ways.  The choice is up to you. 

Due to the design of this stove, the combustion system is efficient, which is the reason they produce so much heat.  Rocket stoves are open in the front area where the wood is fed in. This design feeds plenty of oxygen to  the fire. The resulting flow of air sucks the flames into the burn tunnel and the resulting “roar” is what gives this stove its name. 

Advantages of a rocket stove:

•  Highly efficient and clean burning due to complete combustion
•  Can reach very high temperatures
•  Built from common and easily available materials
•  Reach very high temperatures
•  Uses wood efficiently. Typically uses wood too small for a wood stove 
•  Produces little pollution, environmentally friendly
•  Portable stoves make a great survival tool and alternative means of cooking. 

Disadvantages of a rocket stove:

•  The fire requires frequent attention because you are using small pieces of wood. 
•  Needs frequent cleaning
•  Can get extremely hot very quickly

Rockets stoves are quite versatile and come in various sizes.  You can easily build one at home or purchase an inexpensive model online for under $100.  They are well worth the investment and make a great addition to the homestead.  

Home Esthetics has a great post on building different types of rockets stoves.  Read their post here. 

Propane Stove

The next method is using a propane stove. This makes a great off-grid method for cooking. Propane stoves come in a variety of sizes and models depending on your preference. While some versions are complete with 4 burners and an oven others are simple four burner counter top models. Additionally, there are single or double burners which are much more portable.  Most importantly, all of these connect to standard propane tanks with regulators or can be fitted with adaptors. Whatever you choose, this is a clean, reliable source of cooking. 

Since my cabins run off of solar electricity, most of the time I use a solid fuel source for cooking, which is propane. I have a small four burner stove with an oven in the log cabin.  The new cabin has a  counter top four burner model.  I also use propane for grilling and smoking meat. Because my propane stoves are so efficient,  at any point in time I have enough propane onsite to last me at least 2 years. Consequently, this method of cooking serves as a great back up if you are not presently off grid. 

Camping Stove

A camping stove is pretty much standard equipment for anyone that camps on a regular basis. Camping stoves come in many different models and are a great back up for cooking. Many models have a built in fuel tank which is filled with white gas and pressurized with a hand pump. Others models use small portable propane tanks. My personal preference is a stove that requires a liquid fuel. I do not like purchasing small propane bottles. These bottle are disposable and using them is wasteful. I’ve had the same two burner Coleman camp stove for over 20 years and it still works well.

The disadvantage to using something that requires a liquid fuel is that you cannot use it indoors. When the fuel burns it produces toxic fumes. A good alternative is to use a camp stove that runs off of the same type of 20 pound propane tank that you use for a grill. This gives you the option of using it outside and bringing it indoors if needed. 

Backpacking Stove

If you want something small and portable, a backpacking stove makes a good choice. 

Typically backpacking stoves are single burners.   They are light weight, compact and easily portable of course. This is fantastic if you have to move from one location to another. There are a variety of models. Some use fuel canisters and others use liquid fuel in a tank that can be pressurized my hand. 

Keep in mind that these stoves typically have to be used outdoors. And since they are single burners you are mostly limited to one pot meals. 

Solar Ovens 

Solar ovens are a reliable means of cooking a huge variety of foods. They only require the energy from the sun. They are easy and inexpensive to build or you can purchase one for a couple of hundred dollars.  You can find many versions online for a DIY solar oven.

You can make an inexpensive solar oven out of a card board box if you choose.  But, that is not going to be very durable.  I would advised taking the time and effort to build something that is going to last. 

The disadvantage to a solar oven is that they take a lot longer to cook most foods. The exception to this is using a solar oven constructed from recycled solar hot water tubes.  These ovens have a small cooking chamber and get very hot very quickly.

The true disadvantage to solar cooking is that if you have an emergency situation due to a severe storm and rain, you may not have sufficient sunlight to actually cook. 

At any rate, I am providing a couple of links to articles on building solar cookers that will be in the transcript of this episode:

How to Make a Solar Cooker here. 

William Becker published a very detailed article on solar cookers.  Find his article here. 

Hot Box

You will hear several different terms used for this type of cooking. For example, Wonder Oven, Wonder Box, Hot Box, Hay Box.  By whatever the name, the essentials are basically the same.  

The basic idea is to build an insulated box.  This can be as simple as a small card board box placed inside a larger card board box with insulation between the two layers. However, if you want something more sturdy, construct a wooden box or use a large cooler.  But, the basic idea is that you need a well insulated container as a starting point.   

This insulated box needs to be large enough to provide several inches of clearance around all sides of whatever food container you use. This extra space is for the insulation. The insulation material can be almost anything, i.e, newspaper, books, blankets, towels, hay or straw (hay box).  Efficiency is maximized by completely surrounding the food container with insulation.  

The next step is to place the food in a pot and bring the entire contents to a boil. Turn off the heat and place a tightly fitting lid on the pot. Immediately place this inside the hot box, cover the top with insulation, close it up and let it sit all day. The heat retained inside the cooking container will slow cook the food. If insulated correctly, the box will hold usable heat for up to eight hours.

For better results, I would recommend using a pot that will retain heat for a long period of time. My preference is to use a cast iron Dutch oven. Cast iron may take longer to heat up but it also retains heat much longer than most other cooking pots. Cooking times are going to vary greatly. It all depends on the type of food you are cooking and the amount of boiling time prior to placing the food in the box. 

For a little more information, Mother Earth News has a great article on hay box cooking.  This is an older article but it is a good one all the same.  Read it here. 

HERC (Home Emergency Radiant Cooking)

HERC is also known as a Tea Light Oven. It uses a series of candles to produce radiant heat.  You can cook almost anything in this oven.  The candles are inexpensive, the oven is light weight and easy to store. I will have to admit this is something I have never tried so I cannot give you an honest opinion. But, I am going to provide a link to a great article so you can try this is you wish. 

Here is a great article by Prepared Housewives.

Camping Oven

The next option I want to tell you about is the camping oven. This is another cooking option in case the grid goes down. Because there are several different models of camping ovens you have some versitilty.  Some are simply a collapsible metal box with a built in temperature gauge. For example, the Coleman camp oven.  They just need to be placed on a heat source such as an open fire, a wood stove, or propane burner. Other camp stoves look similar to a standard oven and are powered by propane.  They are well insulated and consequently are very efficient. The limitation is that they are generally small in size so you are limited in what you can cook. But this also makes them easily portable.   

You can find a variety of camping ovens on Find Similar. 

Volcano Grill

Another good option is a volcano grill. This grill is compact, versatile, and gives you the option of using either wood, propane or charcoal as a heat sources. Rather than depending on only one thing, this grill provides a lot of versatility. Even though my travel trailers has a propane stove in it, I still take along a volcano grill because it is portable. But, if you want a little more cooking space, there are also a variety of collapsible tabletop grills that make a good portable option. 

Check it out on volcanogrills.com

Earth Oven

Another potential option is the earth oven. The earth oven design has been around for eons. It is great for cooking pizzas, breads, or baking just about anything you can imagine.  They are not difficult to build and are generally heated by wood. I have seen these used a lot in different countries especially by locally owned family restaurants. Just keep in mind that these are permanent structures.  

Mother Earth News have a great article on Build Your Own Wood-Fired Earth Oven. 

Canned Heat

Now, the last method I want to mention is canned heat. There are numerous products on the market. However,  Sterno brand canned heat is one of the most popular. Canned heat is simply a solid fuel source in a can.  Take the lid off and light it with a match. Once you are finished cooking, put the lid back on it to extinguish the flame. If you have ever been to a large party that provided hot food on a large buffet table, chances are they were using canned heat to keep the food hot. 

The nature of this product makes it highly portable and efficient. Although this is an easy cooking option, I would use it only as a last resort in an emergency situation.  Think of it as a limited resource because once it is gone there is no way to cook additional food.  Consequently, what I do is keep some on hand to be used if all else fails.  

Summary

So far I have discussed 14 different methods of cooking without using your kitchen stove. The methods that I use most frequently are my wood stove, grill, propane stove, camping stove, volcano grill and an open fire. No matter where I am in the world and what I am doing, I always seem to have several different methods of cooking and heating water. The reason for this is that I have personally experience several different disaster situations and even survival situations. So, maybe that is the reason I think differently than most. Additionally, as you well know I have lived off the grid for many years and tend to be prepared to operate my life comfortably with minimal resources. 

In recent years one of my best examples based on personal experience is when I still owned my house in South Carolina. The southern US is somewhat prone to  ice storms. This happens when there is drizzling rain with outdoor temperatures right at or just below freezing. What happens over time is that trees and power lines become coated with a thick layer of ice and just break. Trees are down everywhere, the power goes out, and it is impossible to travel. When this happened, the subdivision where my house was located literally looked as if a hurricane had passed through. It was impossible to go anywhere because the road were glazed with a thick layer of ice and numerous large trees were blocking the roads. 

We were without power for 7 days. We blocked off all the doors to the living room area with thick blankets and kept the fireplace going so we could stay warm. Our covered porch became an outdoor kitchen. We had a grill, propane burners, Dutch ovens and plenty of extra food. We had 100 hour candles and head lamps for lighting. While everyone else around us suffered dearly, cooking meals and taking care of ourselves was simply a minor inconvenience. 

I truly think that in today’s world people have lost the ability to take care of themselves and think outside the box. I also believe that a big part of being sustainable is being prepared. Having several alternative cookings methods is an easy way to do just that. So take the time, think ahead, and be prepared. 

One of my favorite quotes from Louis Pasteur is that “Chance favors the prepared mind.” So, be prepared. It is simple, easy, and just takes a little forethought and planning. 

In the transcript of this episode I am going to provide a link to a blog post that will provide much more detailed information about cooking without your kitchen stove. So please take advantage of that resource.  

So, in closing, I hope you join me again next week as I continue my Be Prepared Series. Next week I am going o discuss the basics of maintaining a safe water supply. But for now, that is all for this week. So be sure to join me again next week for another informative episode. Until then, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future. 

Patrick