slow cooker

[paul2884]

Hello
We use a Mr D's thermal cooker, its great and save a lot of gas but some times a slow cooker with a heater would be good. everything I have found is virtualy un-insulated and looks very in-efficent. Does anyone know for a quality product that is someware between the insulated thermal cooker and a slow cooker that wont use too much power but will continue to heat keeping the cooking going for longer?

[JPA Cate]

You can use a pressure cooker like a slow cooker. Bring to pressure and turn off heat, letting the residual heat cook the food, and reheat, etc., till done. It will not harm the food, and it stays sterile in the cooker.

Uses cooking fuel, rather than electricity (except for gas solenoid and electronic ignition of burners).

Ann

[Bill O]

We have the Tayama thermal cooker and warmer (a 12V 35W heating element). Works well as a thermal or a slow cooker.

We have set it up w/an inkbird digital temperature controller to also do sous vide cooking.

Like thermal cooking, we preheat on the stove then run the 12v element as needed for slow cooking or sous vide.


Bill O.

[thinwater]

Please explain what the problem is with Mr. D's. Does it not keep the food hot long enough and cools too rapidly? The cooling rate (60c after 6 hours according to web site) is not really that great compared to other units (Wonder Bag is 75-80F based on personal testing), so maybe throwing a blanket over it will solve the problem.

In fact, you can make a perfectly serviceable thermal cooker by wrapping any pot in enough layers of blankets. I've done this many times.

Please tell us what problem you are trying to solve. I'd hate throwing needless amps at a cooker.

[paul2884]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Please explain what the problem is with Mr. D's. Does it not keep the food hot long enough and cools too rapidly? The cooling rate (60c after 6 hours according to web site) is not really that great compared to other units (Wonder Bag is 75-80F based on personal testing), so maybe throwing a blanket over it will solve the problem.

In fact, you can make a perfectly serviceable thermal cooker by wrapping any pot in enough layers of blankets. I've done this many times.

Please tell us what problem you are trying to solve. I'd hate throwing needless amps at a cooker.

not realy a problem with Mr D's it just some times we like to cook a gamon or slow cook beef for longer then the time it will stay hot, we use one at home as well and being aboe to slow cook things for 12 hours at 70 or 80 degrees is useful. we have a slow cooker at home and use it but it seems very wastfull being just an air gap between the pot and the outer wall of the cooker.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by paul2884

We use a Mr D's thermal cooker, its great and save a lot of gas but some times a slow cooker with a heater would be good. everything I have found is virtualy un-insulated and looks very in-efficent. Does anyone know for a quality product that is someware between the insulated thermal cooker and a slow cooker that wont use too much power but will continue to heat keeping the cooking going for longer?

The slow cookers I am familiar with are just low wattage heaters and don't have thermostats. That means adding insulation like the Wonderbag (https://theboatgalley.com/wonderbag/) isn't a good idea - it will get too hot unless you turn the cooker off, watch the temperature, and turn it back on for a while as needed.

Most of my slow cooker recipes are 8+ hours on low in my 60W (on low) cooker. That's about 45 Ah through the inverter for dinner. That's a good bit for me most of the time but for the occasional splurge its achievable. The slow cooker definitely comes into its own on shore power. In addition it's near magic for beach potlucks. Bear with me.

We have a dinghy outboard that starts both with a pull cord and electric and have a small AGM motorcycle battery for the electric start. My wife has a bad shoulder and I didn't want her to be in the position of having to ask someone to help her start the outboard. I can hook up a small inverter (I have a couple of Bestek 300W inverters for other things) and plug in the slow cooker for a hot contribution to the beach potluck. All kinds of things we can make stove-top or oven and keep warm on the way to the beach and in some cases on the beach. Swedish meatballs, pigs-in-a-blanket, cheese dips, veg dips. Greatly expands our repertoire. We find the slow cooker useful enough that we make space for it.

[Tellie]

Solar cookers. Not one Watt needed.

[sailorboy1]

I understand the OP as I find slow cookers and pressure cookers different things and wonder why people can't just answer the question! I googled "insulated slow cookers" and there appear to be a few and there are also "blankets" that can be used to reduce the power use for a meal. Even though I also would like to have one I haven't gotten one and it's not about the power (45AH isn't a big deal), it's about storage. I definitely wouldn't be concerned about boaters rating/recommendations, I would look at overall ones.

[paul2884]

Originally Posted by Bill O

We have the Tayama thermal cooker and warmer (a 12V 35W heating element). Works well as a thermal or a slow cooker.

We have set it up w/an inkbird digital temperature controller to also do sous vide cooking.

Like thermal cooking, we preheat on the stove then run the 12v element as needed for slow cooking or sous vide.


Bill O.

this sounds ideal, unfortunatly i cant find any in the UK but will keep looking.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by paul2884

this sounds ideal, unfortunatly i cant find any in the UK but will keep looking.

Paul, we have a little slow cooker which came from Aldi I think. 1.5L and 120w.

I actually think it's quite efficient. It takes about 30 minutes and 10A to come up to temperature. However, once hot, the thermostat cycles it on and off, about 50/50, so now it's 5A each hour. The only thing I haven't worked out yet is how to secure it to use at sea if its rough.

For the two of us its a brilliant size and the solar panel runs it perfectly.

Looks a bit like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tower-T1602...s%2C132&sr=8-3

[ranger58sb]

We have a slow cooker on board, but more recently we got an Instant Pot -- pressure cooker and slow cooker in one -- and we're beginning to find that more useful, haven't yet ever had cause to use both at the same time... so we could probably jettison the original slow cooker if space requires.

-Chris

[sparrowhawk1]

I have a 6 quart pressure cooker that I fill 1/3 with water, put my food in a stainless steel container with a lid. It fits perfectly inside the cooker on top of a rack that is high enough so it won't float or have water come up the sides too far. I bring it up to pressure put it in a styrofoam cooler that has a blanket to fill in the space around the cooker and the lid and top of cooler is notched so the handle sticks out. I have a spare comforter and wool blanket that I put on top. It is way too hot to touch after sitting for more than 12 hours. One of these days I'm going to get a nicer cooler [emoji4]. I'm sure any pot with in a pot would work, the trick is to have enough mass. PS I use the same containers to cook in my solar oven (which is more like a slow cooker) and if it ends up being a cloudy day I can easily just transfer it to the pressure cooker. For shorter cooking time I can fit two containers in with less water.

[nwdiver]

We use a 1.5lt and a 6lt double pot Shuttle Chef, lunch time 20 minutes work and 4-5 hours later dinner is complete.....The vacuum non electric cookers work great, in my experience much better than the blanket types.......

[smbdyiam2]

I make chili in pressure cooker when starts to steam good, I place a cutting board inside a cooler, place hot pressure cooker in /on cutting board. I then close lid. 4+ hours latter is still hot. finished cooking and stayed hot till supper. Chili is basically already cooked . Meat is cooked browned and drained . canned beans, canned tomato, canned tomato sauce, canned celery soup. uncooked onions. I could use onion powder I guess. Net search for recipe for Wendy's chili. pressure cooker in cooler should work or other recipes.

[Mystic38]

Thats interesting, I have a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, and recently got an instant pot assuming it would replace the other two..

not really. the instant pot is a poor pressure cooker... it takes 4 times as long to cook anything, 20min/lb of beef vs 5min as its pressure is much lower than the boring reliable old school kind, and while its an ok slow cooker.. its certainly not any good at rice etc so overall i find it massively overrated and hence a waste of space.

its been passed forward to a millenial and i have solely the presto stainless pressure cooker on the boat and that covers pretty much all i need..

Originally Posted by ranger42c

We have a slow cooker on board, but more recently we got an Instant Pot -- pressure cooker and slow cooker in one -- and we're beginning to find that more useful, haven't yet ever had cause to use both at the same time... so we could probably jettison the original slow cooker if space requires.

-Chris