You never know when something could happen, and you are stuck without power. Luckily, that’s why we’re here.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at 6 methods you can use for cooking indoors if you find yourself without electricity.
6 Ways To Cook Indoors Without Electricity
1. Chafing Pans And Chafing Gel Fuel
Chafing pans require fuel to heat a big, shallow pan of water. They are basically a type of indirect heat stove, and they are typically used in places like buffets to keep food warm.
2. Tea Lite Oven
You can make your own oven by using tea lite candles inside an oven to cook your food. All you need to do is get tea lights, light them, and place them in your oven.
The heat they produce can be used to cook your food inside the oven while the heat is trapped.
If you choose to try and cook like this, you may need to replace the tea light candles relatively frequently.
These candles do not usually burn for very long, and may run out of wick if you give them enough time.
This will obviously depend on what you are trying to cook or heat up.
We wouldn’t recommend trying to cook something large like this, so Thanksgiving or not, the turkey won’t be the main course.
3. Flameless Cooking System
You can use the Barocook Flameless Cooking System if you get stuck without electricity and need to cook.
This can be used at home, or on the road, so it’s always a handy device to have. This product works in all weather conditions.
Using this system is pretty easy. All you need to do is as follows:
Remove the lid of the system, and take out the stainless steel container within
Add your prepared food to the stainless steel container
Take the heat pack out of the plastic, and place it at the bottom of the plastic container
Add water to the plastic container. Do this until it reaches the 4oz mark water line shown on the side of the container.
Once the water is added, allow it 30 seconds before it starts to boil and steam.
Add the stainless steel container into the plastic one.
Secure the lid on top
The waiting times will vary depending on what you intend to prepare.
Tea/coffee/freeze-dried meal – 6 minutes
Pasta/hard-boiled eggs/rice – 20 minutes
Cornbread or other similar things (½ inch thick) – 30 minutes
4. Crockpot And Solar Panels
You can easily use your crockpot to cook all the food you like, but only if you have solar panels!
Well, technically you could use another energy source, but we will be looking at solar panels specifically.
This is a helpful option if you actually have solar panels. Depending on the system you use, and where you live, this might not be an option, however.
If you did have solar panels you could use, you can connect them to a crockpot to run the device, and simply cook like that.
There isn’t a lot to it other than that, but it’s a very handy method to have.
5. Portable Heaters
Using portable heaters to cook your food definitely comes with a safety risk. If you ever read the instructions and warnings on a portable heater, you will know that you should never cover them.
Not only that, but these devices are not designed for cooking, and may be damaged (and become hazardous) if used for this purpose.
Because of this, while cooking on a portable heater is certainly an option, we don’t necessarily recommend it. One of the other five options listed on this list are probably a lot safer.
Plus, you wouldn’t lose your warranty because of attachments or modifications.
Use this method for cooking without electricity at your own peril.
6. Fireplace
The fireplace is probably the go-to option if you have one of them. A fireplace will allow you to light a fire as you usually would, and use it to cook!
It will be just like having a fire outside and cooking all your delicious food.
Using the fireplace to cook your food when you have no electricity is arguably the most fun method.
Not only that, but you get all the delicious flavors you usually would from a barbecue. Overall, this method will always be a winner, and it’s simply logical.
If you don’t have a fireplace in your home, then the other five methods mentioned in this list should be helpful to you.
Final Thoughts
Power cuts are no fun, no matter what they are from. Like it or not, nowadays, the world revolves around electricity and everything that comes with it, like the internet.
However, it’s important to know how you would be able to feed yourself and your family or friends if you were stuck in a situation where you have no power.
This might be especially important if this happened in the middle of winter, or you live in a cold climate.
While there will be food around that you can eat as is, such as non-perishables, sometimes a warm meal is what you need to keep you going.
By knowing how to make foods like that with the above non-electrical cooking options, you will make it through the day.
Hello, my name is Tim Roth and I have lived in Texas all of my life. I have seen it all - tornadoes, flash floods, and other natural disasters that have come our way.
I have kept a survival kit for all my family members in my basement since I was in my 20s. Every time a new member comes along, I make them a new kit. No one in my family will be caught out in a disaster - I make sure of it.
I teach a survival class at the local hall as well. It’s free for anyone who wants to learn about keeping themselves and their family safe, should the worst happen. We cover how to help children and the elderly, make your own evacuation and survival kits, and much more.
