Thermal cooker (1 Viewer)

Mousy

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Anyone come across one of these? It's a thermal cooker, you put your veggies, meat stock in the pan boil for ten mins, take pan off heat and place in the slightly bigger insulated pan, close lid and leave on no heat for up to 8 hours. It's like a slow cooker but requires minimum heat. Cooks in 2 / 3 hours.

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It's expensive but cheaper than a remouska and as we don't use ehu very much, I'm really tempted.

What do you think? Have I just been sucked in by the crude website and you tube videos? Time to step away?!:Doh:
 

TheBig1

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many many years! since I was a kid
its little more than a large thermos flask certainly not worth over £100:Eeek:
 
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Mousy

Mousy

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Yeah your right, you haven't been speaking to my husband have you?,:ROFLMAO:

But just think of all the gas we'd save!

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Armytwowheels

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Don't bother. I have a similar one and after preparing a big pot of chilli before the 4 hour drive to the Lakes to meet friends, the chilli was just Luke warm when we go there. The inner pot is a nice cooking pot and I have no doubt the thermos bit keeps food warm for about an hour but it's not worth that sort of money.

Mine is the magic cooker, paid about £30 for it.

Opps, looks like I might have paid a bit more, don't tell Colin.
 
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Mousy

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Thanks I'd looked at that one on amazon it's about £50 now. Shame it didn't work it's such a good ideal, and I love the thought of filling it up at home on a Friday, taking off in the van and having a lovely lamb tangine ready when we arrive.

Mr D will be at the NEC next week, I think it's the reason Martin doesn't want to go:ROFLMAO:
 

Snowbird

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I once made one years ago with an old cast iron cooking pot. I wrapped it in clingfilm. Then made a box with polystyrene and place the pot inside, then filled the cavity with expanding foam. All this fitted inside a plastic box with lid. The clingfilm was to stop the expanding foam sticking to the pot, and can be taken off after the foam has set. Worked great, then I bought a slow cooker and run it from the inverter whilst travelling. That works even better :thumb:.
 
Sep 3, 2013
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I have one. I think it's Australian. Mine isn't the model or make shown in any of the above links.

And I love it!

Used it many, many times. The last time was on Udo's first trip on a cold November weekend. I made a bolognese sauce at 9am and left it to cook all day in its residual heat. It was plenty warm enough at 6pm and had cooked perfectly.

Mine wasn't 'cheap' to buy. But it's been worth it many times over. It was bought originally for camping trips with my Land Rover 110 where one doesn't have electricity and when moving from one campsite to another. Make supper in the morning, de-camp, drive, set-up and supper is already done. No hassle.

It works equally well in Udo as I can get things done in the morning and so supper is a matter of a few minutes in the evening.

Sure, a Remoska would work well. Or a double skillet. I have the latter, too.
 

bobandjanie

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That's what we had, very pleased with it,only sold it because we downsized and never had room for it. :Doh:

But it worked a treat, get it cooking then put it back in the cupboard it lived in, it sat there cooking no power and brilliant. ::bigsmile:

A couple of times we nearly forgot we had dinner already cooked in the cupboard. :ROFLMAO: Bob.

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Nov 14, 2009
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we have the mr d's . have been using it for the last year and it works way better than has been suggested in this thread. provided you heat the food properly , bring to boil then simmer for 10 mins and dont open the lid while its cooking i guarantee you wouldnt put your hand in the food even after 7 hours!! great bit of kit and saved us loads of gas too. one tip is not to put too much liquid in the food as it doesnt boil off so you would end up with quite a runny stew if your not careful.
 
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Mousy

Mousy

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Some interesting replies, thanks folks. If the Mr Ds wasn't so expensive I'd give it a go. From my limited research it appears that the cheaper insulated ones don't work as well as the vacuum insulated ones like Mr Ds and Bellini's.

If we manage to get to the NEC next week, I'll lurk around Mr Ds stall and try really hard not to fall for the demo....(absolutely no chance of that!) hence martins reluctantance to attend:ROFLMAO:
 
Sep 3, 2013
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This is the person who got me into using a thermal cooker.

John Rooth, 'Roothy', is an Australian 4x4 legend. A real outdoors person. And a good cook.

Here's two of his thermal cooker recipes below.

[ame]http://youtu.be/cLNXhSxAAFg[/ame]

[ame]http://youtu.be/Fwbpq2-TY4o[/ame]

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DBK

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If on EHU a slow cooker, which are cheap, works well and uses very little power - which might be a concern if you are on a site which meters it.

For the "hot meal when you arrive" requirement MrsB cooks it beforehand then freezes it. The meal in a Tupperware then just sits in the sink defrosting and when we get settled it goes in a pan and is re-heated. Takes very little time - about long enough to make a decent start on the wine in my experience.
 
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Puddleduck

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I once made one years ago with an old cast iron cooking pot. I wrapped it in clingfilm. Then made a box with polystyrene and place the pot inside, then filled the cavity with expanding foam. All this fitted inside a plastic box with lid. The clingfilm was to stop the expanding foam sticking to the pot, and can be taken off after the foam has set. Worked great, then I bought a slow cooker and run it from the inverter whilst travelling. That works even better :thumb:.

My Great-Grandma had something similar but used hay as insulation. (Known as a "hay box") - it was in constant use on the winter days when the range was "let out" for cleaning. I think most households had a hay-box and they were certainly used by farm workers who would put their "bait" into the manger as they took the horses off to work.

I love my slow-cooker and always took it when tenting to much amusement. In France I buy the cheapest cut of meat (explain to the butcher it's for the "pot au feu") and then put the meat and cheap local wine in the slow cooker. Go out kayaking for at least 6 hours. Open the slow cooker, throw away the meat and drink the juice...... :ROFLMAO:

I've done baked potatoes and cake in the slow cooker (not at the same time). The only thing that doesn't work for me is rice but maybe I'm doing it wrong.
 

Minxy

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Don't bother. I have a similar one and after preparing a big pot of chilli before the 4 hour drive to the Lakes to meet friends, the chilli was just Luke warm when we go there. The inner pot is a nice cooking pot and I have no doubt the thermos bit keeps food warm for about an hour but it's not worth that sort of money.

Mine is the magic cooker, paid about £30 for it.

Opps, looks like I might have paid a bit more, don't tell Colin.

The key is to get the food boiling hot and cook it like this for 10 mins to ensure the heat is well and truly getting into the food itself, not just heating up the liquid and you MUST cook the food in the actual pot that goes into the outer part as this heats up and keeps the food cooking along with the insulation - I know some people have used a separate pan on the strove and just tipped popped the contents into the cold pot and straight into the outer which straight away reduces the heat so it won't work, in fact you run the risk of getting food poisoning if you do this. You have to resist the temptation to take a peak too. ::bigsmile:

I got a thermal cooker off Ebay which was originally from Lakeland, although they called it a 'stay hot pot', but it is virtually the same as "Mr D's" except it doesn't have the smaller pan at the top. Unfortunately Lakeland didn't realise the potential and took it off sale ... a BIG mistake on their part! :RollEyes:

There are some 'thermal cooker' recipes here if anyone wants to have a go with them!

http://www.pinterest.com/petiteloulou/recipes-thermal-cooker/

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Mousy

Mousy

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They seem very popular in the states and Australia, with a much bigger choice. Mr Ds seems the best in the uk, shame about its hefty price tag :Sad:
 

Forestboy

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We looked at one but weren't convinced and have since spoken to others who've had them but been less than satisfied. We eventually bought a Remoska which is an amazing bit of kit run it off the inverter when we're travelling or parked, turn up to a nice roast ready to eat mmm. ::bigsmile:
 
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We looked at one but weren't convinced and have since spoken to others who've had them but been less than satisfied. We eventually bought a Remoska which is an amazing bit of kit run it off the inverter when we're travelling or parked, turn up to a nice roast ready to eat mmm. ::bigsmile:

anyone that says that the mr d's doesnt do exactly what it says is not using it properly period.
we forgot about a chilli in it once and opened it 12 hours later and it was still pretty hot. well made and works well , thats why it has a cheeky pricetag. saved us a fortune in gas over this winter as well so will pay for itself :Smile:

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pappajohn

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The Mr D’s Thermal Cooker is now being [HI]used by over 1,500 people[/HI] on boats, in caravans, in motorhomes, for camping and for saving energy in the home [HI]all over the world.[/HI]

says it all for me.......

World population estimated to number 7.145 billion

European population = 731 million

British population = 63 million

Users of this glorified thermos flask = one thousand five hundred. 1500 :ROFLMAO:

I think they need a better advertising agency. :ROFLMAO:
 
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MattR

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We have a wonderbag: Broken Link Removed

Same principle - simmer food for 10 mins and put in the beanbag type thing known as a wonderbag and open around 3-5 hrs later for food that is hot. It will stay hot for around 8 hrs and the food will not burn as the heat source has been removed.

We bought ours for less than £50 (may have been £35) at the NEC last Spring. If we didn't have one, we would use some cushions to insulate the casserole dish (having put cling film over the opening) and wrap it up in a duvet or similar and enjoy the hot food on arrival at the site or after a day in the hills.
 
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This is another product that divides opinion.

The truth of the matter is the age-old saying of 'if it works for you'....

It matters little how many have been sold or what others experiences are. If it fits into your way of doing things then that's all that matters.

For those who can't decide, don't buy one. It's really that simple. Buy a Remoska or a DS instead.

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Snowbird

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This is another product that divides opinion.

The truth of the matter is the age-old saying of 'if it works for you'....

It matters little how many have been sold or what others experiences are. If it fits into your way of doing things then that's all that matters.

For those who can't decide, don't buy one. It's really that simple. Buy a Remoska or a DS instead.

Agree entirely, what suits one will not suit another. We do tend to cook a lot when away, and bought a Morphy Richards seer and cook slow cooker. Its light, so perfect for the van. The idea is that you put the meat in the inner pot and seer it on the gas, then into the slow cooker for the general cooking. We did a roast brisket last week for Sunday lunch and it was delicious. Any campsite electric supply will run one of these, regardless of how minuscule. When on the road we leeve stuff cooking via the inverter, so that we have a meel ready at night. Its priced at £29-99 but we got it from B&M at £19-99. This is the link below.

http://www.morphyrichards.co.uk/pro...kers/48702-Red-Sear-and-Stew-Slow-Cooker.html
 
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Mousy

Mousy

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I use a slow cooker at home, of course for my brood it's a big one, using Bellini's helpful post above I did red Thai curry pork and noddles last night it was delish::bigsmile:

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