thermal cooker "roots in the hay box". using vacuum insulation

[MR GUS]

http://www.thethermalcook.com/mr-ds-thermal-cookers-the-range

Anyone seen this & got an opinion on it?

Mr D’s eco-friendly thermal cooker has its roots in the hay box. By using vacuum insulation in this thermal cooker you have a slow cooker that does not need any power.

Mr D’s eco-friendly thermal cooker can save up to 80% on cooking costs and is ideal for the home, caravan, boat or just a day out. With just 10 minutes spent in the morning Mr D’s eco-friendly thermal cooker can produce a hot meal when you get home and it won’t be burnt even if you are a little late. Mr D’s Cookware also have a complete range of cookware accessories for use with Mr D’s eco-friendly thermal cooker. These include a recipe cook containing over 80 recipes specially designed for a thermal cooker.

Mr D’s eco-friendly thermal cooker comes in two versions – the one pot and the two pot version. The two pot version has a second top pot that fits inside the inner pot and therefore means that you can cook two different items at the same time. This second pot is not available from anyone else in the UK.

Once you have Mr D’s eco-friendly thermal cooker you will find that you use it every day for it can cook soups, main meals, puddings, cakes and bread.

How to use the pot:



Put all the ingredients in to the inner pot and bring it to the boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to bring the contents to a simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minuets (depending on the recipe instructions). Once the simmering time is complete take the inner pot, off the stove and put it into the outer pot.

There is no need to plug in any power cord. The food will continue its “thermal cooking process” using the retained heat. After the required time (e.g. rice 30 min; chicken stock 2 hrs; beef brisket 3.5 hrs), just open the outer pot, and a nutritional and flavourful meal is hot and ready. The

Thermal Cooker has excellent heat retention capacity; the food inside the pot can retain a temperature of over 60°C even after 6 hours

[Ivan]

Now cooking isn't my strongpoint, but I'd like to think common sense is:

Cooking pasta is simply a case of rehydrating it and warming it up. So it always makes me wonder why people insist on boiling it for a prolonged length of time. Once you are up to boiling point, the water will cool more slowly than the time taken to cook the pasta. So boil your water, chuck the pasta in, keep the heat on long enough that it starts to boil again, and as soon as it does so, put the lid on and turn the heat off completely. I can never remember how long you leave it (5minutes?) - I just try a piece and check whether it's still chewy (=needs a little bit longer). I've told quite a few people about this, some very good cooks, and they all seem amazed when they find it works. Similar sort of idea, but with a food that 'cooks' much faster, so no need for the insulated pot.

[MarkB]

Similarly, cooking rice shouldn't take long enough to make it worthwile - simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and then take the heat away.

However, for things that can easily be cooked in a slow cooker, e.g. stew, caserole etc. it seems a good idea. There'll be some thermal bridging at the junction of the lid/pot, but it probably won't be too bad. They're far from cheap though.

I've been using a vacuum insulated water bottle and it can easily keep water ice cold for several hours. I believe what they say about the heat retention capabilities.

[ecogeorge]

Now cooking isn't my strongpoint, but I'd like to think common sense is:

 I can never remember how long you leave it (5minutes?) - I just try a piece and check whether it's still chewy (=needs a little bit longer).

I always check spaghetti by taking a length out and throwing it at a tiled wall, -if it sticks it's ready drives Mrs ecogeorge mad.

[Ivan]

Have you seen those toys that kids have - usually spider or octopus made of very sticky silicone which you throw at windows/walls and it slowly climbs down them. You can make cheap ones by tying 4 cooked pieces of pasta in the middle. Why waste money on Christmas presents?