Thermal Cooker

**Grainlady** · 02-13-2010, 07:43 AM

I love it when I find something I've REALLY wanted but didn't want to pay full price for. Patience is the name of the game.

I haven't made a thrift store run in several months, but at Goodwill I found a NEW, still in the box, Tiger Thermal Cooker.
http://www.google.com/products/catal...wAQ#ps-sellers

For years I've been "cooking" beans, rice, and grains in small quantities in a Stanley Thermos Bottle with great success and wanted a larger Thermal Cooker when I discovered they existed, so I could cook things on a larger scale - meats, soups, stews, chili. So I found a new Tiger Thermal Cooker for $15 and they sell for $130 new.

You bring the contents up to a boil on the stove in the inner pot, and heat for so many minutes, depending on the recipe and size of food in it, but for most things you heat for 5-10 minutes. Then you place the pot inside the vacuum cooker and close the lid. Let the food sit. Some foods, like 5-pounds of potatoes will be done in 30-minutes, but you can "cook" a soup or stew for several hours (like using a Crock Pot, without using the electricity).

If anyone has any experience using a Thermal Cooker, please share your recipes. I understand Thermal Cookers are widely used in Asia and Australia. A great little energy-saving gadget!

**jas** · 02-13-2010, 07:51 AM

wow what a find!

**redmaples** · 02-13-2010, 11:27 AM

Wow! that is a great find! I didn't know they existed. I've been wanting to get a couple of stanley thermos to cook in, but now I'll research this. I'd like to learn more about it, bet you could make yogurt in it too.

**frugalfranny** · 02-13-2010, 01:44 PM

Thanks GL - interesting info.

I didn't know such a thing existed.

Will be interesting to see if our Aussie friends post any recipes.

Maybe - ask Becci - on the what's for dinner forum.

**Grainlady** · 02-13-2010, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by redmaples

Wow! that is a great find! I didn't know they existed. I've been wanting to get a couple of stanley thermos to cook in, but now I'll research this. I'd like to learn more about it, bet you could make yogurt in it too.

I can "cook" the equivalent of a 15-oz. can of beans in a thermos, or enough oatmeal for a couple servings, but after reading some of the information about the Thermal Cookers, you could make a lot more food and save a lot of energy doing so.

The cookbook that came with the cooker was "interesting" because it included Japanese, Chinese Recipes and Western recipes, but even the "Western" recipes were pretty "odd" looking. So I could use them as guidelines because none of the recipes looked appealing.

This web site had the most information and recipes:
http://thermalcookers.com/

Google - Thermal Cooking - and you will find some YouTube videos that are helpful.

**hotprincesscm** · 02-13-2010, 02:41 PM

Wow, that's neat! Didn't know they existed...Now I'll be on the look out for one for myself as well! Would love to try it! Keep us updated as you learn how to use it better!

**mauimagic** · 02-13-2010, 03:24 PM

Mahalo Grain Lady and congrats on your patience in finding a real steal/deal!! Like most, I've never heard of this, but shall see if any pop up over here. Need to check it out visually to see what I am looking for - could find one and not even realize what I am looking at!!

**pinetree** · 02-13-2010, 04:40 PM

I didn't know what they were either. I will have to keep my eyes open for one around here, let us know what you are making!

**imagine** · 02-13-2010, 05:46 PM

I'm so happy for you. It is wonderful when your find something you have been wanting and dreaming about at a good price.

Great shopping

Enjoy your thermal cooking.

**lisaflex** · 02-13-2010, 07:01 PM

interesting. i am going to do a bit of research and then start lookin for one!

**Grainlady** · 02-14-2010, 12:02 PM

My first try with the Thermal Cooker...

I successfully cooked 5-pounds of potatoes in the Thermal Cooker. I heated the water to a boil in my electric kettle, then added that to the inner pot on the stove along with peeled and cut potatoes.

The electric kettle heats water much faster than heating the potatoes AND water on the stove - so that's another energy saver. After I added the boiling water, a little salt, I brought the water back to a boil on the stove and boiled the potatoes for 7-minutes. Turned off the burner and the potatoes continued to boil another minute or two from the residual heat in the cooktop. Placed the lid on the pot and set it inside the Thermal Cooker. Closed the lid and the potatoes were done in 30-minutes.

According to some information I read, it's estimated you can save between 20-80-percent of the energy used in cooking using a Thermal Cooker.

I made the potatoes into Freezer Mashed Potatoes and used a quart of the potato water for making a new batch of Everlasting Yeast (a type of sourdough starter).

WOO HOO! I think I'll make soup tomorrow.