Keeping food warm at the car "baselodge"

[raytseng]

On the granite block idea, many ovens have a time bake feature where you set the time for the oven to come on, no early wake up needed.

On your trial run, you need to address the effect of cold on the entire lunch bag, not just the base. Maybe you could find a willing walk in freezer owner.

How big is this lunch bag? lol, i had fun running tests before just in a regular freezer/refrigerator. Then again my fridge/freezer isn't full of too much food.
Agree with the preheat, that's vital to keep hot things hot, not get cold things hot.

 

[RobSN]

Forgot to say: emulation will be in a cooler, so the ambient temperature therein will be pretty chilly with lots of freezer bags in it. Even if it doesn't get down to 32F/0C, it will likely be a reasonable emulation of the interior of a car that had been warm before we open the doors and struggle into boots etc. So the car won't be at outside temperature per se, but it won't be toasty either. My first experiment will be to try to heat up a cold thing to hot. Obviously if one does the granite block idea, then one heats up lunch at home and puts it on the granite block ... But I don't yet have the granite block and I want to see the efficacy of actually heating the food up at the "car park".

On the granite block idea, many ovens have a time bake feature where you set the time for the oven to come on, no early wake up needed.

Good grief man! You realize what you are saying? I'd have to lose ALL credibility - that would require reading the manual!!!!

 

[chilehed]

There is quite a good discussion of time and temperature at e.g. https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html but the point is the same - it is a time and temperature related issue

Indeed. 165F will kill everything except botulism in just a few seconds, and typically you'd cook the porridge higher than that so you're starting with pasterurized food (botulism won't be an issue because we're not anaerobic). And pasterurization happens at 129F and higher, so if the storage and reheat containers are also clean then holding at 135F should be fine indefinitely.

 

[KevinF]

I haven't read the entire thread, but various winter hikers I know swear by the Jet Boil systems.

https://www.jetboil.com/

They have various stoves depending on your needs. If it works in the middle of nowhere on a hiking expedition, it'll work in the parking lot.

 

[François Pugh]

I haven't read the entire thread, but various winter hikers I know swear by the Jet Boil systems.

https://www.jetboil.com/

They have various stoves depending on your needs. If it works in the middle of nowhere on a hiking expedition, it'll work in the parking lot.

Optimum solution if weight is a major concern (e.g. back-packing), and it's not just because of the butane in the fuel; it's the whole design. I would stick with the regular propane stove for car travel.
ASIDE: I prefer propane to the coleman liquid camp stove fuel, and other liquid fuel stoves even canoe camping, just because I always ended up spilling some fuel on my hands when I would re-fuel the stove.

 

[graham418]

View attachment 108963

When I was working up north in the winter, lunch always went on the exhaust manifold of the compressor, crane , welder, drill, or whatever equipment didnt move to much. Sometimes too hot at lunch!

 

[mister moose]

I prefer propane to the coleman liquid camp stove fuel, and other liquid fuel stoves even canoe camping, just because I always ended up spilling some fuel on my hands when I would re-fuel the stove.

Lots of trade-offs in fuel type. With respect to car cooking in the winter, propane lights easy with no priming, but will have low vapor pressure issues in cold temps. Propane fuel levels are annoying to gauge. Propane is heavier than air, and will pool in an unventilated low area like a car trunk, something to think about.

Another option is a small gas generator and a 120V hot plate, microwave, or both!

If it was me though, I'd run the car, turn on the heater for comfort, and eat a sandwich, chips and cookies. Leave the crock pot at home. Simplicity.

 

[Andy Mink]

Self heating meals.

 

[François Pugh]

Lots of trade-offs in fuel type. With respect to car cooking in the winter, propane lights easy with no priming, but will have low vapor pressure issues in cold temps. Propane fuel levels are annoying to gauge. Propane is heavier than air, and will pool in an unventilated low area like a car trunk, something to think about.

Another option is a small gas generator and a 120V hot plate, microwave, or both!

If it was me though, I'd run the car, turn on the heater for comfort, and eat a sandwich, chips and cookies. Leave the crock pot at home. Simplicity.

Before I was diagnosed as a diabetic, I would just eat a giant breakfast, ski bell to bell, then feast.
Speaking about being a diabetic, none of those meals @Andy Mink posted would work for me; I've cut out pasta and rice. Sucks to be me.

 

[Andy Mink]

Before I was diagnosed as a diabetic, I would just eat a giant breakfast, ski bell to bell, then feast.
Speaking about being a diabetic, none of those meals @Andy Mink posted would work for me; I've cut out pasta and rice. Sucks to be me.

I have to start watching that stuff. Pre-diabetic and all.