Nowadays we are all so used to the day to day luxuries that we are receiving straight to our home, like gas or electricity, that we have built our lives up around them. We take for granted the easy access to food.
But what if one day something happens, and you would be left without heat or electricity? Even simple tasks like baking some potatoes would be a difficult feat if you lack the proper know-how.
Here is a list of off-grid cooking methods, in case of a major disaster, that everyone should know.
Survival Off-Grid Cooking Methods
1. Grilling
This is one of the simplest methods you could try. If you have enough charcoal stashed up, that is.
But you can make a decent fire with dry wood as well. All you need is a spare lighter or other fire source, and something made of metal that you can use to fry on.
It can be a grill, but it can also be just a piece of cast iron that you put on the fire. You are all set on grilling up even a perfect steak or your favorite vegetables with these two tools.
2. Car Engine
This is certainly a creative option, but it is indeed possible to cook a proper meal using the heat generated by your car, like the video above shows.
This will, of course, require using fuel to keep the car running, which in a survival situation should not be wasted.
The best time to use this method is when you must use your to move. Just wrap your food and carefully place it under the hood.
3. Camping Stove
A camping stove is a portable stove based on some kind of fuel, be it gas or anything else that is flammable.
You would be required to have the necessary fuel available on hand and in good supply, but this thing can last you for a long time.
You can move your kitchen anywhere, from your backyard to the wilderness and cook up just about anything – from soup to stews or your favorite fried egg.
4. Fireplace
As simple as it sounds, you can make food for yourself and your family from a simple fireplace.
You don’t even need a grill or anything to do it. You would just need to make a decent fire, and then you can use the embers to fry foil wrapped potatoes, vegetables or any other kind of meat you want.
You can even marinate the meat before and just let it cook up nicely in foil by putting it into the hot embers.
5. Open Fire
Cooking outside with an open fire is a bit more complicated than simply using a fireplace.
The main difference is that the fire will probably be really big, and you would need some kind of skewer, like a long piece of wood, to use to cook up your food over the hot flame.
A camp grill can be useful as well, but that’s something not everybody has at hand.
But in any case, cooking with an open fire is the perfect way to do your veggies and meat the way they should be done,
6. Sterno Stove
- Ideal for backpackers or campers with an ultra lightweight design
- Holds up to 4. 5-hours (or two cans) of canned fuel
- Anodized aluminum construction
- Wind resistance and convective heat design
- Boils 8-ounces of water in about 6 minutes
Last update on 2023-03-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
These kits are basically tinfoil foldable sheets, that can be assembled as a stove. You then light up the sterno fuel can that usually comes with the kits, and you can heat up your canned foods.
You might as well be able to cook up a simple soup through the generated heat.
The best thing is, it weighs almost nothing, and you can carry a sterno stove around with you no matter where you go. Just make sure you got enough canned food available.
7. Dutch Oven
The perfect tool for making the most awesome stews possible.
You would require a well-made fire, a tripod and a crane built for a fireplace. But if you have them, you won’t go hungry for sure during a crisis if you’ve stocked on food.
Just make a nice fireplace, assemble the tripod, hang your oven over the fire and make your preferred stew or soup. You can use just about any ingredient you want.
Dutch oven cooking over a live fire also comes with the bonus of added smokiness to any meal, which is awesome.
8. Kerosene Heater
These things run on fuel as well, but they are perfect for outdoor cooking.
If you can get one with a flat top, you can even cook complex meals on them.
Besides that, they are perfect for reheating food and making hot drinks, like hot chocolate, tea or coffee.
Conclusion
Whatever off-grid cooking method you choose, always make sure to have ample supplies of fuel stashed away, alongside with canned foods.
There are definitely a lot of ways of cooking without electricity if the grid is down, so learn and practice some of them and be prepared.