What changes can we make to our lives to deal with the economic and energy crises ahead? Have you already started making preparations? Got tips to share?
RenewableCandy wrote:The low-power thing is nice because our roof produces low power all day in the winter (which is when we're most likely to be cooking that kind of dish). 135W would be just about right actually.
Another low wattage device I sometimes used is a rice cooker. Mine uses about 300 watts and is about the same consumption as the rooftop PV array on a rainy day. Not only good for rice but you can also boil things with a steady boil after 10 mins.
Ha ha.. I just cooked everything in a rice cooker for the last 3 months! You literally can do everything with just a rice cooker. They are amazing. Brought it back half the way round the world with me coz I was so attached to it - then had to ditch it for the weight limit on a flight.
And the same re. Snails comment of living in a bedsit and using a slow cooker. I assume he means because they are undetectable if your not supposed to be cooking in your place. Same thing. That was my reason to start with the rice cooker (well and it was a very kind gift). Undetectable under the radar cooking.
Actually.. because of the peak oil bent to my mind.. I was working out a while back how easy it would be to power a rice cooker by peddle generator. The wattage is quite high. Too high to run directly.. you'd need to charge a battery. They don't take very long to cook some rice though.
Slow cookers are great too. I used to have one. And when I went out all day working just used to chuck a load of stuff in it and have a stew when i came home.
Actually.. because of the peak oil bent to my mind.. I was working out a while back how easy it would be to power a rice cooker by peddle generator. The wattage is quite high. Too high to run directly.. you'd need to charge a battery. They don't take very long to cook some rice though.
Be interesting to do an EROEI calculation on that.
And the same re. Snails comment of living in a bedsit and using a slow cooker. I assume he means because they are undetectable if your not supposed to be cooking in your place. Same thing. That was my reason to start with the rice cooker (well and it was a very kind gift). Undetectable under the radar cooking.
Yep, there was a shared kitchen but it was always in a mess from other residents. My 'stealth' kitchen consisted entirely of a slow cooker and a george foreman grill (for bacon).
Rice cookers take about 30 minutes of 300W to cook rice for 4 people, i.e. 0.15 kWh. The rice has about 2,000 food calories in. There are 860 food calories in a kWh, so the rice has about 2.3 kWh of energy in it.
Of course, someone has also had to grow, dry and transport the rice before we can cook it.
Rice cookers take about 30 minutes of 300W to cook rice for 4 people, i.e. 0.15 kWh. The rice has about 2,000 food calories in. There are 860 food calories in a kWh, so the rice has about 2.3 kWh of energy in it.
So, about 0.6kWh provided per person, vs 0.15kWh put in, ignoring efficiencies. Anyone know the efficiency of a pedal generator?
Of course, someone has also had to grow, dry and transport the rice before we can cook it.
Yeah, but they got money for it, so it doesn't count.
RenewableCandy wrote:The low-power thing is nice because our roof produces low power all day in the winter (which is when we're most likely to be cooking that kind of dish). 135W would be just about right actually.
Another low wattage device I sometimes used is a rice cooker. Mine uses about 300 watts and is about the same consumption as the rooftop PV array on a rainy day. Not only good for rice but you can also boil things with a steady boil after 10 mins.
Ha ha.. I just cooked everything in a rice cooker for the last 3 months! You literally can do everything with just a rice cooker. They are amazing. Brought it back half the way round the world with me coz I was so attached to it - then had to ditch it for the weight limit on a flight.
It sounds like they are not so common in the UK. You could actually remove the rice bowl as the element is underneath. I have thought of using an ordinary saucepan there but as the rice bowl is a good fit and probably loses less heat due to the tight fit it is not worth it. You can get them for A$10 too so less than a hotplate. There is some kind of heat detector that switches them down to a warm (rather than boil) setting when the water around the rice boils off.
I do quite a bit of cooking in our "hay box", which is an old laundry box lined with an old polystyrene bead bean-bag, and is under our TV. It's 2-stage - I bring to the boil on the stove and then transfer to the hay box. It keeps things warm for over 24 hours, and it's great. I especially use it if I know we will be coming home tired and hungry, as lunch or supper can be on the table in 10 minutes after we get in.
I like the look of the one Kenneal posted, very sleek.
Update time: Chateau Renewable now boasts one of these
First up Beef in red wine casserole, the "red wine" being a large jar of lees from making Elderberry whine, that I'd kept in the fridge in case of emergencies
'Twas excellent.
The only skinhead in the demo is that we currently find ourselves in the Kingdom Of Darkness with, erm, no current (at least, not of the free type from the roof).
RenewableCandy wrote:An older-and-wiser Renewable has offered to buy us one for Xmas, but put the actual purchase in my hands (this is not an unusual prezzie tactic in Famille Renewable). And so I shamelessly tap into The Great PS Fount Of Knowledge...
Has anybody here got one? Recommend any particular make-or-model? Anything to look out for?
