crockpot & van solar (paging bLEEps!)?

[Kaylee]

Has anybody used a crock pot powered solely by a van's solar system (with an inverter)?
I would not be using a generator.
(Please, please, PLEASE, no s&b digressions.)

Any issues/problems?

I dug thru past posts here and at CRVL, and the only issue was mentioned by Sternwake, involving cords heating up, and advising caution. I figure since I'll be using it within easy reach of myself, I can check it often while I'm getting used to it. I will definitely not be baking whole chickens for 8 hours, just simple-ish things for much less than 3 hours.

The bLEEps rave about theirs, as does everyone I've ever known who had one. It's too consistent to be a cult.


As I mentioned in another thread, I'd been thinking of buying an inverter for a while, and finally did so (it's supposed to arrive Tuesday).
While I bought it for other reasons, I've been thinking that I could save some butane/propane if I had a pure electric cooking gadget.
The big question was: which gadget?

Been researching this for a couple of days, and while reading Roadpro reviews, several pointed out Roadpro ovens are just glorified crockpot/slowcookers which are cheaper & more reliable.
They're also very common, so I could probably pick one up at a thrift store.
Next week I need to do laundry, and there's 2 thrift stores nearby, so I'll take a look.

Did more research, and it looks like there's a ton of cool things I could do, including limited baking!!!

The main limitations, in my context, seem to be that I should mostly:

• use "low" power
  
• aim for shorter durations
  
• try to mostly cook during peak sunshine
  
• plan ahead to avoid multi-day periods of little sun
  
• check frequently for heat build up in cords (maybe just during first week or so?)
  

Given that I'm only cooking for one, that's all fine.
It would mean I could easily cook stuff for free that would otherwise be pricey (fuel wise) and require more equipment. I can stop making meal decisions based on how many grams of fuel it would take to prepare.
Win-Win.

Yes, I understand all that stuff about electricity being less efficient.
That's all irrelevant.
I'm barely scratching the surface of my solar system, and this will let it stretch its legs (yes, I asked Fawkes, and was assured that some Grand leg stretching Would Not Go Amiss).

Here's my absolute, 100% irrefutable Ace in the Hole...








Slow cooker deep dish pizza, approved by the Pillsbury Dough Boy himself:
https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/slow-c...79ff75fd57

Let's recap:

• save butane/propane
  
• more (&healthier) food options, since it's much safer (&free) to cook stuff that requires longer times (i.e. no open flame for half an hour)
  
• cheap one-time equipment purchase
  
• well suited to my "style" of living (i.e. plan ahead, and less likely to burn food)
  
• pizza!
  

I promise that if I buy one... there will be porn!
in Particular, Pizza Porn!

[Abnorm]

Well I 've been photographing meals cooked on a vintage "West Bend Slo-Cooker"...…….I picked one up for $8 at the Kingman Goodwill store

Online they have kind-of-a-cult following.....eBay models selling as much/close as new....I had one at the S&B

This one is about a 4 quart model...….It's a Griddle and a square Pot with a Glass/Pan Lid.....and at 300 Watts it easily operates on MY large solar system using the 1000 watt inverter

It's NOT a crock-pot...….It ONLY heats from the bottom so the pan/contents require regularly timed Stirring……..but on HIGH it'll boil a quart of liquid in about 35 minutes

OMG.....The GRIDDLE makes the Best GRILLED Bread ……….and it's great for heating those foil wrapped leftovers !!!!!!

Photos later

[rvpopeye]

Mom had one of those , the griddle was teflon.
I took it to Goodbill ....

[Kaylee]

The GRIDDLE makes the Best GRILLED Bread

Awesome! So sayeth the King of toasted/grilled bread!

That's one of the capabilities I was wondering about.

As of yesterday, I'm completely out of conventional bread (with only plastic/white bread available within 10 miles), and was planning to crack open a can of B&M Bread, but it's soooooo much better when toasted/grilled.

Apparently typical power usage on "low" is a gentle 70 watts. My inverter is rated to 150. That pizza recipe called for an hour and a half at low.

I'm not planning to replace my butane/propane stove, which is great for many things, particularly breakfast egg(s)&whatever. It will mainly be for dinner, and baking.
Found a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, among other treats, as well as real whole grain bread.
Given the cost of real bread, I could easily save enough in ingredients & fuel to pay for a used unit in a couple of months.

Frankly, "free" hot water will also mean I'll wash more (dishes, clothes, and self).
TrainChaser nailed it in the Newb Tips thread: having to "make" your own hot water is a major PITA.

[Snikwahjm]

I have not used a crock pot in the van. I have used a little lunch box oven plugged into the cigarette lighter. It works great in the van if you are traveling. It did not work well at all in my Honda FIT. I don’t think there is enough electricity flowing through that car. The lunch box cooker oven worked great for quesadillas I put them together, wrapped them in foil and put them in the cooker, drove where ever and flipped them after 15 minutes or so we had food. I did cook chicken in there once or twice. I put the chicken tenders in an oven bag, secured it and put it in the little oven. Then drove a long ways. It was slow but worked great. I think I should have cooked a smaller pack of chicken at a time. It is quicker to cook in a skillet. The cooking bag was messy once. You end up with a lot of liquid in the cooking bag. Handle carefully. But I didn’t have to cook for a few days. I imagine a crock or an instant pot works about the same. The cook box cooked biscuits from a can but they didn’t brown evenly. Potatoes didn’t not work at all. But I never had much luck cooking potatoes in a crock pot either.

[TWIH]

The Road Pro “lunchbox oven” is what I have used, sparingly on road trips.
Theres a minivan dweller in Fl (posts on YT) who regularly uses a low powered small rice cooker but he idles for 20-30 minutes, or at least he did before buying a house battery.

Target is selling a 2 qt croc for $9.98, uses 100 watts on low, 2 temp settings.

Bit sure if a conventional croc pot would work solely off solar (recharging your house battery) unless you met the conditions of enough amperage from the panels and enough hours of solar gain. Here in NC where solar is marginal, there would likely not be enough roof space available for the necessary amperage.
Given that this reply is too full of “if’s” and “not sure’s”, only real data like the wattage draw from the croc pot x hours needed x factor for inverter and wiring losses would tell you.

If solar conditions are that good, perhaps a solar oven would be better... no elect use.

[Trebor English]

Pillsbury Doughboy recently died.  You might need some new recipes.  

http://doughboydied.com

[Wayne49]

The coffin should have been a "lunchbox oven".

[Abnorm]

HiYa KayLee …….you toast FREAK...…...Here are the promised  first photos

   

The West Bend

   

And a load of Chow Mein

   

And of course the TOAST Porn...….Orange Marmalade (from the Q special) standing by...………….

RVP...…………….Teflon taste GOOD !

[Kaylee]

Snik: Thanks! I was originally thinking of a Roadpro type oven, so I welcome experiences with them, and you posted some very useful real examples.
Even uneven browning would be ok.
Mmmm, quesadillas! Exactly my speed!

To be honest, for my entire life, I have very rarely cooked raw meat. Canned/retort precooked meat is more my style.
I often think that much of my life has been leading up to this lifestyle.

TWIH: Thanks! In my case, my required solar usage (laptop) is remarkably low, plus I will always have my little camping stove, so I would use the crockpot/slowcooker only when I have abundant power and weather forecasts indicate good sun.

Thanks for the Target item. Do you have a link for it? If I can't find a small used one, that sounds like a good fallback. Plus, I'm far away from regular stores, so can easily pump up an online order with food items (I'm completely out of dehydrated hashbrown potatoes, Grrr!Argh!).

100 watts should be fine with my system (200 watts of panels, 150 watt inverter, plenty of batteries).
I would generally be using it mid-day, when my system is at peak power.

My sense is that the newbie dwellers who get into power/battery trouble, are the ones who are trying to power an s&b lifestyle, and not accepting the limits of our lifestyle.

When I first did my needs/wants analysis, a solar oven was at the top of my "wants" list.
The big issues are space and that it's for outside only.
Unlike "normal" (-ish) vehicle dwellers, I'm not living "out" of my van, I'm living "in" it. It's a Geek Thing.
Seriously, in the 11 days I've been at my current "camping" site, I've only been outside once, and that was at the one week anniversary strictly to dump urine & garbage at the nearest rest stop. I've been using a 5-quart oil container for urine.
That's not counting about 2-3 times per day when I crack my barn door window and toss out a couple of almonds for "my" chipmunk neighbor.

Trebor and/or Wayne: Say it ain't so! Surely an imagery character will live on forever, in our hearts and our recipes?!?
More seriously: I'm on my hotspot. What's the gimmick with that site?
Even More Seriously: there's lots of crockpot/slowcooler recipes for pizza. I merely posted the one that would be irrefutable due to Doughie's rep.

Anyone with a crockpot/slowcooler (even an s&b-er): feel free to try any of those recipes, and post your experiences.

P.S. While writing this, Abnorm kindly posted his fine food porn...
abnormal porn.
Thanks Oh ToasterMaster!