Cooking - bugging in

[Yorkshire Andy]

I would +1 the gel fuel if you don't have much space. I have cooked a fry up with one as well as heating up water and heating up tins. It's not rocket assisted, but is very safe as it is in a solid state and suitable for indoor burning and can be used in any trangia type burner or in a pinch, a dollop on a piece of tinfoil in a hexi stove but that was camping. Although I also have a couple of briefcase style stoves and a mini briefcase stove, which I could not in all conscience recommend as it's crap
But as Nurseandy says, do your own research.

i use BQ's gel in mine as its cheap.... similar to this https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/firedragon ... brain.shop

scores of restaurants use chaffing gel to keep bainsmaris (spl) warm with no issue

[Deeps]

Like a lot of others I have a couple of briefcase stoves for general household use, brilliant for stuff like this. I've got one up the allotment and I've given one to my mum for emergencies too. They really are simple to use and especially in the shelter of a house very quick to boil water or scran.



I've also got one of these, not very 'preppery' but if you have lecky but no gas, very handy.



I'm a bit of a camping stove freak and have various sorts that I could use, honestly, gas canisters aren't a problem, I've got a stack of them in the garage (built into the house so it benefits from some heat) and have had no issues. Meths is a really good means of cooking but I've never tried it in the house, you can do it in a tent easily enough so I'm guessing CO isn't much of an issue.

Like Jansman, I've got outside options too, BBQ, chiminea and if push came to shove, I'd build an open fire (I have plenty firewood, the occasional 'man fire' out the back being the excuse). A tripod is handy for this if its an option, even a homemade 'wet wood' one. If you are thinking of outside as an option just mind that your house pots and pans might take a bit of punishment (bigger fires melting handles etc) so having gear that's up to it is something to consider.

My best recommendation are the briefcase stoves though, easy and cheap, readily available fuel (4 cans for 4 quid a lot of places) mean they are an easily controllable cooking alternative to mains.

[Brambles]

I would +1 the gel fuel if you don't have much space. I have cooked a fry up with one as well as heating up water and heating up tins. It's not rocket assisted, but is very safe as it is in a solid state and suitable for indoor burning and can be used in any trangia type burner or in a pinch, a dollop on a piece of tinfoil in a hexi stove but that was camping. Although I also have a couple of briefcase style stoves and a mini briefcase stove, which I could not in all conscience recommend as it's crap
But as Nurseandy says, do your own research.

i use BQ's gel in mine as its cheap.... similar to this https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/firedragon ... brain.shop

scores of restaurants use chaffing gel to keep bainsmaris (spl) warm with no issue

Yep that's the stuff, I've got a couple of bottles. I plan to decant it into the chaffing gel tins to use in the streno stoves I have. (I also have a camping stove stove problem)

[Yorkshire Andy]

i use BQ's gel in mine as its cheap.... similar to this https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/firedragon ... brain.shop

scores of restaurants use chaffing gel to keep bainsmaris (spl) warm with no issue

Yep that's the stuff, I've got a couple of bottles. I plan to decant it into the chaffing gel tins to use in the streno stoves I have. (I also have a camping stove stove problem)

Brambles don't click the link!.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chef-hub-Chafi ... +gel&psc=1


These are good too
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Stain ... ref=plSrch
wood cat litter or wood pellets from those biomass boilers work well but must be kept dry

[jansman]

We had to use two of the bistro stoves a few years ago when we had problems with the new range/ double oven/ 5 burner thing my wife could not live without! We coped very well with them,and the trusty microwave of course.They are stable and easy to regulate,and as Deeps pointed out,easy to get fuel for.

[Brambles]

scores of restaurants use chaffing gel to keep bainsmaris (spl) warm with no issue

Yep that's the stuff, I've got a couple of bottles. I plan to decant it into the chaffing gel tins to use in the streno stoves I have. (I also have a camping stove stove problem)

Brambles don't click the link!.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chef-hub-Chafi ... +gel&psc=1


These are good too
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Stain ... ref=plSrch
wood cat litter or wood pellets from those biomass boilers work well but must be kept dry

Too Late

[ForgeCorvus]

Another bistro stove user (we have them for car camping )
I buy my gas in bulk off ebay Example, it works out much cheaper then a quid a can.

I have Meths and 'normal' camping gas stoves (in assorted canister types) as well as a Peak 1 petrol job.
The bistro/suitcase stoves work just fine with your standard kitchen pots and pans, camping stoves are less good with them.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Just be aware of it's below about 4°c the bistro stoves and other running butane won't work (it freezes) been on a site where we were warming cans under our jackets ands swapping them every few mins to get a brew

[Deeps]

Just be aware of it's below about 4°c the bistro stoves and other running butane won't work (it freezes) been on a site where we were warming cans under our jackets ands swapping them every few mins to get a brew

If I'm walking and its really cold (and using gas) the canister comes into the sleeping bag with me. Its the same with my phone and any power banks etc I have, it makes a big difference.

[Proverbs2712]

My first port of call for a SHTF situation where there were issues in such I would bug in and cook would result in all the reduced meat coming out the freezer, defrosting and then one big BBQ! I don't have a large barbeque but a few of the small portable ones.