Thermal cooker

[SteveC]

Other than geraldc (old thread) has anyone else tried these 'thermal cookers'? Effectively a high tech haybox.
MrsC bought one last week and we've just tried it out.  Really quite impressive.  We put the food in at about half-one and eat at half-six.  Perfectly cooked and plenty warm enough (not boiling hot but fine).

[Poly Hive]

For that money I would invest in a pressure pan. And have a chunk of change left over to boot.

PH

[geraldc]

I've been using one for years, and I think it's paid itself off several times in energy saved. It's used at least once a week, and most households in Hong Kong have one.

The vacuum effect/reduced pressure, allows the water boil at a lower temperature, so you can put your ear to it, and hear it bubble away hours after you've placed the pot back in the insulated vacuum thing.

You can also take the thing camping.

[mrcharly]

The vacuum effect/reduced pressure, allows the water boil at a lower temperature,

What's the point of that?

[geraldc]

The vacuum effect/reduced pressure, allows the water boil at a lower temperature,

What's the point of that?

I don't really know, my aunt made me listen to the pot once, and it was quite interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_flask_cooking

[mrcharly]

Reading that, there isn't any reduced pressure apart from that brought about by cooling. 

these things:
http://www.nb-wonderbag.com/Pages/WhatsAWonderbag
Look interesting.  A lightweight (and cheaper!) version could be really useful when camping. Bring stuff to the boil, pop in insulated bag, leave to finish cooking while lying around.

[geraldc]

Bear in mind, I'm just repeating stuff that was told to me by an old lady and somethings may have been lost in translation!

[clarion]

I made a haybox once from two packing boxes with polystyrene packing between the layers.  I wrapped a towel round the pot, and left it be.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Aren't all cookers thermal?

[SteveC]

...yes, all cookers are thermal which is why I've put it in quotes in my original post. 
We're intending to take ours camping.  We're particularly thinking of weekends away--Mrs C gets Friday afternoons off, so she can set something going in the cooker, I get home, load the car and we set off, get wherever it is, put the tent up and, voilà, dinner is served!

[padbeat]

I showed our Scouts how to do that with the hole-in-the-ground technique. Hot rocks, soil, leg of lamb/garlic/oil/seasoning in foil/soil. Go for a 6 hour walk and come back to dinner.

Proper crowd pleaser I found!