Crock Pot while boondocking?

[TWoerndle]

I am trying to figure out whether taking a Slow Cooker to Quartzite would be a good idea or not as far as energy consumption. A first timer here for boondocking.

Is this a common appliance or do they generally have too much of an energy drain. I do not yet have a generator or solar recharger.

Thanks!
TW

[Terry R.]

Have you considered a stove top pressure cooker? It is a crock pot on steroids.

[Steve Outlaw]

I assume you'd be running the crock pot off the batteries thru an inverter. There would be some draw down but how much depends on the wattage of said pot and the size of your battery bank. Say the crock pot is 100 watts on a low setting. To determine amps you take the watts divided by the voltage. 100/115=0.87 amps x number of hours used (say 6) = 5.22 amps out of the battery, x how many times used. The inverter will also take some power to invert the 12VDC to 115VAC. It's doable but if you have no generator or solar panels, you'll need a plan to recharge the batteries.

[Jon Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Steve Outlaw

I assume you'd be running the crock pot off the batteries thru an inverter. There would be some draw down but how much depends on the wattage of said pot and the size of your battery bank. Say the crock pot is 100 watts on a low setting. To determine amps you take the watts divided by the voltage. 100/115=0.87 amps x number of hours used (say 6) = 5.22 amps out of the battery, x how many times used. The inverter will also take some power to invert the 12VDC to 115VAC. It's doable but if you have no generator or solar panels, you'll need a plan to recharge the batteries.

To determine the amp hrs draw on the batteries, you must use battery voltage, not crock pot voltage for this calculation, i.e. 100/12, or 8.3 amps. Over the 6 hours mentioned, you would use around 50 amp hours (not counting the losses created by the inverter) which is a significant portion of what is safe to use from a typical group 24 battery.

Not saying it can't be done, but you are going to need a way to put the amp hours back in the battery...

[stevebaz]

While in Quartzsite at night it gets cold, I would allocate the limited battery power to your heater rather than a croc pot. This time of the year once the sun sets it gets cold.
I dont know how long it would take to recharge the battery 1/2 depleted with your tug.

[Gina D.]

no electrickity needed.

Coleman - RoadTrip® Portable Propane Cooker - Silver

[Jim Bennett]

Our camping style utilizes not 120V appliances at all, which makes boondocking easy. Crockpots are good, in that you can come back to camp after being away for the day, but this is where we plan quick meals. But, something like a couple chicken breasts on the barby, along with a salad and fresh veggies takes very little time or effort either.

There is the odd time where we go for a short trip, and know we will have 120V available we will bring along an electric appliance, but otherwise we have a ton of non-electric options to cook with.

[stevebaz]

We make our own versions of boil in a bag when we don't plan time for cooking. Making meals ahead and plopping the meal in a bag with boiling water makes life easy. And the clean-up is easy too just plop some soap in the hot water. Out in the desert using disposable dinner wear then you can even save the water you boiled for the next meal.

[Janet H]

How about a dutch Oven and a bag of charcoal? Dutch Oven = slow cooking, old school

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Gina D.

no electrickity needed.

Coleman - RoadTrip® Portable Propane Cooker - Silver

I like that. Didn't know there was such an animal.
I'm cooking beans right now on 120V crock pot very similar.

And solar crack pots?.................LOL

[Marinab]

Carl, does your 12V crock pot cook slowly or is it more like the Coleman, in that it gets very hot? Marina

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Janet H

How about a dutch Oven and a bag of charcoal? Dutch Oven = slow cooking, old school

Or a dutch oven atop your stove burner?

Works best if DO is sized for the burner- this one is an 8-incher, perfect for meals for two.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Marinab

Carl, does your 12V crock pot cook slowly or is it more like the Coleman, in that it gets very hot? Marina

Mine is the 120V house unit.

And I ate way toooooooo much.............

[carlkeigley]

I did find a 12V cooker

Amazon.com: RoadPro RPSL-350 12V 1.5 Quart Slow Cooker: Automotive

[Steve Outlaw]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

To determine the amp hrs draw on the batteries, you must use battery voltage, not crock pot voltage for this calculation, i.e. 100/12, or 8.3 amps. Over the 6 hours mentioned, you would use around 50 amp hours (not counting the losses created by the inverter) which is a significant portion of what is safe to use from a typical group 24 battery.

Not saying it can't be done, but you are going to need a way to put the amp hours back in the battery...

Thanks Jon for straightening me out on that, I don't know where my head was when I did that calc. (I was at work) Of course you use the battery voltage duh. I knew it seemed like not very much was being pulled out. It's a good thing I'm not an electrical engineer (as should be obvious).

[Mike Magee]

A couple of the reviewers for that 12V unit say their plug melted in the socket. Doesn't sound too good.

In bright summer sunshine, I wonder if a person could set a pot of food out on the hood for slow cooking? Plenty of sun in Arizona, not sure if it's hot enough this time of year though... but maybe with a focusing lens above the pot to concentrate the sunbeam!

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

A couple of the reviewers for that 12V unit say their plug melted in the socket. Doesn't sound too good.

In bright summer sunshine, I wonder if a person could set a pot of food out on the hood for slow cooking? Plenty of sun in Arizona, not sure if it's hot enough this time of year though... but maybe with a focusing lens above the pot to concentrate the sunbeam!

No, go ahead, you eat first.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

No, go ahead, you eat first.

LOL

I'll be sticking with the Dutch Oven..........

[Glenn Baglo]

Why not go all the way: a Wi Fi enabled crock pot?
Belkin cooks up a Crock-Pot for well-connected kitchens | MNN - Mother Nature Network

[carlkeigley]

I used to be amazed at our grandparents because they witnessed
so many changes in their life times. But a couple months ago, I
realized they didn't witness near the things we are witnessing in our
generation. Not that what they witnessed weren't as historical or
amazing at the time.

I can barely get by with some of the technology, but am totally lost
in most of it. Partly because I have no need to know all this or have
any desire to know.

This all reinforces my desire to simplify everything.
Many of my cronies and I talk how our kids, grandkids and possible
many in the communities may have to look us up when the grids go
down, the money collapses, etc.

Somebody has to show others how to build a fire and how to sustain
themselves. Or, we may have to pool together to feed everybody........