OTR Food Solution?

*78.98 after $10 Online Exclusive Savings* Augason Farms 30-Day Food Storage Emergency All-in-One Pail by Augason Farms | Item #: 38280 |Model #: 20095 . saw this in a "Sams" flyer that came in my e-mail and was wondering if anyone has tried something similar and what the pros and cons to using it might be in context of subject line. My first thoughts lead me to think that using this in conjunction with a microwave/ cooler/ Water heater it would provide enough in the way of meals and the only other things you may need are the water and a bunch of tupperware. maybe a lil "Smokey Joe" Weber charcoal grill for the protein. Thanx in advance for any input.

Daves not here....

It's best to use something like this in conjunction with a microwave/ oven. Though it says it comes with a burning material that's easy to catch on fire, you probably won't have the luxury to start a fire if you must use this. If you're going to end up needing to use it, picture yourself on I80 in WY in the middle of nowhere stuck on a white, icey road during a blizzard. You definitely won't be able to depend on their fire starter.

Having said that, definitely buy a microwave oven. I have one and it cooks great. It's just like a small oven.

Also, look into buying a Slow Cooker. These work great for cooking a soup or a chili.

With those two products above and this emergency food supply you should be good to go. Both of those products are located at your nearest truck stop.

My opinion of the product, I don't think it's needed but its a good insurance to have.

What I have right now is a microwave oven and a slow cooker. I have cans of Campbell's Soup and Hormel Chili. Enough to last me for a long time. If I'm ever in an emergency situation then I have canned foods to help me survive through it. The reason I pack chili is because its loaded with calories, fills you up, has lots of protein, is delicious. Its my idea of a perfect food while im stranded in a blizzard. And who doesn't love a bowl of hot chili on a cold winter day?

It's always a good idea to pack food for those types of emergencies. There's many ways you can prepare for it and there's many different foods you can prepare for it. That product is a good idea if you can afford it. Ive read many reviews for it and its definately a good product. But as for me, I'm comfortable with my canned foods.

What I have right now is a microwave oven and a slow cooker. I have cans of Campbell's Soup and Hormel Chili. Enough to last me for a long time. If I'm ever in an emergency situation then I have canned foods to help me survive through it. The reason I pack chili is because its loaded with calories, fills you up, has lots of protein, is delicious. Its my idea of a perfect food while im stranded in a blizzard. And who doesn't love a bowl of hot chili on a cold winter day?

I've met other truckers with a slow cooker. One of our drivers prepares a whole meal in one before he rolls in the morning, and swears the movement of the truck stirs it all day long. He has a complete meal when he stops at night ready to go, he says.

How many watts does your slow cooker use Daniel?

Also....any recommendations on a small refrigerator to use? Many I've seen draw a LOT of amps during startup.

I really want to save the cost of ice for my cooler...It can be $4 or $5 a day on hot days.

And I saw a 700 watt microwave in WalMart this morning for $50. It was pretty compact and probably would have worked quite well in my truck.

Food is one issue that's definitely been on my mind as I prepare for this new career. For both financial and health reasons, I don't want to eat truck stop food all the time. I've been a chef for the last 13 years, so I figure I should be able to come up with some good ideas for how to eat well on the road. Right now I'm thinking a microwave and a George Foreman grill or something similar will be the most important things to have. The grill will obviously be good for meat, and microwaves are great for cooking vegetables and heating canned food. The thing I'm trying to figure out is how to cook a variety of starches without a stove. Potatoes can be done in the microwave, and there are brands of rice that can be cooked in the microwave (though I doubt the quality of microwavable rice is going to be all that good). Of course I could get a rice cooker, but I want to have to wash as little as possible (the grill can just be wiped off and reheated). Since they make microwaveable mac and cheese, I would think that means other pasta should be able to be microwaved. So I'll have to do some experimenting on that.

Anyway, those are some of my thoughts on road cooking, not having actually done it yet. I want to keep it simple, because I know that with cramped quarters and limited resources I won't do it if it's too much trouble and makes a mess. I love reading other people's methods and ideas. This is something I'll probably write a lot about once I start driving.

Http://www.my12voltstore.com/default.asp

I was looking at the 12v Portable stove on that website and was wondering if that might also prove to be useful in a yummy sorta way, all your suggestions are truly appreciated, I had open heart surgery last January so I gotta watch what I use for fuel, lo fat, lo cholesterol, and lo sodium, oh yeah and high Fiber most canned soups have too much sodium for me so I figured dehydrated may be better and from what I've read so far it looks to be healthier for me not sure so I'm still exploring options.

Looked for a om nom nom nom smiley but no luck yet.

Dave, I'm sure you've researched this more than I have considering your needs, but I would be careful with dehydrated soups. In general, they have a lot of sodium, probably more than canned soup. Salt is used to preserve them. But if you've found some good low-sodium dehydrated soups (you did say you've been reading up on it), I'd love to know what they are. I don't have any special dietary needs, but like I said earlier I'd like to make sure I eat somewhat healthy on the road.

One thing I think would be great for you is microwaved vegetables. Microwaving a vegetable in a plastic bag is the same as steaming it, but faster. You retain all the nutrients because you're not cooking it in a liquid, and it's up to you if you want to add salt or any other flavorings. There are bags of frozen veggies that are designed just for this purpose, but I would imagine it's probably cheaper to buy fresh veggies and microwavable sandwich bags and portion them yourself. I don't know microwave cooking times for all vegetables, but broccoli takes about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave and how soft you like your broccoli. I think most veggies will probably take about the same amount of time, provided you cut them into small to medium-sized pieces. The veggies I've personally cooked this way are broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, yellow squash, and bell peppers. Most veggies should work the same way.

Once I get started I am thinking about keeping one of these on the truck.

http://www.amazon.com/Presto-03430-Pizzazz-Pizza-Oven/dp/B00005IBXJ

I use one at home all the time. They do a great job on pizza, but you can cook a lot of other things as well. I have used it for grilled sandwiches, burritos, shrimp, mushrooms, just to mention a few.

I simply put aluminum foil on the trey before I cook, and then clean up is almost nonexistent.

Woody

That Pizazz thing reminded me of something my old roommate had, that would be great for the road.

http://www.amazon.com/NuWave-20329-Black-Digital-Nuwave/dp/B00BHW142I/ref=sr_1_12?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1382221910&sr=1-12&keywords=nuwave

He would do everything from a whole pork shoulder to individual cuts of steak in it. It worked fast, and the food always tasted great. And I have high standards. I'm old school, so I didn't usually use it myself, but one time I cooked perfect medium rare NY strips that were frozen solid in that thing. I was amazed. His wasn't this exact model (I just did a quick Google search to find one), but it was the same brand.

So all these ideas bring up the question: What's the story on washing dishes? Is there a way to do it at truck stops? I'd try to have as little as possible that needs to be washed, but there are going to be some things.

We always used a Burton Cooker..you see them in the truck stops....I could cook a roast, and add the veggies 1 hour before I wanted to eat dinner. I"ve heated all kinds of soups, stews, made oatmeal, even made a peach cobbler in it one day...They take the alum. bread trays, so you cook in it, eat out of it, and throw it away. We also used a Burton soup heater thingy...but we made coffee in it. Just fill it with water, and use on of those tea boppers to put your coffee in...you can get them all over...Makes great coffee, and fast. and no filter or glass pot to mess with. We also carried a grill, for those nice weekends at the truck stop...met alot of good people at out "cookouts"..