Would you believe me if I told you that it is possible to cook a meal, in your car, without electricity or a power source and have it ready when you arrive at your travel destination? That ‘s a long question but it is totally possible! While it does require a few minutes on the stove, the rest of the cooking is done without any added heat source – right inside the Wonderbag!
The Wonderbag is a simple but revolutionary heat retention slow-cooker, which continues to cook food, which has been brought to the boil by fire, cook stoves or any conventional method, for up to 12 hours without the use of any additional fuel source.
Up to 12 hours of cooking, y’all, without any added fuel source!
We live way out in the middle of the woods and our electricity is very prone to going out, sometimes for days. So cooking soups, stews, etc. in a regular, electric, slow cooker doesn’t always pan out. And even though we’re looking into getting a whole house generator, we don’t have one yet. So, I was very intrigued by the Wonderbag because it requires very minimal time on the stove top, before going into the bag to cook. Clay and I teamed up with Wonderbag to test out their awesome non-electric slow cooker and show you our results.
This means that, even if our electricity goes out for days, I can bring the food to a boil on the propane camp stove, put it in the Wonderbag to finish cooking, and not use all our fuel on one meal.
The ingenious non-electric slow cooker uses heat-retention to make the most perfect chili, eggplant parmesan, biriyani, korma, poached salmon, fall off the bone lamb curry, puddings, french toast and more – the Wonderbag has inspired so many delicious recipes, some by celebrity Chefs like Marcus Samuelson, that they have their own cookbook! Savvy chefs can pop a dish from the stove into their Wonderbag, place it in the trunk, and open a perfectly slow-cooked hot meal when they arrive at their campsite, the slopes or their family gathering.
This product is amazing! It also helps families in Africa by limiting the time women and young girls spend gathering firewood.
The Wonderbag is a simple but revolutionary heat retention slow-cooker, which continues to cook food, which has been brought to the boil by fire, cook stoves or any conventional method, for up to 12 hours without the use of any additional fuel source. The South African invention is saving lives from smoke inhalation, combating deforestation, providing time women to work and for children to go to school and decreasing the incidents of assault (82% of assaults happen while women and girls are gathering firewood).
I tested it out by cooking a pot of Great Northern Beans. I was skittish to try meat on the first go, until I knew exactly how the Wonderbag would cook.
It took me 2 tries to get it right. The first time, I soaked the beans in water for over 24 hours. I only boiled them for 20 minutes because that is what the included Knorr guide suggested. However, these are large beans so I recommend boiling them for at least 30 minutes, after soaking 24 hours. I also recommend placing a piece of aluminum foil between the pot and the pot’s lid, to help seal in the heat. My lid has a stem vent and I think it let too much heat escape because, the first try, the temp was down to 120 within 6 hours and the beans were still slightly firm.
My 2nd attempt had much better results! The beans came out perfect. I had cooked chicken breasts in my regular slow cooker and then used the beans to make a pot of White Chicken Chili. It turned out perfectly.
So, the next time, I’ll attempt the entire recipe in the Wonderbag, allowing it to cook for the chicken recommended time. I’m excited to use it for more and more recipes!!!
It comes in shrink wrap. You have to stretch it out and then break loose, inside, all the foam beads because they will have clumped together. Shake it out. Then let it sit for an hour to retain it’s shape and you’re good to go!
If you’re going to be camping, traveling or simply want a slow cooker that doesn’t require a ton of time on the stove, I highly recommend the Wonderbag! This will make a great Christmas gift too!
Have you ever used a Wonderbag? What did you think? Do you have any tips for cooking with one?
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I am a stay-at-home- mom, living in KY with my husband and children. I’m a travel and lifestyle blogger encouraging folks to live their life one adventure at a time while also focusing on beauty, essential oils and health. From time to time I also like to showcase my adorable pets along with my family. Along with Cinnamon Hollow I can be found at The Martin Family Adventure … read more