In a recent meeting with a group of like minded guys, we discussed food and its preparation. Several have made plans with 100 gallon propane tanks to hook up to grills. But in a long term grid down situation, propane will run out. Wood of course is a natural resource that tends to be plentiful in the mountains, but how good is it for cooking? Open fires are messy and dangerous if not constantly watched.
However, if you have a Volcano Stove, you’ll find wood, charcoal and even propane are excellent fuel sources. Its self-contained design helps make it a safer alternative than an open fire. The Volcano Stove is an ingenious grill that uses any fuel and is extremely efficient for cooking. With the purchase of a cooking lid, you can bake with it, broil, grill, boil, steam, etc. The whole stove packs to just a few inches in height when stored, and with one pull of the handle, it pops up to its full size and is ready for cooking.
My fuel of choice is charcoal because its safe to store, doesn’t go bad over time like gasoline, and when bought on sale at Home Depot, its very inexpensive. By using just ten to fourteen charcoal briquettes, you can cook and bake most anything in short order with the Volcano Stove. Click here to watch my favorite homemade video of a gentleman cooking a huge chicken stew with his Volcano Stove. I like this video because he’s down to earth and keeps it simple.
The Volcano Stove is efficient because it concentrates all the heat to the item being cooked, whereas an open fire pit looses a tremendous amount of energy into open air. You can adjust the burn rate by sliding the air intake opening and thus prolong the life of your fuel source. Another nice thing is that unlike the Solar Oven, it can function at night and on cloudy days. Additionally, in the winter, it provides a source of warmth.
The Volcano Stove isn’t the only cooking source you’ll need, but it definitely should be a component to your complete food preparation list.
