What are you cooking with?

[GypsySkool]

My partially converted bus has no oven/stove. I am debating on whether or not I need one or what else you use to cook your food.

I have a microwave (don't know if I want it on the bus).
I have a griddle/grill (definitely taking).
And I have a crockpot (definitely taking).

I plan on getting a propane camp stove.

I do plan on living on the bus for quite a while with my two kids and fiance.
We will cook what we can over fires

Do you think what I have is sufficient?
What do you use to cook with for your family if you don't have an oven/stove?

Thanks for the help!

[Robin97396]

I use a hotplate while on grid, butane for quick off grid coffee cooking and propane for camp cooking.

Pressure cookers are excellent for reducing the amount of steam you put into the air inside your bus. Obviously they also cook faster which saves energy in the long run.

Off subject; Something I really enjoy is baking fresh bread in my bus. You can refrigerate bread dough until you're ready to use it. I bake in a little cheapo toaster oven. Twenty minutes to make pocket bread in the morning does a lot for the heat issue too. Obviously flat breads cook faster.

[PNW_Steve]

I put a drop in two burner propane stove and convection microwave in my last bus. It worked fairly well but I found that I did not use the convection cook feature much.

I am considering one of the electric crock pot/pressure cookers for my new build.

I also, look forward to hearing what others are using.

[GypsySkool]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I put a drop in two burner propane stove and convection microwave in my last bus. It worked fairly well but I found that I did not use the convection cook feature much.

I am considering one of the electric crock pot/pressure cookers for my new build.

I also, look forward to hearing what others are using.

Ohh! I did not think about a drop in. That sounds like something I might bring up with my fiance. I do not really like microwaves and they use a lot of energy for cooking, for just heating things up it might be fine. But I think that is what I want my toaster oven for instead.

[GypsySkool]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Off subject; Something I really enjoy is baking fresh bread in my bus. You can refrigerate bread dough until you're ready to use it. I bake in a little cheapo toaster oven. Twenty minutes to make pocket bread in the morning does a lot for the heat issue too. Obviously flat breads cook faster.

What is pocket bread???? I love making lemon blueberry bread in my bread pan, but I have never made a regular bread in it before. I don't like working with yeast. Do you use a bread pan in your toaster oven?

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by GypsySkool

What is pocket bread???? I love making lemon blueberry bread in my bread pan, but I have never made a regular bread in it before. I don't like working with yeast. Do you use a bread pan in your toaster oven?

Pita bread

[GypsySkool]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Pita bread

Oh lol! I have never made pocket bread. I will look into that. It would be great for chicken salads and even shrimp tacos I bet.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by GypsySkool

Oh lol! I have never made pocket bread. I will look into that. It would be great for chicken salads and even shrimp tacos I bet.

Boy have you led a sheltered life if you've never heard of pita bread before.

[GypsySkool]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Boy have you led a sheltered life if you've never heard of pita bread before.

I have heard and seen pita bread but did not realize others call it pocket bread. But no I have never had pocket bread.

I have never had a use for pita bread. And as far as leading a sheltered life, my mother always bought and made box foods. We didn't have any cool pita sandwiches. Honestly, when they said pocket bread I was thinking hot pockets (which could be used the exact same way). My mother loved keeping them in the house. I hate them now after eating it for years.

Sorry if my sheltered life offended your smarts.

[john61ct]

What are "box foods"?

[GypsySkool]

Originally Posted by john61ct

What are "box foods"?

That's what we call prepackaged foods that come in boxes. Hamburger helper, pasta-roni, things like that.

[Robin97396]

Yes, it's a yeast bread. It's very simple to deal with. Truth be told I buy 20 lb sacks of pizza mix at the local restaurant supply store. All you add is water then let it sit in a fridge for at least 12 hours. I cut off a hunk of dough and roll it out either as pizza size or pocket bread size. They blow up like a balloon during cooking, which takes 15 to 20 minutes. Flat bread obviously cooks faster than loaves. Works great for bread sticks too. You can make loaves from this dough but it takes more time to bake.

Makes the bus smell just like you'd imagine and warms things up nicely in the mornings. Fresh bread, a pot of really good coffee and a quart jar of last summer's blackberry jam. Mmmmmmmm!

The blackberries were so thick last year I made almost 5 gallons of jam.

[TrailLifeBill]

I got turned on to induction cooktops at home, and rarely use my stove now. They are more energy efficient, better heat control than radiant electric, and more economical for counter top models.
This is the one I have https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GMCAM2G...519763850&sr=1
The only downside is it won't work with aluminum cookware. Not an issue with me since I prefer cast iron and bought the wife stainless. We won't be installing a cooktop in our bus, but will be using the counter top cooker and stowing it away when not needed. Will easily run on a 15A receptacle and will heat my biggest dutch ovens with no problem.

[GypsySkool]

Originally Posted by TrailLifeBill

I got turned on to induction cooktops at home, and rarely use my stove now. They are more energy efficient, better heat control than radiant electric, and more economical for counter top models.

The only downside is it won't work with aluminum cookware. Not an issue with me since I prefer cast iron and bought the wife stainless. We won't be installing a cooktop in our bus, but will be using the counter top cooker and stowing it away when not needed. Will easily run on a 15A receptacle and will heat my biggest dutch ovens with no problem.

That seems great for saving space and such. I cook a lot of food and might need two or three though. But I do like that you said it even heats the dutch oven. That is pretty cool. We have only ever used families dutch on open flames

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Yes, it's a yeast bread. It's very simple to deal with. Truth be told I buy 20 lb sacks of pizza mix at the local restaurant supply store. All you add is water then let it sit in a fridge for at least 12 hours. I cut off a hunk of dough and roll it out either as pizza size or pocket bread size. They blow up like a balloon during cooking, which takes 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes the bus smell just like you'd imagine and warms things up nicely in the mornings. Fresh bread, a pot of really good coffee and a quart jar of last summer's blackberry jam. Mmmmmmmm!

Okay, so supply store and buy lots of pizza dough, I can get down with that!
I love picking blackberries from my mother's mountain in OK. But I have not attempted making my own jam yet. I've just started with pesto, spices, and marinades so far. But I plan to learn a lot more.

Thanks yall have been very helpful so far!

[PNW_Steve]

What else can you do with it? Waffles? Pancakes? Biscuits?

That could be a good "staple" item in my larder.

Edit: GS, I just reread your post and have to call you out. I have been to OK many time and there are no mountains there....

[GypsySkool]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

What else can you do with it? Waffles? Pancakes? Biscuits?

That could be a good "staple" item in my larder.

Edit: GS, I just reread your post and have to call you out. I have been to OK many time and there are no mountains there....

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there is no official difference between hills and mountains(from NatGeo). Whether you call it a hill or a mountain we call it a mountain because we are from Texas and they are definitely bigger than anything we have here. It is in the Ouachita Mountains/National Forest located on the eastern most part of oklahoma right next to Arkansas. I call it a mountain.

[ShagNasty]

Originally Posted by TrailLifeBill

I got turned on to induction cooktops at home, and rarely use my stove now. They are more energy efficient, better heat control than radiant electric, and more economical for counter top models.

The only downside is it won't work with aluminum cookware. Not an issue with me since I prefer cast iron and bought the wife stainless. We won't be installing a cooktop in our bus, but will be using the counter top cooker and stowing it away when not needed. Will easily run on a 15A receptacle and will heat my biggest dutch ovens with no problem.

Induction cookware only requires a metal plate to work I.E. magnetic. Plop a round metal plate on top and you can use any cookware including temperature resistant glassware..

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by GypsySkool

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there is no official difference between hills and mountains(from NatGeo). Whether you call it a hill or a mountain we call it a mountain because we are from Texas and they are definitely bigger than anything we have here. It is in the Ouachita Mountains/National Forest located on the eastern most part of oklahoma right next to Arkansas. I call it a mountain.

I have friends and family in OK and TX and that has turned into a running joke. Living in states with mountains that hit 14000 ft we feel compelled to pick on our friends and family.

[Robin97396]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

What else can you do with it? Waffles? Pancakes? Biscuits?

That could be a good "staple" item in my larder.

This is a yeast bread mix, but you should be able to use it like flour if you used your own baking soda and add a couple eggs. Don’t add salt.

Quick breads would be best using a buttermilk pre-mix for pancakes, biscuits or even cobblers. Also available in 20 lb bags, but who can eat that many pancakes?

I don't usually use mixes, but it's a little different cooking in a bus. I don't mind the cooking but the cleanup is another story.

I was making sourdough bread from scratch in this bus in the beginning. That also smells very good if you like that yeasty brewer smell. Now it’s just the pizza mix, which is also available in gluten free. A 5 gallon plastic food storage bucket holds a 20 lb sack of mix easily. This pizza dough mix will go stale on you after about a year as it does have oil in the mix. It’s pretty easy to use up though. It makes an excellent pizza, of all things. A little spaghetti sauce, some veggies and a sprinkle of cheese. Smells even better than just pocket bread. I'm still amazed my toaster oven is holding up to all this.

I’ve only been able to give away about a gallon of jam so far, so I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of blackberry cobblers in my future. I’ve still got whole frozen berries to deal with – not enough for a batch of jam. Picked 11 gallons last year just from my driveway.

[Thomas1985]

We use a double burner hot plate. It's been able to do everything we've required. We make a lot of stir fry, breakfast burritos, and hamburgers stuff like that.