No Electricity? No Problem! How to Cook Food Without Power

Even the best emergency food stockpile won’t do you any good if you don’t have a way to cook it. If the power goes out or you need to be on the move, will you be able to make meals? Learn how to cook your survival food without power so you’ll be ready for any emergency.

Build a Fire

Bonfires aren’t just for camping. If you have kindling and wood, build a fire. Outdoor fires are safest, but you can use your indoor wood-burning fireplace if you must. Make sure your fireplace is clean first to prevent a house fire or other disaster. An open flame is a very efficient cooking method, especially when you use a Dutch oven or other cast iron pot. You can also put meat and vegetables inside aluminum foil and cook it over your fire.

Use Your Wood-Burning Stove

During emergencies in cold weather, you need heat for both safety and cooking. A wood-burning stove gives you both. If your home has a wood-burning stove, now is the time to use it. Boil water with a Dutch oven on top, and keep your family safe with efficient radiant heat.

Be Prepared With Non-Electric Cooking Appliances.

A power outage shouldn’t stop you from eating cooked foods. There are several options for non-electric cooking appliances. Learn the pros and cons of each one to find the right appliance for your emergency stockpile kit.

Alcohol Stove

Did you know? Some small camp stoves use alcohol as fuel. Alcohol burns cleanly, but heat from an alcohol flame can be unpredictable. You can use denatured alcohol, pure ethanol, and pure methanol alcohol. Rubbing alcohol does not burn as cleanly as other types and is only safe if you’re burning outside. An alcohol stove is a good option for an immediate emergency cooking stove. You’ll want to buy a larger camp stove for longer-term emergency preparedness.

Portable Camp Stove

When you can’t ride out a crisis at home, you need a portable cooking method. A small stove like the StarFire Camp Stove is easy to carry, and you don’t need gas to have a fire. This size can cook enough food to feed two people. Use it when you need to evacuate your home for weather emergencies. Or, store it in your RV as a backup cooking method while camping. If you need a bigger heat source, add a larger or folding portable gas stove and fuel can to your emergency kit.

Solar Cooker 

Turn to solar power when you need to boil water without electricity or a fuel source. A Sun Kettle® Solar Cooker has many uses. Boil water to get cleaner, safer water or use it to cook a meal without electricity. 

Solar Oven

A solar oven is one of the quickest ways to rehydrate freeze-dried survival food. It’s a great option when building a fire or using a gas cooking method isn’t safe (like when you need to stay indoors). 

Emergency Cooking Stove and Food Supply: Get Yours Today

Emergencies don’t give you an advance warning. Prepare your emergency kit today with survival food and gear. From meal kits and solar cookers to survival food storage containers, we have everything you need to take care of your family during a crisis.