space saving cooking options

Submitted: Sunday, Feb 16, 2003 at 22:22
ThreadID: 3401 Views:2136 Replies:6 FollowUps:4
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I'm only posting this as an opinion so the variables that need to be immediately discounted are these:

1. Gas is cheaper.

That said i commence my research report.

I have recently moved from gas light to 12v flouro lights - but i have the gear, deep cycle batteries, solar panels, petrol charger, stuff like that.
So i don't need gas for light.

So what do i need gas for - cooking, i cook, love it. Okay, so i lug around a 2.5kg gas cylinder (dangerous flying object, yes i should get a cargo barrrier but it fits in my drawers), hoses and their unreliable connections, spanners handy to tighten and stuff to test connections, and a very ugly 3 burner gas stove that is noisy uses a lot of gas the f&%$#*n plastic gas control knobs break all the time etc etc pain to move when rain threatens etc and appalling control variables.

So have noticed lately the commercial butane burners they use in Korean restaurants, like the world over. Mind thinks, commercial products to domestic market is good, domestic products to domestic market always dodgy. So it happens that my warehouse outlet down the road is actually their actual warehouse. They are selling these Sirboneir - 153 butane table top burners for $25.99. The same, and i mean the same Gas Association of Australia approved stamped unit but rebadged sells in Mitre Ten for $39.99. So i bought one and 4 butane bottles for $7.50.

Thus the experiment begins with one bottle worth $1.87:

Dinner that night - i boil in a pot from cold water about 1l of water, add salt rather than oil to chemically distribute the heat and boil very thin pasta to edible stage - finish off cooking elsewhere.

Next morning for one, after fresh chopped fruit salad with yoghurt and then cereal i make on the stove 1 rash bacon and one egg.

Evening i from cold water cook a very light pasta dish, Expect it to cark now it don't.

Next morning after pre-protein bits i cook a marinated lamb chop.

Next morning i do the same to a larger, yum, lamb chop.

That night i boil pot of cold water from cold to boil two minute noodles.

Next night am bored of waiting for minute butane bottle to end and put in olive oil and when it heats it up i put in chopped bacon rashes followed very soon by chopped red onion, a bit later finely chopped garlic and some chilli from the garden. Then i drain in half a can of imported Carpaccio tomatoes, don't need sugar, the liquid reduces so i puree half a can in an electric chopper and stir in the proceeds. Add some dried parsely, oregano and save the fresh marjoram till the end. It reduces. In not butane stove cook very thin pasta then drain and add it to the butane heated frypan and mix adding in fresh herbs. Serve with fresh grated Pecorino and parmesan mix and garnish with fresh basil leaves from garden.

Next morning after fruit and cereal cook 1 rash bacon and one egg.

That afternoon get bored of testing cooking time of one cannister and colour 3 tablespoons of peanut oil with a couple tablespoons of annato seeds for red (not chilli coloured) topside curry.

So i take out the cannister and give it a shake and there is so much left. It is a silent unit. The flame is so more variable than the gas units on the market.

So that is my story. At least until the butane drains out.

Next weekend i am putting my gas cylinder and 3 burner stove in the Trading post and will spend the proceeds acquiring another butane gas burner and 4 for $7.50 set of cylinders while waiting for the first one to expire.

Okay, so this is not recommended (yet) for a family on a 7 day holiday. But for the 2 - 4 day trips which i do, i am so convinced. Relatively cheap, come in their own plastic suitcases, quieter, lower simmer rate and higher max. megajules burner rate than camping designed gas units, and so much less stress and things to trip over than the ancient gas bottle and connections.

Oh, live in West End in Brisbane, the shop is the one with all the plastic containers out the front on Montague road, and i don't work there (a 12year old will serve you and he only gets paid $6 an hour).

Epilogue ? i might be wrong by am prepared to give it a further go, looks good so far. Hope the rust rate on beaches is acceptable.


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Reply By: Savvas - Monday, Feb 17, 2003 at 09:00

Monday, Feb 17, 2003 at 09:00
Paul,

A couple of years ago, the pasta bar in the Grace Forum Hotel in Sydney was using 4 butane table top stoves to boil up pasta and heat the "pick your own" sauces and toppings in front of the diners. They have since gone to more permanent gas fixtures.

I did ask them how often they change cartridges, and they asked that they will only ever change them at the start of trading each day irrespective of how full/empty they were and would burn continuously for 3 hours.
AnswerID: 13293

Reply By: bozo - Monday, Feb 17, 2003 at 15:43

Monday, Feb 17, 2003 at 15:43
I bought one of those little gas cookers in Crazy Clarks fully expecting it to be a piece of junk and the gas cannisters to last about five minutes but the thing is brilliant! My father in law is a government gas inspector, they checked them out before they were put on sale and were suprised at the quality of the burners and fittings. Am going to buy another one myself and then I just have to fiqure out where to store all the extra gas cannisters that I bought.
AnswerID: 13306

Reply By: Member - Willem- Monday, Feb 17, 2003 at 21:16

Monday, Feb 17, 2003 at 21:16
Thanks for all that info Paul, one is always looking for ways to make life out bush a bit easier. Cheers, W
AnswerID: 13347

Follow Up By: Member - Steven - Monday, Feb 17, 2003 at 21:36

Monday, Feb 17, 2003 at 21:36
the only problem we have had with them is if the bottles lay down for long periods after they have been pierced they leak out very slowly otherwise there great steve
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FollowupID: 7836

Reply By: Member - Des - Tuesday, Feb 18, 2003 at 12:33

Tuesday, Feb 18, 2003 at 12:33
Wonderful post Paul. (Should be a prize for this.)

Can anyone nominate cheap suppliers of these butane stoves & canisters in Melbourne?

AnswerID: 13387

Follow Up By: Paul - Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003 at 09:14

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003 at 09:14
Don't live in Melbourne Des but you are almost guaranteed to find oodles of them and crates of the cans at any Asian wholesale warehouse, you know, the ones in every chinatown that sells everything from woks to underpants to toys.
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FollowupID: 7886

Reply By: desert - Tuesday, Feb 18, 2003 at 17:25

Tuesday, Feb 18, 2003 at 17:25
Paul, is that the same butane cartridge/cylinder that are used in the "Hot-to-go" portable kettle gismo that Piranha sell? It would be about 100mm dia. and about 75mm tall, painted light blue? If so, that kettle will boil 4 cups of water every morning for 21 mornings and also evening cuppa's too on the odd occassion. Cartridge costs about $5.50.
AnswerID: 13406

Follow Up By: Paul - Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003 at 09:12

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003 at 09:12
desert, answer is no. The cylinder that goes with my burners is about the size of a mortein can (where's my ruler) 20cm tall with cap on.
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FollowupID: 7885

Reply By: Phil P - Tuesday, Feb 18, 2003 at 17:56

Tuesday, Feb 18, 2003 at 17:56
Hi Paul,

What are you using to power the 12v Lighting ?

Phil P
AnswerID: 13408

Follow Up By: Paul - Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003 at 09:20

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003 at 09:20
Phil P, i use the primus flouro light cause i like the bag it came in and the hook and that you can twirl it round in any direction, other than that it was almost exactly the same as every other one and was cheaper.

But, hm, you didn't ask about the light, right - i have a small 33 amp hour deep cycle AGM battery that i can carry in one hand and should theoretically provide me with about 27 hours of light (those flouros use average 1 amp but i know that pull a bit more out on start up) but i am able to charge it whenever i want with a small flexible unisolar solar panel or i have a petrol driven charger, but i am unlikely to be somewhere without sun in Qld for more than a few days so the set up works very well for me, also use it run a cd/radio player through a small inverter.

And yes i have a different battery set up for the fridge.

i just love batteries.
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FollowupID: 7887

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