Cooking off grid does not have to be a “build a campfire and hope for the best” moment.

There are many options you can purchase to have on hand that give you the convenience and cooking ability that you have with a traditional stove.

Here are 10 of the most common.

Method #1: Wood/Biomass ovens and rocket stoves.

Rocket stoves today are amazing. With a few twigs you can fuel your cellphone, heat
your meal, purify water or warm up! With a rocket stove, you'll use wood, biomass and
charcoal, and there's no gas or propane necessary.

• Fire pit with a dutch oven. At the most basic level, preppers can dig a shallow
trench for a fire to shelter the flames from wind. This is the pioneer method with
which to cook foods. Fuel sources in a fire pit can be charcoal, wood or even
dung!

• Dutch Oven: Essential for this method of off-grid cooking is a dutch oven
(a cast iron pot with a lid pictured left) to place on the fire pit. Use a dutch
oven to cook pie, bread, cobblers, casseroles, baked beans, stew, cakes
and more. Learn more about cast iron cookware by Lodge.

• Reflector Oven: With a campfire reflector oven, you can bake using an
open fire. It bakes by capturing radiant heat from an open fire and then
reflects the heat towards your food. Pictured in green at the bottom of the
page, pioneers baked breads in this way.

Method #2: Folding Stove / Hobo stove (with mixed fuel options –
charcoal, biomass, sterno, paraffin wax, Esbit fuel).

Some stoves offer a variety of fuel options. Below are stoves that accept charcoal, a
sterno or biomass as fuel sources:

• Bushbox Outdoor Pocket stove. Pictured immediate left, the bushbox Outdoor
Pocket Stove, fits into any pocket multi-fuel, can be used with wood, organic
matter, Trangia and Esbit.

• Esbit folding stove. Esbit fuel tabs burn about 12 minutes each, more than
enough to handle your cooking needs, like boiling water. The beauty of this
system is that it's a compact stove made of durable galvanized steel that fits in
your pocket. The stove set, pictured below with the included fuel tabs is around
$10 and with available free shipping!

• Tin can charcoal stove. You can configure a classic charcoal tin can stove from a
#10 can in your preps. Also, called a hobo stove or a buddy burner, you'll need
two sturdy wire screens, a roll-type can opener, a punch type can opener and
wire for a handle, in addition to a #10 can. When you're done, you'll need just 3
or 4 charcoal briquettes to operate.

Here's how to make a tin can charcoal stove.
1. Remove the top and bottom of the can.
2. Create circulation air holes with the punch type can opener.
3. Make two holes on the top at either end, then tie a wire handle.
4. Push one of the sturdy wire screens down the can to make a grate to
keep charcoal near the top for cooking
5. Place the other at the top to support pots.

Method # 3 Sterno Stoves (see also alcohol stoves).

Sterno is a great beginning camper tool. It is best at heating things up, or boiling
water to make soup, and hot drinks like tea and coffee. Sterno is a brand name. It has
low heating power, so you'll need more Sterno to cook a meal than with other times of
fuel. Even so, Sterno is a great way to get started in prepping. Sterno is safer than
liquid fuels and you'll find they are easy to store and inexpensive,and fun! Sterno
brand cooking fuel is non-toxic, biodegradable and water soluble.

Can you use a sterno in an apartment in the event of an emergency power outage?

Yes!

Sterno is a similar fuel used in chafing dishes to keep casseroles warm in buffets
and keeps the fondue pot filled with melty cheese. Sterno Smores!

Sterno Cooking Kit. Sterno brand cooking fuel is non-toxic, biodegradable and
water soluble. The Sterno Kit is a good entry level option for cooking outdoors
when the power is out or for taking your first outdoor camping adventure.

Method #4: Charcoal Stove or Box Oven.

Cooking with charcoal briquettes is the classic backyard or park cooking option.
Another cooking method for charcoal is with box oven. A box oven combined with
charcoal can help you bake cookies, cakes and pizza.

• Basic Cardboard Box Oven:
1. Wrap foil on inside of open box.
2. Cut a view opening (box bottom).
3. Place coals in the fire pit.
4. Position four cans and a rack.
5. Light the coals.
6. Place your dish on the rack.
7. Monitor cooking through window.

Method #5 Propane Stoves.

Propane is a dependable fuel at high altitudes and freezing temperatures; however,
propane tanks are thick walled, so they are too heavy to carry in a backpack. Leave
this kind of stove in your backyard or take it car camping.
NOTE: Proper storage of propane cylinders is important. Don't store a cylinder in a
closed storage compartment.

Method #6: Butane Stoves.

Butane does not do well in below freezing temperatures. Like propane, butane stoves
also come in pressurized tanks, but butane cartridges generally can't be refilled. And
when the tank is low, it looses it's efficiency. Unfortunately, butane canisters are not
always easy to find.

Method #7: Blended Fuels (Butane/Propane Mixed Fuel Stoves).

Blended fuels offer the capability of improved cooking in below-freezing conditions.
Butane/Propane mix canisters, like the Coleman, pictured immediate right, are
lightweight, resealable, and easily connect to stoves and lanterns. Most canister
appliances are lightweight and simple to use, so if you are a backpacker who counts
ounces and appreciates convenience this fuel is for you. Downsides are that canisters
can't be recycled, and in subfreezing temperatures, the fuel does not perform well. Or
at all. Cold temperatures affect the pressure in the canister, so performance is best in
mild to moderate conditions, Main advantages: convenience and light weight.

Method #8: Kerosene stoves.

On the positive side, fuel for a kerosene stove costs just a few cents an hour to burn
and this fuel does not evaporate quickly. The bad part is that it smells, and because it
doesn't evaporate quickly, you'll have a residue if you spill.

Method # 9: Alcohol Stove (liquid).

With an alcohol stove, unlike the petroleum fuel options, you can easily put out a fire
with water! Alcohol stoves also have the benefit of being lightweight. Unfortunately,
fuels aren't as easy to find as other fuels.

Method #10: Solar ovens.

A solar oven (also sometimes called solar cooker) is made with aluminum reflectors to
bake foods using the sun's energy. Used to either heat food or sterilize water, this
outdoor cooking method concentrates sunlight thereby converting light to heat, and
trapping heat. Solar cooking has been around for centuries, but up to now, not many
people have had the opportunity to try cooking with the sun.

As you can see, your off grid options for cooking are very varied.

Depending on your preparation you can find some way to cook food or boil for just about any type of event.

Best of all, there are options to fit just about everyone's need and they do not have to cost a lot of money.

To learn more about off grid cooking options and to see some of the products associated with the above list, please visit the Happy Preppers.