Cooking
Without Power
When the power is out for days, a hot meal does wonders for morale. The real dangers are carbon monoxide and food that has gone off, not going hungry.
Carbon monoxide kills. Never use a barbecue, heat beads, charcoal, a generator or a camp fire indoors, in a garage or in a tent. Use gas and fuel stoves only where the maker says you can, with plenty of fresh air. Fit a battery carbon monoxide alarm.
Ways to Cook Without Power
Most households already own one of these. Check it works, and store spare fuel safely.
Gas Barbecue
- The most common option in Aussie homes
- Outdoors only, away from doors and windows
- Keep a spare, full bottle and check the hose for leaks with soapy water
Camp Stove
- Butane or canister stoves are cheap and simple
- Use them only as the maker directs, with good airflow
- Never use a pot or pan bigger than the stove's base. Reflected heat can make the gas canister explode
Fire
- A fire pit or safe outdoor fireplace, if fire rules allow
- Cook over coals, not flames
- See Campfire Types for cooking lays
Fuel Tablets and Spirit Stoves
- Small, light and long-lasting in storage
- Slow, but fine for boiling water and heating cans
- Use outdoors or with plenty of fresh air. Keep some in your go-bag
Solar Cooker
- Free fuel on sunny days
- Slow: plan meals hours ahead
Never Indoors
- Charcoal, heat beads and barbecues
- Generators, even in a garage with the door open
- Open fires of any kind
Save Fuel
Fuel is the limit on how many hot meals you get. Stretch it.
Every Time
- Put a lid on every pot
- Cut food small so it cooks fast
- Boil only the water you need
Plan Meals
- One-pot meals: pasta, rice, noodles, soups
- Use tinned beans, or soak dried beans for at least 5 hours and boil them hard for 10 minutes
- Cook once and eat twice, if you can keep it cold
How Much Fuel
- Know roughly how long a canister or bottle lasts on your stove
- Store at least a week of fuel for your household
- Keep gas bottles outside, upright and out of the sun
Retained-Heat Cooking
Bring food to the boil, then let insulation finish the cooking with no more fuel.
How To
- 1 Bring the pot to a full boil, and simmer for a few minutes
- 2 Put the lid on tight, and move it straight into an esky, box or bag
- 3 Pack towels, blankets or pillows tightly around and on top
- 4 Leave it for an hour or two, no more than a few hours. Rice, pasta, porridge and stews work well
Keep It Safe
- Keep the lid on so heat stays in
- Eat it while it is still steaming hot. If it has cooled, bring it back to the boil before serving
- Dried beans must be boiled hard for 10 minutes first. The box alone does not get them hot enough to be safe
No-Cook Meals
Keep a few days of food that needs no cooking at all.
Pantry
- Tinned fish, beans and fruit
- Crackers, peanut butter, muesli bars
- Long-life milk and cereal
Emergency Food
- Freeze-dried meals need only hot or cold water
- Ration bars last for years
- Browse emergency food
Do Not Forget
- A manual can opener
- Water for drinking and washing up
- Food for babies and pets
Food Safety in a Blackout
Keep the doors shut. Every opening lets the cold out.
Fridge
- Food stays safe in a closed fridge for about 2 hours
- Perishable food above 5°C for 2 to 4 hours: eat it now or throw it out. For 4 hours or more: throw it out
- Meat, dairy, cooked leftovers and cut fruit are the riskiest
Freezer
- A full freezer keeps food frozen for about 2 days. A half-full one about 1 day
- Food that still has ice crystals can be refrozen or cooked
- Move fridge food into an esky with ice from the freezer
The Rule
- Eat fridge food first, then freezer, then pantry
- When in doubt, throw it out
- Never taste food to check it
Cook Through Any Outage
Camp stoves, cookware, fuel and emergency meals.
More How-To Guides
This guide is general information only. Always follow the instructions that came with your gear and the advice of emergency services and your local council. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000). Food safety times here are guides only. For more, see Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
Photo: Erik Fabian on Unsplash