Description

This little known item is the BEST gadget I have ever found. If you're familiar with those ever-gifted crock-pots, this is the energy efficient, portable version. This is basically a very, very large version of the popular Thermos stainless steel coffee mugs--but big enough to cook a full meal in. What you do is you take what you're cooking (something like soup, hot cider, or something with lots of liquids) and boil those on the stove. Then, you place the entire pot inside the thermal container, and it cooks -- from its own heat -- for hours. You can literally make something the morning before you go to work, and when you get home it's almost BOILING hot and ready to eat. It's hard to believe, but it works great. We use it to make chili, soups, hot cider, and full meals--basically anything you could cook with a crock pot would work here.

For a few years, this was not available anywhere in the U.S.--but was the rage in Japan and Taiwan. I ordered a version of this many years ago special order I liked it so much. I'm surprised it's not more popular here, particularly with the green/ecological set, as it's a huge energy saver (imagine how much energy you save cooking a meal in this vs. letting a pot sit on the stove). It's also very portable, and you can take it anywhere (camping, to a potluck, football game, etc.). We use it frequently... Highly recommended.

Updated Dec 11, 2006