Our dealership installed a 12-volt receptacle next to our sink. Our plan is to cook while we're traveling. We can only find miniature 12-volt crock pots. Does anyone know where I can find at least a 2-3 quart 12-volt crock pot?
Get a thermal cooker - no electricity and they're big. amazon.com. Ck. it out - works just like a crock pot and same amt. of time. You can put it in the truck if you tow or anywhere.
Bill & Linda
Ladymc & Shuttlebird
2008 Silver Dodge Diesel Dually 3500 - "The Silver Bullet"
Towing 1998 35 ft. Newmar 5th wheel
20K Husky Hitch & Blue Ox Bedsaver
Handheld Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS AND Sat. in dash mounted GPS in the truck
READY TO ROLL!
I don't know how many amps the new receptacle is rated at, but lets hope that it is good for 20 amps. That is around 200 watts (figuring you don't wnat to pull the full 20 amps and replace the fuses daily) at 12 volts drawing 17 amps but with the engine running the same 17 amp load will go up to 19.7 amps at 14 volts or 273 watts.
So you will really need to find a 12 volt crock pot that is rated at only 180 - 190 watts, so when the engine is putting out 14 volts the amperage will not exceed 20 amps.
Another thought is to use a inverter. Then it's output will not be voltage dependent. I would suggest a 500 watt inverter like the ones sold at Sams Club and Costco for about $30. Then you can use your exsisting crock pot or buy one just for the RV.
If the crock pot has a 350 watt element, then you will need to fuse the inverter for about 40 amps, this requires some #8 wire, and a really heavy duty plug as well as a equally strong receptacle, or put in the wiring directly to the inverter. I would suggest a 30 amp rated twistlock device, so that the inverter is never accidently plugged into a 120 volt receptacle by mistake.
The basic problem with most 12 volt crock pots are they are set up to not exceed 20 amps at 14 volts, so they have a really small heating element, thus if the crock pot is larger than 1 quart it would take almost all day for refrigerated food to reach 140F where bacteria growth slows down. Remember the "Danger Zone" is between 45 and 120F where bacteria can grow rapidly, so the heating element needs to get the food above 120F fairly quickly, then it can slow cook all day if required at 140F.
The 500 watt inverter can be fused for a maximum of 50 amps input, and at 80% efficiency it will use between 40 and 45 amps to put out 500 watts at 120 volts. Usually it is better to have a larger inverter closer to the batteries, but the portable inverters like this one are a bit of an exception. Because you can not tun them on and off remotely, you need to have the inverter closer to the place where it is being used, where turning it on and off is easy, yet still fairly close to the batteries.
50 amp wiring requires #6 wire, while 40 amps you can use #8 or #6 for less voltage loss, and 30 amps requires #10 wire (or #8 for less voltage loss).
You might even want to consider a 800 watt inverter mounted in a compartment adjacent to the batteries, (but not the same compartment because of the battery acid fumes), then run #12 gauge wires to a new "inverter powered receptacle" near the sink and TV set, so you can watch TV as well as cook. Nothing enertains as well as watching some old movies on a VCR or DVD while driving down the roads. I liked to listen to the Jonny Carson Classics on the TV while driving.
Fred.
Money can't buy happiness but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche or Country Coach!
I've never heard of a thermal cooker before. After seeing the post here I looked at one on Amazon and learned how they work. Does anyone have one? How do you like it? Any cons that you can think of? Are they all so expensive? The ones on Amazon were $136 - $186 and that seems high to me. Any information will be appreciated
BirdSongPlace wrote: I've never heard of a thermal cooker before. After seeing the post here I looked at one on Amazon and learned how they work. Does anyone have one? How do you like it? Any cons that you can think of? Are they all so expensive? The ones on Amazon were $136 - $186 and that seems high to me. Any information will be appreciated
I got the SUNPENTOWN one for $49.00. Works like a charm and I love it.
For a Roast, this is what I do:
I season and sear the roast in a skillet while the potatoes, carrots and onions come to a boil (with cream of mushroom soup, salt and pepper). That way everythings hot at once. I put the roast into the inside pot immediately and seal. I put the roast on one night around 8 cause I wanted it for supper the next night for friends coming in and I didn't want to cook at all. I opened it up at 5 the next night and it was still hot! Everything was done, the potatoes were NOT overcooked, yet the roast was very tender and sliceable - not falling apart, which made it nice for serving.
With a crock pot things can burn and you have to watch it very closely - with the thermal cooker you do not.
I've also done chicken and rice:
I use chicken legs cause we like legs, but you can use any meat.
Season and sear the legs
In the inside pot, I use Chicken flavored rice and follow the pkg. directions, but I also add cr. of ck. soup & a bit more water get it boiling, add the hot seared legs and seal. The amazing thing to me is that the rice is done and so are the legs and NO burning. Everything is cooked the way it should be...weird, huh? Nothing overcooked. Nothing undercooked.
Thermal cookers have a great reputation, I'm a gadget freak and that's on my list of things I have to have.
...however, a resounding ditto on picking up an inverter like golden HVAC recommended, that way you can run any 110(115)appliance from a 12v source.
A great crockpot/slow-cooker is the Hamilton Beach unit with three different crocks. I love mine.
2007 Teton Experience Sunrise pulled by 2003 Dodge 3500 Cummins HO 6-spd. 4x4
'61 VW Double-Cab
Super_Dave wrote: Having to cook stuff and dirty dishes for a thermal cooker boggles my mind.
You heat things up first in the pot that goes into the outer pot. I do have a couple of Crock pot recipes for pork that says you should brown first. I think it's a personal choice if you want to brown. In most cases you only have one pot to clean.
Super_Dave wrote: Having to cook stuff and dirty dishes for a thermal cooker boggles my mind.
I don't have a thermal cooker but I brown crock pot things that need to be browned in the "dirty" frying pan the night before. No sense washing it twice. I put the meal all together and refrigerate- btw, I don't camp with a crockpot either so that depends on the size of your "fridge".
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