Cooking Pasta Sides/other things that require more than boiling with an alcohol stove

[Nar Nar]

Hey everyone, for all of my hiking career I've been using an MSR Pocketrocket to cook with. However, I am considering switching to an alcohol stove to save weight. I'm not big into the expensive dehydrated meals, and I usually will just cook Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, Ramen, oatmeal, or Pasta Sides. Obviously, the mashed potatoes and oatmeal would be easy to cook with since all you have to do is boil the water, but how do you cook things like Pasta Sides and Ramen that require a little bit of cooking and not just boiling water with an alcohol stove? Do you just have to experiment with the amount of alcohol to keep it going for the allotted amount of time, or is there another way? I've heard about pot cozies and using those to retain heat once the water is boiling, but I don't see how that could fully cook something like Pasta Sides. Thanks guys! :rolleyes:

[windels11]

For rice sides I would just boil it then i would have my rice sides (mashed potatos, ramen, ect) in a freezer bag and then i would have a cozy and just pour the water into the bag and close up the cozy and let it sit for the 8 mins or how ever long it is. The cozy i have is made out of a car protector that you put on the windshield to keep the heat out, i just cut it into a smaller piece and then sewed it and it fits perfectly with a freezer bag with a full rice side and boiling water in it. Hope this helped!!

[VTATHiker]

Believe it or not a good pot cozy (with a foam cover) will do the trick for pasta sides. Get everything to a boil with your alcohol stove, use enough fuel to keep a boil going for 30 seconds to a minute (only for pasta sides - for ramen use only enough fuel to get to a boil), and then put it all in the pot cozy and set up your sleeping gear. Ten minutes later it'll be good to go. If you can manage to wait 15 minutes it'll probably be better, but I'm always too hungry for that...

[QHShowoman]

Well, it works like freezer bag cooking. You bring the water to a boil, add it to your pasta side. Put the pot (or freezer bag) into a cozy and let it continue to "cook" for 10 minutes or so -- in the cozy, away from the heat source.

With some pasta dishes, the sauce doesn't thicken as nicely as it would if you were cooking it over the heat source and allowing all the excess moisture to evaporate, but that's really the biggest difference.

[Coffee]

I use a Jetboil Sol Aluminum and made a cozy out of windshield reflective material. For cooking something like a Knorr side, I would boil the water, add the side, cover the pot and immediately put it into the cozy. After 8-10 minutes, I would put the pot back on the burner for just long enough to get the contents bubbling again (often only 10-20 seconds). Then I would put the pot into the cozy again. The food would be ready to eat after another 5-6 minutes typically and is just as good as if it were simmered (ok, maybe almost just as good...)

I'm not sure how my method could be adapted to alcohol stoves unless there is an easy way to put out the flame between initial boil and the reheat.

[FarmerChef]

My pot cozy is made out of reflectix as others have mentioned and it works just fine. I use both an alcohol stove and a pocket rocket and both work fine this way. Another thing to consider is cold-soaking your rice and pasta to help it hydrate before adding heat. It's free "fuel." Not necessarily fast, but free. I usually do this as soon as I get to camp so it's got 10 or 15 minutes before I start heating the water. I do it purely to save fuel.

[burger]

I use an alcohol stove (a SuperCat). Here are things that cook well with my stove, provided you give the food a little time to rehydrate after the cooking's done:

mac 'n cheese
Knorr's rice sides (any flavor, but the pasta doesn't do as well)
Barilla tortellini (comes out perfectly every time)
instant potatoes
ramen
couscous

[Odd Man Out]

I've cooked raw rice (not instant) on my alcohol stove. A full load of fuel will be enough to boil the water and then simmer for a while. When the stove goes out, put your pot in the pot cozy (I just wrapped it in cotton dish towel) and let set 15 minutes. Basmati rice cooks faster, but regular long grain rice and lentils will work. With this kind of recipe, I didn't have to worry about how much fuel was in the stove. It's not the lightest option, as I am burning more fuel than some, but it works. I recently got a Starlyte stove from Zelph. It is designed to be easily snuffed out. Plus it has a lid and a wick to hold the fuel, so you can load it up with as much fuel as it will hold and not worry about wasting it. Just shut it down at any time and put the lid on, then top it off next time. No measuring or estimating needed. At least that's the theory. I haven't had a chance to camp with it yet.

[Nar Nar]

Thanks for the replies guys! For the freezer bag cooking, do you pour the water into the bag, stir it up a little, then seal it and put it back into the pot and put the pot into the cozy, or do you just have a separate cozy for just the bag of food? Thanks!

[QHShowoman]

Thanks for the replies guys! For the freezer bag cooking, do you pour the water into the bag, stir it up a little, then seal it and put it back into the pot and put the pot into the cozy, or do you just have a separate cozy for just the bag of food? Thanks!

You can do either or both.

Since I only carry one pot, which also serves as my mug, I also carry a separate freezer bag cozy that I made out of reflectix. It weighs about an ounce. So I can simmer my food in the freezer bag while enjoying my cup of tea.

[Another Kevin]

What QHShowoman said.

I usually try to keep the water as hot as possible by sealing the bag fast, sticking it in the cozy, and giving it a quick shake rather than a stir.

You have to use less water than the package calls for. Try starting with 1 1/2 cups if the package calls for 2. But it really depends on how efficient your cozy is.

You have to let it sit in the cozy for a little longer than it needs to go on the stovetop. If the pasta is supposed to cook in seven minutes, give it ten. If it's supposed to cook in ten minutes, try fifteen. If it needs fifteen minutes, then there will be problems getting the cozy to hold the heat long enough.

Some sauces just don't thicken properly in a freezer bag, whatever you do. I've been known to do a hybrid: throw some combination of pasta, quinoa, rice or lentils in the freezer bag to rehydrate, and whip up a curry or a sauce in the pot. Pour it over the rice or lentils in the bag when it's done. The only drawback there is that you have to wash the pot.

I carry one Nalgene bottle to serve as a coffee pot/teacup/thermos/filter container. So I can still have my tea if I do hybrid cooking.

[QHShowoman]

I'm doing a little 'backpacker test kitchen' tonight in preparation for an upcoming trip... I got a packet of Knorr Cheesy Macaroni and Bacon for $1 and wanted to give it a shot. I added just enough boiling water to cover the pasta AND some dry milk (enough to make 1/2 cup of milk) and let it sit in my cozy for a good 20 minutes. Then I let it sit and cool a bit and the sauce thickened up pretty nicely. Not sure if it was the dry milk or the cooling or both, but wanted to share.

[Don Newcomb]

I'm not in the "just boil water and rehydrate" crowd. I tend to bring stuff that actually needs a little cooking. However, about pasta in general. Commercial dry pasta requires a lot of cooking simply because of the way it's made, being forced through a die under tremendous pressure. It sort of "armor plates" the wheat, so it requires a lot of cooking. Two ways to get around this are to either use homemade pasta, Asian style noodles, other quick-cooking pasta, or pre-cook your pasta and redry it in a dehydrator. This opens up the structure so it cooks much more quickly the next time.

[Odd Man Out]

Instant mashed potatoes make a good impromptu thickener if needed.

[Hill Ape]

to rehydrate pasta, I put it in a Nalgene while on trail. it fluffs up, and dramatically cuts down cook time in camp

[Another Kevin]

Instant mashed potatoes make a good impromptu thickener if needed.

That they do! I should have thought to add that to my remark about some sauces not thickening properly.

[Different Socks]

I'm doing a little 'backpacker test kitchen' tonight in preparation for an upcoming trip... I got a packet of Knorr Cheesy Macaroni and Bacon for $1 and wanted to give it a shot. I added just enough boiling water to cover the pasta AND some dry milk (enough to make 1/2 cup of milk) and let it sit in my cozy for a good 20 minutes. Then I let it sit and cool a bit and the sauce thickened up pretty nicely. Not sure if it was the dry milk or the cooling or both, but wanted to share.

20 minutes to wait for dinner. C-mon, there's gotta be times when you can't wait that long, especially after a long hard day of miles.

[Different Socks]

I have used an MSR for 1000's of miles. And while I am impressed with the weightlessness of an alky stove and it's fuel, it just seems like it has too many downfalls.

Such as: many of your WB responders said to simply add boiling water to your noodle dinner and put it in a cozy then wait 8-20 min for dinner to be ready.
They expect me to believe that you can take uncooked pasta and do this and the pasta is cooked all the way thru? Not only that but I have dehydrated veggies and meats with all of my dinners. Unless I rehydrate them during the day before dinner preparation, simply letting them sit in boiling water for 10 min is not enough cooking time to rehydrate certain veggies past the point of dehydrated crunchiness.
I also bake some of my desserts: cake, cookie bars, brownies, muffins, breads as well as dinners of lasagna and pizza. Let's see them do that on an alky stove.
I caught fish on my PCT and CDT hikes. Can't cook a fish on an alky stove.
Seems like with an alky stove the user is limited to what they can cook b/c all it can do is boil water. I guess that means a hiking menu would be limited also. On my stove I can fry, poach, boil, steam, saute, bake and simmer.
Look, you can utilize any cooking method you wish, and if we ever meet on the trail and I'm baking my dessert for the night, you are welcome to have some.
Both sides have their advantages, while cooking time seems to be about the same. And yet while i am enjoying moist and warm brownies for an after dinner dessert, the alky users are attempting to enjoy another night of pop tarts, candy bars, jello, pudding, gorp for the 3rd or 4th day in a row.

So no matter my age, the trail toughness, the weight of the pack, the weather and many other things, I'll stick with my MSR for another 10,000 miles.

[QHShowoman]

20 minutes to wait for dinner. C-mon, there's gotta be times when you can't wait that long, especially after a long hard day of miles.

If I'm in a rush, I always have the option of cooking my meal straight in the pot. But generally, I get to camp and boil my water first thing and that way, my meal is steeping in its cozy while I'm setting up camp, getting water, etc.

I use a PocketRocket, btw. Freezer bag meals are more about convenience of clean up for me and not due to a limitation of my stove.

[FarmerChef]

I have used an MSR for 1000's of miles. And while I am impressed with the weightlessness of an alky stove and it's fuel, it just seems like it has too many downfalls.

Such as: many of your WB responders said to simply add boiling water to your noodle dinner and put it in a cozy then wait 8-20 min for dinner to be ready.
They expect me to believe that you can take uncooked pasta and do this and the pasta is cooked all the way thru? Not only that but I have dehydrated veggies and meats with all of my dinners. Unless I rehydrate them during the day before dinner preparation, simply letting them sit in boiling water for 10 min is not enough cooking time to rehydrate certain veggies past the point of dehydrated crunchiness.
I also bake some of my desserts: cake, cookie bars, brownies, muffins, breads as well as dinners of lasagna and pizza. Let's see them do that on an alky stove.
I caught fish on my PCT and CDT hikes. Can't cook a fish on an alky stove.
Seems like with an alky stove the user is limited to what they can cook b/c all it can do is boil water. I guess that means a hiking menu would be limited also. On my stove I can fry, poach, boil, steam, saute, bake and simmer.
Look, you can utilize any cooking method you wish, and if we ever meet on the trail and I'm baking my dessert for the night, you are welcome to have some.
Both sides have their advantages, while cooking time seems to be about the same. And yet while i am enjoying moist and warm brownies for an after dinner dessert, the alky users are attempting to enjoy another night of pop tarts, candy bars, jello, pudding, gorp for the 3rd or 4th day in a row.

So no matter my age, the trail toughness, the weight of the pack, the weather and many other things, I'll stick with my MSR for another 10,000 miles.

I've done just about all the things you mention with my alky stove, including baking a three layer cake! That said, I agree with you on the pour boiling water over some veggies leaving them crunchy. That's why for the pasta, rice and veggies, I pre-soak for a few minutes and then heat them with the water, allowing them to sit in the cozy, rather than boiling the water and then pouring it on.

Having said all that, I will say that my PocketRocket IS easier to control the temps of cooking than my alky stoves.

[MDSection12]

I have used an MSR for 1000's of miles. And while I am impressed with the weightlessness of an alky stove and it's fuel, it just seems like it has too many downfalls.

Such as: many of your WB responders said to simply add boiling water to your noodle dinner and put it in a cozy then wait 8-20 min for dinner to be ready.
They expect me to believe that you can take uncooked pasta and do this and the pasta is cooked all the way thru? Not only that but I have dehydrated veggies and meats with all of my dinners. Unless I rehydrate them during the day before dinner preparation, simply letting them sit in boiling water for 10 min is not enough cooking time to rehydrate certain veggies past the point of dehydrated crunchiness.
I also bake some of my desserts: cake, cookie bars, brownies, muffins, breads as well as dinners of lasagna and pizza. Let's see them do that on an alky stove.
I caught fish on my PCT and CDT hikes. Can't cook a fish on an alky stove.
Seems like with an alky stove the user is limited to what they can cook b/c all it can do is boil water. I guess that means a hiking menu would be limited also. On my stove I can fry, poach, boil, steam, saute, bake and simmer.
Look, you can utilize any cooking method you wish, and if we ever meet on the trail and I'm baking my dessert for the night, you are welcome to have some.
Both sides have their advantages, while cooking time seems to be about the same. And yet while i am enjoying moist and warm brownies for an after dinner dessert, the alky users are attempting to enjoy another night of pop tarts, candy bars, jello, pudding, gorp for the 3rd or 4th day in a row.

So no matter my age, the trail toughness, the weight of the pack, the weather and many other things, I'll stick with my MSR for another 10,000 miles.
You don't mention the model of the MSR...

I get what you're saying and largely agree, but you seem to be under informed about alky stoves and their potential... Many have made 'simmer rings' for different variations of stoves and had success with 'real cooking.' I know baking in particular I've seen done many times on alky stoves (in trip reports, not in person).

I'm not saying your argument isn't valid, just that some of your examples aren't totally accurate. I'd still agree that alcohol stoves aren't going to satisfy the 'trail chefs' among us all the time. :)

[Just Bill]

I would only add that a Ziploc- Twist-Loc (one quart size) has replaced my freezer bags. It's easy to clean, no mess to pack out, no burned fingers trying to seal up the Ziploc bags. I also no longer use the cozy for three season camping, I simply wrap my quilt or a heavy shirt around it instead. You'll need to play with things a bit, but there are not many things that don't come back in 15-20 minutes. For those occasional exceptions- simply put a bit more fuel in your stove, dump your contents back into your pot- and finish cooking it. When you find a dish that doesn't come back well- a presoak is a good plan. I will say though- don't overdo it- some things will fall apart, but veggies hold up excellently to a presoak.

As for the complaints about waiting to eat:
If you are that hungry when you hit camp- you don't have enough snacks or lunch in your meal plan and you need to add some food (or drink some calories!). As QH mentioned- simply walk into camp, boil water while you set up, then let your meal "cook" while you take care of other camp chores. If you aren't on a speed hike- what are you doing that you can't wait or keep yourself busy for twenty minutes?

IF you are on a speed hike- I switched to this system because I could stop at a watersource- boil water, treat drinking water, mix drinks, wash and change socks, shuffle snacks, check my feet, rinse off my headband, and cook my meal. All in about 5 minutes. Since I "cook" in the Hard shelled Ziplock- I simply put it in my pack and continue down the trail. Twenty or thirty minutes later (like when I time this move perfectly at a creek at the bottom of the hill then arrive at a scenic overlook a mile or two up the hill) I sit down and eat my meal. I dump a little water in the Ziplock, put on the top, shake it up; and damn look at that! My dishes are done.
In the time it takes most folks to pump water, I take care of all my other stuff too. In the time it takes some folks to wait for dinner, I cover a mile or two.

So either way- you're covered.

[Rasty]

I have used an MSR for 1000's of miles. And while I am impressed with the weightlessness of an alky stove and it's fuel, it just seems like it has too many downfalls.

Such as: many of your WB responders said to simply add boiling water to your noodle dinner and put it in a cozy then wait 8-20 min for dinner to be ready.
They expect me to believe that you can take uncooked pasta and do this and the pasta is cooked all the way thru? Not only that but I have dehydrated veggies and meats with all of my dinners. Unless I rehydrate them during the day before dinner preparation, simply letting them sit in boiling water for 10 min is not enough cooking time to rehydrate certain veggies past the point of dehydrated crunchiness.
I also bake some of my desserts: cake, cookie bars, brownies, muffins, breads as well as dinners of lasagna and pizza. Let's see them do that on an alky stove.
I caught fish on my PCT and CDT hikes. Can't cook a fish on an alky stove.
Seems like with an alky stove the user is limited to what they can cook b/c all it can do is boil water. I guess that means a hiking menu would be limited also. On my stove I can fry, poach, boil, steam, saute, bake and simmer.
Look, you can utilize any cooking method you wish, and if we ever meet on the trail and I'm baking my dessert for the night, you are welcome to have some.
Both sides have their advantages, while cooking time seems to be about the same. And yet while i am enjoying moist and warm brownies for an after dinner dessert, the alky users are attempting to enjoy another night of pop tarts, candy bars, jello, pudding, gorp for the 3rd or 4th day in a row.

So no matter my age, the trail toughness, the weight of the pack, the weather and many other things, I'll stick with my MSR for another 10,000 miles.

I can do 100% of that in a million dollar commercial kitchen, at home in my kitchen, with a gas stove, with a wood fire or an alcohol stove. Hell I can do 90% of that with a blow torch. It's the cook not the tool.

[Just Bill]

Did you just call that cook a tool? You are 100% right though- where there is a will there's a way, although I prefer to save my will for other things and find skill to be the best map to find the way.

[Different Socks]

I can do 100% of that in a million dollar commercial kitchen, at home in my kitchen, with a gas stove, with a wood fire or an alcohol stove. Hell I can do 90% of that with a blow torch. It's the cook not the tool.
Okay explain to me how you can do anything other than boil on an alky stove if you have to keep adding fuel. The only stoves that I have seen demo'd for me are the ones in which you add fuel, light it and let it burn out for cooking. I also cannot imagine how you can control the flame of an alky stove to the point where you can change the level of the flame like I can on my whisperlite. To bake on a stove you need a constant low flame for several minutes or more. The alky stoves I've seen only last for 5 min or so.
Not being cocky, just would like some answers.

[Rasty]

Did you just call that cook a tool? You are 100% right though- where there is a will there's a way, although I prefer to save my will for other things and find skill to be the best map to find the way.

One thing that always makes me laugh is some amateur cooks obsession about cookware. Calphalon, Copper, etc. The pros are using cheap aluminium pans because some kitchens may need 40 to 80 ten inch saute pans so $150 each for copper clad pans isn't going to happen. Cast iron also has its place but is mainly used for searing meat.

Back to the OP. Will real rice cook well with FBC? Probably not so make a simmer ring for your stove and do so real cooking. My simmer ring cost me $0.35 and came filled with Mountain Dew. Just used a whole punch to match two of the holes on the side of my 12/10 alcohol stove. It's good for rice and pasta. Simply bring to a boil as normal then add the ring to simmer.

[MDSection12]

Okay explain to me how you can do anything other than boil on an alky stove if you have to keep adding fuel. The only stoves that I have seen demo'd for me are the ones in which you add fuel, light it and let it burn out for cooking. I also cannot imagine how you can control the flame of an alky stove to the point where you can change the level of the flame like I can on my whisperlite. To bake on a stove you need a constant low flame for several minutes or more. The alky stoves I've seen only last for 5 min or so.
Not being cocky, just would like some answers.
I could fill my alky to the brim and it'd run for at least thirty minutes... Never have, but I think that's a conservative estimate. Many let you recover unused fuel afterwards too... Some are even remote fed for indefinite cooking.

it seems you are just not aware of what's out there in the world of alky stoves...

[Starchild]

The best thing is to get out there are give it a go. Leave the canister home and try a alky setup. And fortunately alky stoves can be cheap or free to try. This is what I did in my prep for my thru. I found what worked for me and what didn't and what I do like about stoves, what is important to me.

What I found out is I appreciate being able to quickly, conveniently and without concern for fuel used make hot food/drinks anywhere along the trail or even while still in the sleeping bag in the morning - both for me and those who I am hiking with, along with gathering water from snow melt. I want to be able to use it whenever I want to and not be prevented by long boil times, complex or unstable setups, or limited fuel. I also wanted something I didn't have to baby, both in use or while in my pack, I wanted durability. For a short backpack the requirement for real food cooking is not so high on my list and I chose the foods I bring accordingly. So the jetboil worked very well for me.

My other concern was light weight travel, and there are lighter weight alternatives to the 14-17 oz (depending on fuel remaining) jetboil, so when light weight travel and less cooking is required I went to Esbit, and have experimented with a 3 oz setup, stove windscreen, pot and lid (+ 0.5 oz per tablet fuel). On my thru I used a slightly heavier Esbit setup and it did work fine for limited needs of hot water.

For someone who desires real cooking I do know that there is at least one alky stove that has a adjustable flame, and others that have a restrictor plate or some way to reduce the flame. But the only way to know is give it a go.

Good Luck

[MDSection12]

As a recovering pyro I just love playing with different designs anyway. Once you make a few it becomes really obvious what the potentials and limitations of alky are and from there you can get creative for your needs... If I wasn't such a tinkerer at heart I'd probably never have bothered but it was cheap, fun and produced results that I still use. :)

[MDSection12]

(That said, I won't sell my Optimus Crux anytime soon. I imagine it will see some use again eventually for one reason or another.)

[1234]

Okay explain to me how you can do anything other than boil on an alky stove if you have to keep adding fuel. The only stoves that I have seen demo'd for me are the ones in which you add fuel, light it and let it burn out for cooking. I also cannot imagine how you can control the flame of an alky stove to the point where you can change the level of the flame like I can on my whisperlite. To bake on a stove you need a constant low flame for several minutes or more. The alky stoves I've seen only last for 5 min or so.
Not being cocky, just would like some answers.
It is not so much the alcohol stove as it is the wind screen around the pot. YES I bake cakes, brownies etc with an alcohol stove. You make steam and the steam can bake anything. YES it is SLOW and it takes time to learn how to use it. A pocket rocket works in wind, rain, snow and you can master it to boil water in about 3 days. The alcohol stove is not that simple and most do give up as it is to slow and they cannot boil water in 6 min. I do use a jet boil in winter as I am to cold to wait on an alcohol stove. I want hot choc and coffee and dinner quick so I can get back in sleeping bag. but summer what is the rush it does not get dark until about 9 pm.

[zelph]

Lots of baking can be done with alcohol stoves. I did a countless number of tests and got the bugs worked out. You can read all about the testing and results that are posted in a thread over at my website bplite.com http://www.bplite.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=523

The amazing thing we found out is that your stove does not need to simmer.

Here is just a few high points quoted from that thread:


yesterday I wanted to test the mix out of a box. There is at least twice the amount of mix in a box. After mixing the batter I guessed at the total amount of batter to be 1 1/4 cups of batter would be half the amount for each bundt pan that I had greased up. I put the batter into the pans and was ready to bake. 1st one came out fine. I saw what appeared to be enough water left in the lower pan to do the next bundt pan. I proceeded as normal and half way through the baking I could smell something different. I went to the kitchen and looked to see if the burner was still on. Yep just on the last bit of fuel remaining. After a few min. I removed the lid and was surprised to see the top had browned slightly(see photo). I placed the bundt on a plate upside down and holding onto the two together gave it a quick downward thrust to have the muffin separate itself from the pan. I came out easily and was surprised to see the muffin had browned completely on the outside and inside.

The lower pan had run out of water and was being heated while dry causing no harm to the pan but causing the muffin to brown because of the high heat.

Now I have to make more muffin rings to determin the right amount of water for the pan to cook and brown on a consistant basis.

Things just happen for the better!!!! It was not intentional that it browned. I thought I had enough water left to do another bake.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_bundtcake013.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/?action=view&current=bundtcake013.flv)

Edited to add photos:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_bundtcake006.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/bundtcake006.jpg)http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_bundtcake005.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/bundtcake005.jpg)

Made 2 Betty Crocker peanut butter bundt ring muffins.

Used Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix. comes in the plastic pouch goo for mixing right in the pouch.

I eliminated the required mixing ingredients. I used only 1 cup of applesauce.

They turned out like muffin mix rings. They tasted peanutbuttery good :mrgreen:

Wait till cooled before removing from pan. They shrink away from the sides of the pans.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_bundtcake053.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/bundtcake053.jpg)http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_bundtcake051.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/bundtcake051.jpg)http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_bundtcake050.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/bundtcake050.jpg)http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_bundtcake049.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/bundtcake049.jpg)http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_bundtcake048.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/bundtcake048.jpg)

It's down to a science :D 1/4 cup water. It completely evaporates 2/3 of the way through and then comes the dry heat to brown it a little at the end. good idea about the new vaccum sealer, will do :)

Sarbar move over, here comes Ridgerunner and Zelph :mrgreen:

2 ounces of fuel burned for 17 min. I let the pot sit for an addition 12 min. to let it continue to cook by means of latent heat. The pot acts a cozy because it has an air space between the jello mold and the wall of the pot that it's in. The jello mold doesn't sit on the bottom of the pot, it' s suspended about an inch from the bottom. A total of 30 min elapsed before removing the meatloaf. It was thouroughly cooked and tasted delicious :D Sarbar would be proud :lol: I'll try and make a more detailed movie to show details :)

Here is a movie short version:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_jellomoldmeatloaf.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/?action=view&current=jellomoldmeatloaf.flv)

[quasarr]

LOL! I knew we could count on zelph to bring the knowledge!! :)

But to the OP, cooking Ramen and Pasta Sides is really not that complicated! Tip - don't boil the water first, then add pasta. Boil the water+pasta together to get a quicker cooking time. No wait required. Don't listen to those jokers who recommended 10 minutes in the cozy for Ramen. Just boil 2 minutes and it's way past al-dente!

Canisters have a lot of good points vs alcohol stoves - super fast boil, wind resistance, etc. But a superior ability to make noodles is not one of them! Noodle meals only need boiling, nothing fancy.

[zelph]

LOL! I knew we could count on zelph to bring the knowledge!! :)

But to the OP, cooking Ramen and Pasta Sides is really not that complicated! Tip - don't boil the water first, then add pasta. Boil the water+pasta together to get a quicker cooking time. No wait required. Don't listen to those jokers who recommended 10 minutes in the cozy for Ramen. Just boil 2 minutes and it's way past al-dente!

Canisters have a lot of good points vs alcohol stoves - super fast boil, wind resistance, etc. But a superior ability to make noodles is not one of them! Noodle meals only need boiling, nothing fancy.

I want everyone to take notice of what quasarr said: Tip - don't boil the water first, then add pasta. Boil the water+pasta together to get a quicker cooking time. No wait required. Don't listen to those jokers who recommended 10 minutes in the cozy for Ramen. Just boil 2 minutes!

That is a tip that you can take to the hiking bank as collateral. Don't listen to those old and young jokers that perpetuate the myth about cooking pasta sides etc. with a simmer stove.

Thanks quasarr:)

[QHShowoman]

But to the OP, cooking Ramen and Pasta Sides is really not that complicated! Tip - don't boil the water first, then add pasta. Boil the water+pasta together to get a quicker cooking time. No wait required. Don't listen to those jokers who recommended 10 minutes in the cozy for Ramen. Just boil 2 minutes and it's way past al-dente!


That would result in a dirty pot. And I don't like to do dishes. :-)

[wannahike]

Thanks for the replies guys! For the freezer bag cooking, do you pour the water into the bag, stir it up a little, then seal it and put it back into the pot and put the pot into the cozy, or do you just have a separate cozy for just the bag of food? Thanks!
Don't put the bag back in the pot, hot pot could burn a hole in the bag, just put it in the cozy. If you cook in the pot then put the pot in a cozy.

[MDSection12]

That would result in a dirty pot. And I don't like to do dishes. :-)
Exactly! I know eating from a freezer bag seems 'primitive' to some but it gets the food in my belly and saves me doing dishes... Those are my main requirements; not table manners. :p


Don't put the bag back in the pot, hot pot could burn a hole in the bag, just put it in the cozy. If you cook in the pot then put the pot in a cozy.
Exactly! If freezer bag cooking you're better off either having a FBC cozy (insulated envelopes work well) or just do what I do; use a beanie. :)

[Different Socks]

Well, I now have been better informed in regards to the performance of an alky stove, so I apologize to all the doe hard users out there. However, from my experience, except for an occasional equip malfunction of which only one was I unable to fix in the field, I've had no problems cooking on my Whisperlite, so I'll stick with that and it's heavier, bigger fuel bottle.

[zelph]

Hey everyone, for all of my hiking career I've been using an MSR Pocketrocket to cook with. However, I am considering switching to an alcohol stove to save weight. I'm not big into the expensive dehydrated meals, and I usually will just cook Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, Ramen, oatmeal, or Pasta Sides. Obviously, the mashed potatoes and oatmeal would be easy to cook with since all you have to do is boil the water, but how do you cook things like Pasta Sides and Ramen that require a little bit of cooking and not just boiling water with an alcohol stove? Do you just have to experiment with the amount of alcohol to keep it going for the allotted amount of time, or is there another way? I've heard about pot cozies and using those to retain heat once the water is boiling, but I don't see how that could fully cook something like Pasta Sides. Thanks guys! :rolleyes:

Well what is your decision Nar Nar? You gonna stay with your pocketrocket or go cold food like hikertrash Mags, or be cool and go with alchy?

[FarmerChef]

Just can't resist.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3zkkLckeyM

[Spirit Walker]

One consideration with an alcohol stove: if it's really cold, the water may not actually come to a boil and then it cools off too soon to really cook the pasta. If you're out in winter or very early season, bring something that will actually allow you to cook the meal through.

[Another Kevin]

One consideration with an alcohol stove: if it's really cold, the water may not actually come to a boil and then it cools off too soon to really cook the pasta. If you're out in winter or very early season, bring something that will actually allow you to cook the meal through.

I've never had a problem getting water to boil with my Penny Stove, if I use a primer dish. The thing burns like a blowtorch if it's primed. I've cooked over it in 15-20°F temperatures. I get similar results with a Photon, but it's more cantankerous to start. A Supercat or a classic Pepsi Stove is not as good in the cold. I think you need a high-pressure jet configuration to burn alcohol in freezing temperatures.

But an alcohol stove is also fuel-hungry in the winter. If I think I might possibly have to melt snow, then along comes the Whisperlite.

(I've been using alcohol to cook with for a while. My first alcohol stove was a Turm Sport.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY8v7XRsUyE&list=UUOnokVCrKrlsQbsLIzV-Y4A&index=5&feature=plcp
That guy used way too much priming fuel.

[Bronk]

Just experiment with it...at $1 a piece you can afford to screw a few up, and most will still be edible even if you don't get it just right. What I do is put the water and noodles in the pot and cook it until bubble start to form (not a full boil) and then let the fire go out and leave the lid on the pot and let it sit for 10 min or so, even without a cozy it should still be warm.

[QiWiz]

Add your pasta side and any fixings to boiling water, bring it back to a boil, and then put your pot in a cozy for 12-15 minutes. The cozy step replaces the 7 minutes of simmering called for on the package. Try it - works really well and prevents burning of food on to the bottom of your pot as well. I have cooked this way for two decades.
I make my cozies out of Reflectix, but generic blue closed cell foam can work pretty well too.

[QiWiz]

One consideration with an alcohol stove: if it's really cold, the water may not actually come to a boil and then it cools off too soon to really cook the pasta. If you're out in winter or very early season, bring something that will actually allow you to cook the meal through.

Have cooked with alcohol as low as 5 below zero with no problems. Insulating the stove from frozen ground or snow is important, so it can warm and vaporize the alcohol normally. A circle of corrugated cardboard covered in aluminum foil works well for this purpose.

[zelph]

Here is a video showing the StarLyte stove sitting in the snow for a length of time before lighting it. There are many alcohol stoves out there that need to be primed for them to work in cold temps but not this one.

Winter is close at hand...stock up on your alcohol reserves.;) and also wood for your fireplaces/wood burning stoves, my favorite way to keep warm.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kcyj_nYS1A

[punkin pie]

I use a jet boil flash. This is the worst stove to try to "simmer" with. It is way to hot and the side dishhes would burn to the bottom if I didn't constently stir. I found that once I got my water boiling, I would dump in the pasta side, let it boil and stir for about 1 or 2 minutes, then cover and remove it from the heat. It took about 10 minutes, but the pasta would continue to cook in the covered pot. With the pasta side dishes, I would also add a couple of tablespoons of powderred milk.

punkin