One of the coolest things about the pioneer days is how they managed to get so much done without electricity. Seriously, think about how they lived and what they accomplished. Nowadays, most of us struggle to last even a few days without power and our trusty stores.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I totally love having electricity and the convenience of stores. As long as they’re around, I’m definitely using them. But, I also think it’s important to know how to get by without all those modern perks. I’m a mix of old-school and new-school. You too? I knew we’d get along!
Everyone should know how to cook outdoors and off-grid. While I don’t cook every meal without electricity, I know I can if I need to, and that gives me a lot of confidence.
Just this afternoon, my dad and I were shelling beans to can and chatting about his childhood during the Depression. He said, “I know what it was like, and I’ll always live thinking it could happen again, wanting to be prepared for it.” As beans plopped into the bowl, he added, “But you know something, hard times bring people together.”
I think he’s spot on.
And he’s also right about being prepared.
Every winter, we lose power. Sometimes it’s just for a few hours, sometimes a few days, and once, it was for a few weeks. I bet most folks will face a long power outage at some point. Or, like us, a few times a month…
When the power’s out, there’s nothing like still being able to serve a hot, full-course meal. Here are several ways to cook and bake (because let’s be real, living without baked goods isn’t really living) without power. I hope you get the hang of a few of them before you actually need to.
While we’re on the topic of surviving without power, it’s also crucial to think about how to stay warm when the heat goes out.
You’ll need a few cooking tools for off-grid cooking. Actually, I use some of them indoors too, which makes them super versatile and awesome. Trust me, you’ll want to have them in your kitchen arsenal.
11 Ways to Cook Off-Grid without Power
1. Dutch Oven Cooking
I absolutely love cooking outdoors with my cast iron Dutch ovens. Seriously, it’s like stepping back in time and channeling my inner pioneer. Plus, it helps save on the electricity bill, and honestly, food just tastes better when it’s cooked outside.
2. Outdoor Camping Stove
This little stove is the perfect beginner’s tool. Weighing in at just 3.9 ounces, it’s great for boiling water or reheating food. And the best part? It costs less than $10. Yep, for under ten bucks, you can have a handy stove to cook with outdoors.
3. Solar Cooking
Harness the power of the sun to cook your meals! This method is fantastic because all you need is a sun oven. No worrying about fuel, smoke, or heat. Just pure sunshine.
I got an All-American Sun Oven from Sun Oven (they sent it to me for a review), and it’s my new favorite toy. I didn’t think a solar oven would work up here in the Pacific Northwest, but it heated up to 300 degrees in just twenty minutes. It’s a great way to save on electricity and keep the house cool on hot days, and it even doubles as a dehydrator.
4. Wonder Oven
This is a cool one. You bring your food up to temperature, pop it in the Wonder Oven, and it keeps cooking without any additional fuel.
You’ll need a way to heat the food initially, but these are super easy to make at home. Think of it as an off-grid slow cooker. Your food cooks all day while you go about your business!
5. Outdoor Fires and Smoking
This method uses a simple outdoor fire and smoke to cook and preserve food—true pioneer style. Did you know you can even smoke your own cheese at home?
We’ve tried several smokers, and this one is our favorite. It only needs to be loaded with fuel once and maintains the temperature for over 12 hours without needing any more. It’s a great way to get that smoky flavor and preserve food the old-fashioned way.
6. Cooking on an Open Fire
This is how many pioneers cooked during their journeys west or on the frontier. All you need is a cast iron skillet to get the job done.
If you don’t have any other supplies, this picture tutorial is fantastic. And guess what? You can even make a pumpkin pie in an open fire without a skillet!
7. Earth Oven
An earth oven is made from clay, sand, water, straw, and newspaper. I’m a big fan of DIY projects, and building my own outdoor oven sounds like an invaluable skill.
Plus, it’s a great way to cook delicious meals right in your backyard!
8. Tea-Light Ovens
Yep, you read that right. You can cook a meal using tea lights! And the best part? You don’t need to buy those pricey ones—you can make your own for less than $40. Sometimes, the simplest things can have the biggest impact.
9. Propane and Grills
Most folks have a propane grill or camp stove, but not everyone realizes just how versatile they are. You can use your outdoor grill for canning (no more hot kitchen in the summer!), cooking meats, corn on the cob, and even baking.
This is our favorite propane stove for both canning and cooking seafood. My husband loves crab, but I can’t stand the smell it leaves in the house, so we only do our crab and seafood boils on this outdoors.
The best part? The legs come off, and it breaks down into a compact bag for easy storage and travel. We take it camping and use it for all our cooking when there’s a burn ban.
10. How to Cook with a Solo Stove
The Solo Stove is awesome for cooking and boiling water using just twigs as fuel. No need to gather large amounts of wood or carry fuel with you.
Weighing only 9 ounces, it’s perfect for backpacking, camping, or any time you need to travel light. You can boil water in less than 10 minutes, and it produces much less smoke than a regular fire.
11. Cooking on Top of a Wood Stove
Our wood stove is our main and only heat source, and I love that we can use it for cooking too. It’s great to have a heat source that doubles as a cooking surface. I often cook on it even when the power is on—it’s just so convenient and cozy!