Have you tried a flameless cooking system? Several years ago they were practically unheard of. Now they can be found at most sporting goods stores. It’s not surprising that this innovative gear is becoming more popular. Many emergency cooking systems are unsafe to use indoors because when fuel is burned it produces a poisonous gas call carbon monoxide. Flameless cooking systems use a heat pack filled with quicklime. The quicklime starts producing heat when it’s in contact with water. It doesn’t use a flame, ignite, or produce carbon monoxide. For this reason, it is safe to use in a tent, car, cave, national parks, burn ban area, on a boat, or in your home during a power outage.. yellowstone flameless cooking system

Flameless Cooking System

There are a few flameless cooking system brands on the market. They are similar in that they have a lid that locks, an outer plastic container where the heat pack is placed, an inner stainless steel container where the food is cooked, plus a heat pack. No matter the brand, the 28 oz cooking systems are similarly priced around $30 – $38.

I chose to review the Barocook Flameless Cooking System because of the rectangular design (instead of round) which can store up to eight heat packs inside the container making it a great space saver. It measures approximately 4.5 tall x 7.5 long x 5.5 wide. I also like that their heat packs claimed they could get up to 203°.

The heat pack is how the cooking system cooks food without a flame. It looks like a hand warmer but should NOT be used as one. The heat pack uses an ingredient called Quicklime. When it’s combined with water it takes about 30 seconds before it starts to steam and boil. I tested a few different heat packs. The Barocook Heat Pack got up to 190°, an Essentials Hydroheat Pack got up to 170º, and a Military MRE heater get’s up to 100°. The first two got hot enough to cook food and boil an egg. The heat packs last 20-30 mins and should be removed from the container to avoid deforming the plastic. The heat packs come in large (50g) and small (20g) sizes depending on the size of the Barocook container. The 28 oz cooking system uses a large heat pack and is the perfect size for a freeze-dried meal pouch. There is no expiration date printed on the packaging so they should stay good until the sealed heat pack is opened and used. I couldn’t detect a smell from the heat pack while it was activated. I accidentally punctured one while it was steaming and the powder got into the water but it didn’t containment the food.

Here’s How The Barocook Works:

1.Remove the lid and the stainless steel container.

2. Add prepared food to the stainless steel container.

3. Remove heat pack from the plastic and place it at the bottom of the plastic container.

4. Add water in the plastic container until it reaches the water line mark (4 oz of water). After the water is added it takes about 30 seconds before it starts to steam and boil.

5. Place the stainless steel container inside the plastic container.

6. Place lid on top and secure tightly

7. Wait 6 minutes to produce hot water for tea, coffee, or a freeze-dried meal. Wait 20 minutes if you want to cook a hard-boiled egg, pasta, or rice. I was able to bake cornbread within 30 minutes using the Barocook Flameless Cooking System.

Fully Baked Cornbread 1/2 inch high

Barocook Review

Pros:

- It’s quick to setup and easy to use.
- Windproof, rainproof, works at high altitude.
- No spark, fire, or electricity needed.
- No ventilation required – safe to use indoors, in a car, tent, hotel, or cave.
- Double broiler makes it possible to bake bread.
- Easy to clean because it doesn’t burn food and there’s no soot residue.
- Weight – It’s comparable to other camping stoves (Solo Stove + pot 16.8 oz / Jet Boil Personal 14 oz /Barocook 14.2 oz). The heat packs weigh 2 oz so if you’re packing a 3-day (3 hot meals) emergency kit the weight is pretty good. Especially when you consider you don’t need a pot holder or lighter.

Cons:

- - The fuel is not from a renewable source – when it’s gone, it’s gone for good
  - After using a heat pack there is trash to consider.
  - The cost of a heat pack is $2.
  - The bottom container is made of plastic so it’s possible to crack and become useless.
  - Needs 4 oz of water to activate when water might be a scarce resource.

Closing Comments

The Barocook Flameless Cooking System is a great option for hiking, camping, or an emergency kit. My biggest problem with camping stoves is how hard they are to clean, especially if the bottom of your food gets burned. Camp cooking stoves under $50 can also be hard to light in windy or rainy weather. They are also easy to tip or blow over. This cooking system solves all of those problems. It’s also useful when traveling with a baby. When a bottle is needed, it can heat up water anywhere. The Barocook Flameless Cooking System is great for hikes, an emergency car kit, baby grab & go bag, power outage kit, or part of a disaster preparedness plan.

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