How to Make a Wonder Box Cooker/Cooler

A few years ago a friend showed up at a gathering with a frozen lemonade pie that had traveled quite a long distance and was still frozen solid.  “How?” was asked and the reply was “My Wonder Box”.  That was my first introduction to the Wonder Box Cooker/Cooler.  It was designed for the people in Africa who do not have enough fuel to cook their food.  Once a dish is hot, it can be moved to the Wonder Box and about 4 hours later, with no additional fuel expended, the meal is cooked.  It also works to keep cold things cold, and warm things warm.  Think how useful this would be if there was no electricity for an extended length of time.  Just use your BBQ grill to heat up the pot of food for 10 to 15 minutes and then stick it in the Wonder Box to finish the cooking.  The box holds the heat in to the pot using it to cook the food instead of the heat escaping into the air, and then having to use more energy to create more heat to cook the food. Here is how to make your own Wonder Box Cooker.

Step 1:

Supplies:
Pattern for the Wonder Box (You will need heavy paper, a protractor (a paper one can be found here:  http://www.ossmann.com/protractor/conventional-protractor.pdf), a pencil, a ruler, and paper scissors to make your own copy of the pattern from the one found here: ( http://notjustforstoring.blogspot.com/2009/05/wonder-box-cooker-just-in-time-for.htm) this one is no longer there, try this one: http://www.iwillprepare.com/files/pdf/handout-wonder_box_instructions.pdf
3.5 yards material (100% cotton)
Sewing machine
Thread
Sewing scissors
Fabric weights (pattern found here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Fabric-covered-sewing-pattern-weights/)
Straight pins
+/-12 gallons Polystyrene Pellets (bean bag filler, check the web)
Large piece of paper (to make a funnel not shown)
Empty 1 gallon ice cream bucket (not shown)

Comments

[Bubbler]

A great Instructable for the home use or travel or in a permenant camp situation. I have seen much plainer and rougher versions made with tea chests etc; but this one has the nice homely appearance about it.

[bbubbles]

The link you have for the pattern doesn't work anymore (March 2013), I found another one here:
http://www.iwillprepare.com/files/pdf/handout-wonder_box_instructions.pdf

I'm planning on making these! And thank you for the link to the instructable for the pattern weights too!

[craftknowitall]

You are welcome. The link was there when I published this instructable, last November, so I am grateful. If you don't mind, I will put the new address on my instructable, Thanks you so much.

[bbubbles]

Not a problem! Great instructable!

[Curiositykt]

This would be great for making yogurt.

[craftknowitall]

I did use it in my Greek yogurt instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Greek-Yogurt/. Yes it is great for yogurt. Thanks for looking.

[aingeal69]

I can definately see where this would be useful in traveling or needing the stove space to make other items while something else is cooking. However, I fail to see how this would be useful with zero electricity since you must heat it up first.......unless one is doing that over an open flame, then maybe. Good project though! I'll probaby try it.

[craftknowitall]

As I said in the Introduction: "Just use your BBQ grill to heat up the pot of food for 10 to 15 minutes and then stick it in the Wonder Box to finish the cooking."   I have a brother in New York State who has gone for several weeks at a time, during winter, without electricity and they use their outside BBQ grill to heat up food during those long time periods. It does work.  Thanks for your comment and for looking. 

[wazzup105]

I used a bed + duvet once for this purpose for a Christmas dinner for which I lacked the proper amount of stove-pits. Worked like a charm ! You have to be creative when you have to feed 20 people with a 4 pits stove :)

[halloweengirl80]

Love it! Just in time for holiday travel! And thanks for the 'ible on the pattern weights too! :)