3 Simple Ways to
Share What You Make

With Instructables you can share what you make with the world — and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.

PhotosPhotos

Share one or more photos of a project, recipe, or whatever you've made, quickly and easily.

Step by StepStep-By-Step

Share your step-by-step photos with text instructions of what you made so others can do it too!

VideoVideo

Share your how-to video. You'll need your embed code from a video site such as YouTube.

The Green Pail Retained Heat Cooker

video The Green Pail Retained Heat Cooker
The Green Pail retained heat cooker will hold 7 liters of pintos hot long enough to cook them well done and keep them above 170 deg F for 5 hours. A Design To Build from LannyPlans.

The Green Pail retained heat cooker is green because:
1- It is made from recycled plastic pails
2- It saves the energy that it takes to simmer food.
3- It keeps the heat out of the kitchen saving summer time ac cost
4- It can be made locally from local materials with local labor.
5- It saves the time necessary to watch food simmer, you can simply set it and forget it, walk away and leave it for hours.
6- It can hold food at safe temps between meals making refrigeration unnecessary, which could be handy in off grid situations.
7- It is a street vender micro enterprise design that someone could build and sell at flea markets, garage sales.
19 comments
Jun 26, 2008. 6:34 PMMiInstructables says:
Thank you for the great instructions! Now I have a favor, do you (or anyone else for that matter) have any "recipes" or other suggestions for things to cook in it? I would love to do this with my high school science students, but would really love to try out a couple of different foods. Thanks so much for any ideas!
Jan 20, 2012. 2:51 PMFeatherJack says:
I haven't checked out any of them, but there's a lot of recipes here...
Jun 30, 2008. 9:57 AMMiInstructables says:
Great ideas to cook. I'll run over to your YouTube section (at LannyPlans) and see what else we could do. I guess next, we'll be looking for the "pot" to go inside the cooker. Thank you so much for your help!
Sep 6, 2011. 1:19 PMspark master says:
making my rocket stove (worked better then I thought it would, but they are sootie), I used left over fiberglass insulation/Also fireplace ashes (non treated wood ashes) are very good as well just be sure to make ith sealed so water can't get in any of the parts.

again schweet video.
Sep 6, 2011. 1:13 PMspark master says:
so very sweet, and calorie free! maybe I can get scouts to make'em
Mar 27, 2011. 9:49 AMincroyable says:
THANKS for putting this up...It is explained SO VERY WELL in your video..very easy to understand..I'm sure that this will come in handy some day...8)
Feb 15, 2010. 7:11 PMgaiatechnician says:
Great work and a great video.  Thank you.
Oct 29, 2009. 6:48 PMAqlor says:
Does't plastic releases toxics things when it is heated? I woudn't do this because I don't know if it is healthy. Seems a prety good ideia! Just not with plastic
Mar 29, 2009. 7:53 PMblodefood says:
A well-known brand name company that makes vacuum bottles makes something like this, but it is only one size. For smaller quantities, I have used a vacuum bottle myself after bringing soup or stew (no meat) to a boil and then it finishes cooking during the morning at work. At noon it is piping hot and flavourful. The advantage of the LannyPlans project is that it allows for a larger pot and can be custom made with found materials. I never thought of using sawdust as an insulator.
Dec 9, 2008. 10:02 AMkitchenappliances says:
Mmm different! Good idea, I like it
Jul 24, 2008. 6:49 AMpnp says:
Lanny, I use this 3.5 Quart Enameled Steel Blue pot:
http://www.waterfowlerswarehouse.com/gsi_blue_35_straightpot.html for $12.95 + $6.99 S/H.

Or you can purchase it at Wal-Mart in the Sporting Goods section for $9.97 + tax. Sometimes it's on Sale for around $6.00 + tax.

I cannot locate a stainless steel pot that will fit into the Green Pail Retained Heat Cooker.

Please provide a link for the pot in your Instructables if available.
Thank you, Sir.
Jul 22, 2008. 9:27 AMpnp says:
Lanny, thank you for the great retained heat cooker. Just a thought; would that foam spray in a can work as a good insulator rather than perlite or sawdust? I realize that applying the foam spray would be more difficult, since it expands quickly and created quite a mess, but would it have the same RF factor or higher than perlite or sawdust? Thanks again. pnp
Jun 5, 2008. 1:24 PMchuckr44 says:
Very good idea. Your spoken and video instructions were very clear.
Jun 5, 2008. 4:03 PMpleasedontspamme says:
What do you use for insulation? I think you used sawdust, but I am not sure. If so, What kind of sawdust do you recommend?
Jun 4, 2008. 6:26 PMHoopajoo says:
Pretty cool! I'm going to have to make this before the next big storm rolls through and forces us off-grid for a week. 5 *'s!

Pro

Get More Out of Instructables

Already have an Account?

close

All Steps Viewing
View all steps of an Instructable on the same page when you're a Pro Member.

Upgrade to Pro today!
30
Followers
4
Author:LannyPlans