Chapter 22 · Pantry and cooking without power
Water and fuel for cooking
| Dry food | Water per kg | Cooking time |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1.5–2 L | 15–20 min (10 if soaked 30 min first) |
| Lentils | 3–3.5 L | 20 min, no soaking |
| Pasta | 3–4 L (reusable) | 10 min |
| Oats | 3 L soaked cold; 5–6 L cooked | 5 min, or soaked cold overnight with no gas |
| Corn flour (tortillas) | 1.2–1.5 L | On the griddle, 1 min each |
| Dried beans | 3 L + soaking | 60–90 min: the biggest gas user |
With these amounts, the example household uses about 4 to 5 L of water a day just for cooking in weeks 2 to 5.
- Stove: butane cartridge (227 g / 8 oz) or propane (1 lb cylinder), always outside, away from the building. A cartridge lasts 1 to 1.5 hours; cooking 40 minutes a day is 15 to 18 cartridges for 5 weeks: keep 20.
- Retained-heat cooking: boil 3–5 minutes, turn it off and wrap the pot in towels or put it in a cooler for 45–60 minutes. It saves 50–70% of the gas for rice and lentils (hay-box cooking).
- A 1 L thermos per person: one boil covers coffee, oatmeal and protein.
