Has anybody used a thermal pot...as in one you get food really hot in, then put that pot into an insulated outer pot that keeps it cooking with no added fuel. Any suggestions?
Yep, works really well for rice. Just bring the rice to a boil, take it off the fire and wrap it up real cozy.
I've seen some people sew thick "quilts" to fit their pot. If it's thick and efficient enough I hear you can even stew meat in it, but I've never tried that.
I use a fairly deep and tall plastic cooler lined with a heavy twin-size comforter and some towels. My big stockpot *just* fits inside. Honestly, I don't use the setup all that often, only when I want to slow-cook a big batch of something; I don't really have a good space to set up a cooler for 18 hours. This is hands-down the best way to make a really rich bone broth/ stock (with a pressure cooker coming in a close second).
And when my army is complete, I will rule the world! But, for now, I'm going to be happy with this tiny ad: