How to boil water in a moving vehicle?

For cooking while on solar or while in a vheicle, I've tried cigarettte lighter pot things like this:

but I've had very bad luck.  They barely warm whatever it is.

I've read the reviews on several heated travel mugs and they say the same thing.

Is it even possible to do this?  Or am I just looking at the wrong kinds of products?

Are there other alternatives that actually work?

(I just want to boil some water to make ramen or coffee or whatever while on the road - it seems like this should exist somewhere.)

Not for a moving vehicle, but I have used an lp burning backpacker burner when traveling. The time off the road represented a needed rest and cook time was 5 minutes or less.

This setup reminds us of how much energy comes through that innocuous 120V plug at home. It's a lot, even for a small appliance.

What vehicle are you operating?

A big diesel tractor-trailer often has a monster inverter built in, and it can supply the load for the microwave and coffee pot that's in the sleeper.

My little 4-banger not so much.

I would suggest the butane cook stoves that are just about everywhere. These are my standard summer camping stoves now. Especially since those silly 1-lb propane cylinders now cost a fortune - pfft! But: butane is cranky when it's cold. Hint: go to Asian grocery stores to find the cylinders for cheap/reasonable prices. They also last forever, so they are good emergency preparations.

EDIT: Shoot, I didn't actually answer your question! A moving vehicle limits your options severely. A lighter plug can only supply 120-140 watts. I think pulling over for a quick tailgate party of one is the only realistic option.

And yet there's all that waste heat from the engine, and all that hot coolant. If you have an independent mechanic, ask him about crazy options. I recall that some of the snowmobile crowd use direct heat from the engine to give them a hot lunch.

Douglas’s post jogged my memory. Back in the late 60’s I ran into someone who had a six under a huge hood. He installed a second battery, deep cell, to run appliances without impacting his vehicles battery.  I have no idea how the electrical was hooked up except he had two batteries under the hood, and one was to run added equipment.

It's a pretty simple connection for the deep cell. RV's often use the same setup. An off the rack battery isolator allows the second battery to charge from the alternator, but isolates it so the connected loads won't drain from the main starter battery.

I'm actually storing somebody's monster Chev 2500 4x4 in my yard right now. Holy catfish, it's a giant monster beast machine. I noticed it has a nook under the hood for a second battery, and I'll bet that's exactly what it's for.

However: that doesn't mean that an average vehicle's alternator can handle the extra charging load for a second battery.  

Heating water takes huge amounts of energy. Even on a woodstove or gas stove, it takes a while.
you could:
1. Store hot water in a thermos. Bringing that to boil is faster as you are already halfway there
2. Heat only the amount of water that is strictly necessary: a cup for coffee or ramen. For small amounts, there are travel heaters that you submerge into the water. A pan is too large.

A part of me is wondering if this is intentional - near boiling water in a moving vehicle which could get schmucked by a careless driver at any time could add a bad burn to other injuries.  

I like the idea of taking a thermos of hot water, and if it's not hot enough, add a little heat just before using, but do so while safely parked. If you pre-heat the thermos, and maybe make it a sleeping bag for extra insulation, you might find it really doesn't need much or any extra heat when you stop.

Kaarina Kreus wrote: For small amounts, there are travel heaters that you submerge into the water. A pan is too large.

Kaarina, I have one of those immersion heaters, a North American version -- somewhere in the archives. They're very efficient. But I can't lay my hands on it.

Can you post the power consumption specifications for yours? It should be printed on the plug or on the heating element itself.

I don't have electricity on my farm, so I googled it from our graigslist. Here is an equivalent from a webshop. 500W but at European 220v

https://hobbyhall.fi/fi/kodinkoneet-ja-kodinelektroniikka/keittion-pienkoneet/vedenkeittimet/spiraali-upotettava-sahkoinen-upotuslammitin-veden-lammittamiseen-500w220v?id=4855741

Jay Angler wrote:A part of me is wondering if this is intentional - near boiling water in a moving vehicle which could get schmucked by a careless driver at any time could add a bad burn

Hihii, that was my first thought as well 😄 . Actually, cooking while dtiving on bumpy roads is perfectly possible - you need the kind of stove they use in sailboats. It hangs freely on hinges, and stays upright although the boat does not!

The cigarette lighter plug is fused at 10-20 amps so that is 120 to 240 watts MAX which is keep warm to low on a home burner.  To get more power you need to run bigger wire from the battery.  

Or you could just get a solar generator and use that.

I can’t think of a safe cheap answer that worked while driving.

Jay Angler wrote:A part of me is wondering if this is intentional - near boiling water in a moving vehicle which could get schmucked by a careless driver at any time could add a bad burn to other injuries.  

I like the idea of taking a thermos of hot water, and if it's not hot enough, add a little heat just before using, but do so while safely parked. If you pre-heat the thermos, and maybe make it a sleeping bag for extra insulation, you might find it really doesn't need much or any extra heat when you stop.

I am in agreement with Jay on the moving vehicle.

How about a haybox cooker?

Here are some ideas:

I like that second video.
But I couldn't tell, is he using that other battery?

I guess I don't know whether this product does a better job than what I'm accustomed to, or if he is running it with a more powerful battery and that's what's making the difference? (kind of like R Scott suggested above)

I sell these all the time during snowmobile season. Basically a bento box affixed to the exhaust.  Different brands Hot Dogger, Muffpot but not something that one couldn't replicate. Heating up a can of chili on the tractors exhaust was a common thing when we fenced pastures as a kids

If you're traveling in a van, or a RV a pressure cooker might be a good option. If you got in a collision, or rolled your vehicle the pressure cooker lid would hopefully keep you from getting splashed with scalding water.


I'd definitely tie it down with a good strap like they use for propane tanks.

Kaarina Kreus wrote:Hihii, that was my first thought as well 😄 . Actually, cooking while dtiving on bumpy roads is perfectly possible - you need the kind of stove they use in sailboats. It hangs freely on hinges, and stays upright although the boat does not!

I had no idea this existed until I saw your post!  Amazing!

Swinging sea stove

I brought up this post with my engineer boyfriend, and he said you need a hobo stove!
A WHAT?!? I had to ask. .
Turns out, a big "bottle" where you burn twigs in the bottom chamber and it heats up the food or water in the top chamber. Absolutely brilliant.

Here

Ans:

Turns out there is one sold as "Kelly kettle", if you don't feel handy enought to build it out of a soup can 😄

I think is really permacultured