Frugal Man Cooks on Hotel Coffeemaker

In winter I occasionally get off the homestead and stay in heavily discounted mountain hotels (it's way too cold to camp). But restaurant meals are silly expensive and my digestion rebels because they are so heavy/salty/unhealthy (and fast food is worse).

I can get fruit, sandwiches, etc. from the local grocery. But it's really nice to have some hot food and drink to go with it.

Enter the hotel coffeemaket! It makes boiling water -- all that's required is to swing the coffee filter thingy out of the way so everything doesn't taste like coffee. Gimme a soup mug from the local charity thrift shop (25c) and I'm in business. Instant Oatmeal. Ramen Noodles. (Any other suggestions?)

This, plus all the tea I can drink while watching trains and snow-capped mountains outside my window, spiced with the warm glow of frugal satisfaction. Ahh!

Yes! Great idea

We stay in a hotel about once a decade but cooking on the train became a skill for us...a big mug and a plug in immersion heater could keep us fed and caffinated cross country....could never afford the dining car.

Minute rice!

There is an older post I made here on the forum where I talked about using the hotel coffee maker when I used to travel for my job.

Besides making soup, I used the coffee maker to warm up rolls and buns by wrapping them in cloth napkins I brought from home.

I would imagine that any of the hiking-type foods would work also though I have not tried that since I have never bought any.

Anne Miller wrote:There is an older post I made here on the forum where I talked about using the hotel coffee maker when I used to travel for my job.

Besides making soup, I used the coffee maker to warm up rolls and buns by wrapping them in cloth napkins I brought from home.

Great idea!

I tried finding your thread, but what came up was hotels for insects and biochar hotels for microorganisms. Welcome to Permies haha!

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:Minute rice!

That could work - minute rice, canned beans, hot sauce. I wonder if they make a minute rice that at least pretends to be brown rice.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote: I wonder if they make a minute rice that at least pretends to be brown rice.

Yes, they do make a brown rice:



https://minuterice.com/products/brown-rice-instant/

Folks can also make their own minute rice by dehydrating cooked rice.

I am not sure this is the post I was thinking about because I feel I went into more detail:

I have even used the coffee maker to heat somethings.

https://permies.com/t/118830/personal-care/advice-Vacationing-preservative-free#971010

You mentioned ramen noodles. If you're on a budget but don't like to eat like garbage, ramen noodles can be taken from junk food to actual food by adding fresh or frozen veggies, or by tossing in a shrimp or two. Don't forget sriracha or hot pepper flakes!

I like to add these things at the end, after the noodles have had a chance to cook. They help cool the broth back down and stop the cooking of the noodles.

Ned Harr wrote:You mentioned ramen noodles. If you're on a budget but don't like to eat like garbage, ramen noodles can be taken from junk food to actual food by adding fresh or frozen veggies, or by tossing in a shrimp or two. Don't forget sriracha or hot pepper flakes!

Yes, true! I don't consider ramen noodles as "food" but they're sort of a hot soup to go alongside real food (and I discard 90% of the "broth" when I'm done -- salt and preservatives).

I don't know if I can generate enough heat to whip an egg into it. Could be interesting?

My wife once cooked metwurzt in the hotel coffee pot.
She will feed us, no matter what!

William Bronson wrote:My wife once cooked metwurzt in the hotel coffee pot.
She will feed us, no matter what!

Haha, awesome!