A Guide to Cooking Without Electricity

Having your power go out is possibly the worst thing that can happen to your home. It either gets way too warm or freezing cold, depending on what time of year it is. It’s also really hard to see without lights during the night. And not to mention, there’s no internet! However, humans are pretty smart, so they have a lot of other ways to have fun other than staring at a screen. You can read, play board games, do arts and crafts, and yes, cook a delicious meal. It may be difficult, but it’s possible to make just about anything without electricity, as long as you have a gas burner in your house. Otherwise, you can go caveman style and use a fire!

How can I cook without electricity?

Electricity powers many different things in the kitchen. Your microwave, fridge, and even oven use electricity. It may seem really hard to cook without any electrical appliances, and it is, but it makes a power outage a whole lot more enjoyable, and you don’t have to splurge on takeout.

Thankfully, natural gas still flows from gas stove burners when there is no electricity, which means they still work. The problem is that the igniter does not work, because it uses electricity for the spark. To solve this problem, you simply need a lighter. Simply light the lighter, then turn on the burner, and it should light as if it was working normally. You can still adjust the temperature without the flame going out, which makes this technique perfect for more complex meals that need different heat settings. Just make sure that the gas is completely off once you’re done using the burner. Make sure you don’t smell that fishy smell or hear a slight hissing noise near your burner, as that indicates the gas is still flowing.

What kinds of things can I cook without power?

Now that you have a functioning stovetop, basically nothing can stop you. You can’t really bake anything, use a toaster, or microwave something, but it’s a thousand times better than not being able to cook at all!

For breakfast, you can make eggs, scrambled tofu, bacon, sausage, hash browns, French toast, pancakes, oatmeal, and even plain toast! Just put a slice of bread on a hot pan, then flip once the bottom is browned.

For lunch and dinner, there are plenty of options. Tacos are a simple meal that only takes one pan, as well as chili. Pasta, rice, and mashed potatoes can be made as long as you have access to enough water. Vegetables can also be sautéed and made into a side dish.

If you want to cook some kind of meat or meat substitute, go ahead and pan-fry it! Any meat will work for this method, just make sure it meets the required internal temperature before serving it.

How do I keep stuff cold?

One of the biggest problems with power outages is the stuff inside the fridge. The fridge will eventually start to warm up, and stuff will need to be thrown out if it gets too warm. Thankfully, there are a few ways that you can solve this

1. Bring your food outside if it’s cold enough out. The temperature should be within 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Get coolers and fill them with store-bough ice. These will keep the food colder for longer, prolonging its lifespan.

3. Bring your food to a neighbor or friend’s house who has power. They can make space for your food in their fridge.

Before you decide to move the food or throw it out, make sure that it needs to be refrigerated. Most food products will have text saying that they need to be refrigerated, sometimes after opening. Products that do not say this or say that they can be stored in the pantry do not need to be thrown out or moved.

Next time you have a power outage, you don’t have to worry anymore! You can still accomplish your dreams of becoming a chef, making great tasting food right at home.