Portable Kitchen Archives - HLCooking https://hlcooking.com/category/hotlogic-portable-kitchen/ Mastering Your HOTLOGIC® Personal Oven Tue, 21 May 2024 22:34:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/hlcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/untitled.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Portable Kitchen Archives - HLCooking https://hlcooking.com/category/hotlogic-portable-kitchen/ 32 32 215873330 Equip Your Portable Kitchen https://hlcooking.com/equip-your-portable-kitchen/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=equip-your-portable-kitchen Mon, 13 May 2024 02:10:16 +0000 https://hlcooking.com/?p=1988 The HOTLOGIC® is a key appliance to include in the list to equip your portable kitchen, For the rest of the inventory, you will need to know what resources you will have available, those you need to provide and the dishes you hope to create. Your situation is unique. Below are some items that do […]

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]]> The HOTLOGIC® is a key appliance to include in the list to equip your portable kitchen, For the rest of the inventory, you will need to know what resources you will have available, those you need to provide and the dishes you hope to create. Your situation is unique. Below are some items that do not take up much space but will allow you to create a varied menu.

Items to Include

Appliances

Bakeware

Dishes

Of course, there are many more items that you may need to complete your compact kitchen. But this list should provide you with a starting point to determine what you want to include in the list to equip your portable kitchen.

More suggestions of items to include can be found here.

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]]> 1988 Portable Refrigeration https://hlcooking.com/portable-refrigeration/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=portable-refrigeration Wed, 12 Apr 2023 22:20:34 +0000 https://hlcooking.com/?p=1553 When traveling by car or camping, portable refrigeration safely stores the ingredients for the meals you cook in your HOTLOGIC®.

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]]> When traveling by car or camping, portable refrigeration will safely store the ingredients for meals cooked in your HOTLOGIC®. The most common method is using an ice chest packed with ice. The difficulty is keeping the food cold for several days without having to continually add ice. If you have a power source, then using a portable refrigerator is an option. Let’s look at these solutions for chilling food on-the-go in more detail.

Ice Chest or Cooler Bag

The first solution is using an ice chest or cooler bag to keep food chilled while traveling. In order to keep the ice from melting quickly, the most important feature is good insulation. A common hack is to take a cheap ice chest, drill several holes into the top and add spray foam insulation. YouTube has many videos showing how to improve the insulation for a cheap, plastic cooler. This video insulates the lid and more.

Mojecto Extra Large Cooler Bag for 3-4 Days Trip (XXX Large-17x14x10 in). Dual Thickly Insulated Compartment, Heavy Duty 1680D Polyester, Removable Liner, Sturdy Zippers.
Mojecto Extra Large Cooler Bag for 3-4 Days Trip (XXX Large-17x14x10 in). Dual Thickly Insulated Compartment, Heavy Duty 1680D Polyester, Removable Liner, Sturdy Zippers.

If you select a cooler bag, the manufacturer may specify they can only be used with ice packs. Otherwise, the next item to consider is what ice to use: cubed, block or dry ice. The video below answers that question by testing the different types of ice. SPOILER ALERT! The results show that a combination of dry ice and block ice work best. The dry ice will keep the block ice frozen longer adding 2-3 days of cool temperatures to what either dry or block can do by itself. The downside is that dry ice freezes everything, so it is not a good solution for chilling sodas or fresh vegetables.

Electric Coolers

If electricity is available, you can look for a portable refrigeration option. Be aware that the cheaper devices tend to be ambient coolers. They cool the interior of the appliance down 20-40°F from the outside temperature. This works okay if it is used in areas where the temperature does not get above 80°F. Most of these devices will run on either 110V AC for home use or 12V DC for car use. 

Koolatron Electric Portable Cooler Plug in 12V Car Cooler Bag, 26 qt (25 L) Black/Gray Soft-Sided Portable Car Fridge w/DC Power Cord, Adjustable Shoulder Strap, Cord Storage, Road Trip.
Koolatron Electric Portable Cooler Plug in 12V Car Cooler Bag, 26 qt (25 L) Black/Gray Soft-Sided Portable Car Fridge w/DC Power Cord, Adjustable Shoulder Strap, Cord Storage, Road Trip.
FRIGIDAIRE Portable 10L, 15-can Mini Fridge Brushed Stainless Rugged Refrigerator, EFMIS188-SS
FRIGIDAIRE Portable 10L, 15-can Mini Fridge Brushed Stainless Rugged Refrigerator, EFMIS188-SS
Northclan 15L Mini Fridge for Bedroom, 110V AC/ 12V DC Portable Thermoelectric Cooler and Warmer Small Refrigerators for Home, Dorm, Office and Car, Skincare, Cosmetic, Beverage, Removable shelf, Black
Northclan 15L Mini Fridge for Bedroom, 110V AC/ 12V DC Portable Thermoelectric Cooler and Warmer Small Refrigerators for Home, Dorm, Office and Car, Skincare, Cosmetic, Beverage, Removable shelf, Black

Portable Refrigerator/Freezer

True portable refrigerator/freezers, which allow you to set the temperature, start around $140 and go up from there. Some have dual zones allowing you to set compartments to be refrigerator/refrigerator, refrigerator/freezer, or freezer/freezer. They come with two cords, one for 12V DC and one for 120V AC. The portable refrigerator/freezer typically use only 40W-60W.

Alpicool Y16T Portable Fridge 12 Volt Car Refrigerator 16 Quart Freezer for Fishing, Camping, RV, Truck, Boat-12/24V DC
Alpicool Y16T Portable Fridge 12 Volt Car Refrigerator 16 Quart Freezer for Fishing, Camping, RV, Truck, Boat-12/24V DC

Electricity

You can use a portable, power station to easily power either type of portable refrigeration. See Select a Portable Power Supply for Your HOTLOGIC® for assistance in selecting a power station with the correct capacity for your needs.

Hot Logic portable refrigeration

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]]> 1553 Select a Portable Power Supply for Your HOTLOGIC® https://hlcooking.com/portable-power-supply-for-your-hotlogic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=portable-power-supply-for-your-hotlogic Mon, 26 Sep 2022 02:45:48 +0000 https://hlcooking.com/?p=376 Help you determine the portable power supply you need to power your HOTLOGIC®.

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]]> One of the many benefits of a HOTLOGIC® is that is works easily with a portable power supply. This enables you to take it almost anywhere and make a hot meal. The HOTLOGIC® Mini uses only 45w. The HOTLOGIC® Max/XP uses 100w. The low amount of power required makes it easy to find power supplies that will work. Before you choose portable power supply there are a few things you will want to keep in mind.

Your Requirements

How Much Power Do You Want?

The first thing you need to do is determine what appliances you want to plug into the power supply and the watts they require to operate.

Output Wattage-Add up all the watts for the appliances that you want to run at one time. If only one will run at a time, take the highest watts needed.

Watt Hours (WH)-Multiply the watts required per appliance by the number of hours you want to operate each of the appliances.

e.g. If you want to operate a HOTLOGIC® Mini for 5 hours, then you need 225 watts.

Add up the total watt hours for each of the appliances to determine the number of watt hours you want for your power supply.

Lead Acid vs. Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lead acid batteries are usually found in 6-in-1 car starters. They are larger and heavier than a lithium-ion battery that have the same capacity. Generally, they cannot be recharged (cycled) as many times as a lithium-ion battery. But the cost per Watt Hour is typically less than the lithium-ion battery.

e.g. Wattage 500w, 270WH & weighs 11 lb.

Lithium-ion batteries usually cost more per watt hour than the lead acid batteries. But they can weigh less and be recharged more times than a lead acid battery of equivalent capacity.

e.g. Wattage 300W, 280WH & weighs 5.08 lb.

Does Your Power Supply Need a Pure Sine Wave Inverter?

Based on the information provided in an article from Livewire.com; it is devices with motors and medical equipment, that need the pure sine wave inverter for optimal performance and life. Since your HOTLOGIC® does not have a motor, it doesn’t need a pure sine wave inverter. If you want to run a portable compressor refrigerator, then you should get a power supply with a pure sine wave inverter.

Other considerations

  • How many times you want it to recharge (cycle)?
  • How fast will it recharge?
  • What power source do you want to use to recharge it?
  • How much money do you have to spend on it?

Portable Power Supplies and Banks

There are many choices available for portable power supplies. Here is just a sampling of what can be found on Amazon.

266Wh 12v Power Bank
Under $200
 

500Wh with 2x110V AC Outlets
Under $300

1132Wh with 4 120V AC Outlet
Under $750-

Solar Package

If you are planning on using your HOTLOGIC® during a power outage, while camping or when living in a van full-time, you may want a portable power supply solution that includes solar panels to recharge your power station. Here are some options found on Amazon.

260Wh
Under $250

720Wh
Under $800

1132Wh
Under $900

Questions about what power adapter to get? Adapter options can be found here.

Hot Logic Portable Power Station Supply

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]]> 376 Food That Travels https://hlcooking.com/food-that-travels/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=food-that-travels Sun, 21 Aug 2022 02:50:32 +0000 https://hlcooking.com/?p=380 Shelf- stable food to use to make meals in your HOTLOGIC®.

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]]> In the past years the consumer has been able to find a greater variety of food that travels well. This is due to the increasing popularity by the food industry for packaging heat-and-eat food products in metal-Mylar®-type pouches. This packaging takes up less space to store. If you have no refrigeration available when traveling, you can even pack these foods in your suitcase to make meals in your hotel room.

Besides heat-and-eat pouches, travel friendly shelf-stable food is still available in cans, jars, cartons and for meals, in sealed plastic trays. Cartons can contain liquids that have been processed at ultra-high temperature (UHT), like milk. For travel, small cans, pouches, cartons and sealed plastic trays are probably the safest items to pack in a suitcase destined for the luggage compartment.

Meals

The easiest meal to put together for your travel menu is done by selecting a heat-and-eat meal or soup. The samples I am showing are links back to Amazon, but you should be able to find cheaper choices at Walmart or your local grocery store. There are gluten free, dairy free, kosher and vegan options to be found, as well.

Make Your Own Meal Combinations

Another way to put together meals it to select a meat and a side. Meat pouches include flavored chicken, various beef recipes and pork. And, of course, there are several bean types and flavors available.

Proteins

Sides

Sauces

If you get a plain meat and side, here are some sauces ready to flavor your meal.

Hot Logic Shelf Stable Food That Travels

Hot Logic Food That Travels

Pantry

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]]> 380 Travel Kitchen for Delicious Meals On-the-Go https://hlcooking.com/travel-kitchen/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=travel-kitchen Wed, 10 Aug 2022 21:23:12 +0000 http://hlcooking.com/?p=115 Sometimes when traveling you need a portable kitchen. You may be travelling for a vacation...

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]]> Sometimes when going somewhere by car or plane or you need a travel kitchen. You may be travelling for a vacation, a meeting, or a conference. Bringing a portable kitchen will help you meet your dietary and budgetary needs. Start with your HOTLOGIC® and round out your portable kitchen with a few more items. You will then be able to create a variety of meals, even if there are no kitchen facilities available.

Appliances

A HOTLOGIC® will heat frozen dinners in the original packaging, reheat leftovers and can cook raw, thawed or frozen ingredients.  It is a temperature pre-set heating plate placed inside a soft-sided, insulated tote. 

HOTLOGIC Mini Portable Oven - Food Warmer and Heater – Lunch Box for Office, Travel, Potlucks, and Home Kitchen (Blue)
HOTLOGIC Mini Portable Oven – Food Warmer and Heater – Lunch Box for Office, Travel, Potlucks, and Home Kitchen (Blue)

This Collapsible Kettle will heat 2.5 cups of water. You can heat water for hot beverages, gluten free oatmeal cups or backpacking freeze dried meals. What I like about this kettle is how small it is when collapsed for travel. Note how the handle tucks in tightly.

T-magitic Travel Kettle, Fordable Electric kettle, Collapsible Kettle Dual Voltage,boil water, with make tea coffee,Food Grade Silicone Small Electric Kettle（600ML,110V/220V ） (White)
T-magitic Travel Kettle, Fordable Electric kettle, Collapsible Kettle Dual Voltage,boil water, with make tea coffee,Food Grade Silicone Small Electric Kettle（600ML,110V/220V ） (White)

Powering Your HOTLOGIC®

If you need to be able to use your HOTLOGIC® in both a vehicle and in a room, then you will need an adapter.

Your HOTLOGIC® Mini 12V (45W) works well with a 60 watt convertor to be able to plug it in an electric outlet.

The 120V HOTLOGIC® Mini (45W) and Max (100W) can use a 200W inverter to be able to plug into a vehicle. A 150W converter will work, as well, for 1 Mini & 1 Max as long as it has two plugs.

BESTEK 200W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Inverter with 4.2A 4-Port USB Car Adapter (Black)
BESTEK 200W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Inverter with 4.2A 4-Port USB Car Adapter (Black)

When travelling overseas, a stepdown converter is required. This converter can handle a draw of 200W so it will work for either the Mini or the Max or both at the same time.

If you want to operate your HOTLOGIC® while driving, you will need to know if the 12V outlet is off when the vehicle is turned off. Also, it is advisable to supplement the power with a power bank to keep the HOTLOGIC® operating when the car stops. If the car battery is old, it may drain it too low for starting the vehicle. A lead acid battery jump starter is an inexpensive method of providing power when the car is off.

ZunDian 1800 Amp Battery Jump Starter with Air Compressor Car Tire Inflator, Portable Power Station 110V 400W Power Inverter USB DC AC Outlet, 12V Emergency Auto Battery Booster Box, Jumper Clamp
ZunDian 1800 Amp Battery Jump Starter with Air Compressor Car Tire Inflator, Portable Power Station 110V 400W Power Inverter USB DC AC Outlet, 12V Emergency Auto Battery Booster Box, Jumper Clamp

Food Prep Tools

I went looking for a cutting board and found this Disposable Cutting Board. Who knew this existed? You can slice off a few of these to easily pack in your luggage. If camping with limited water supply, this would be great way to avoid cross contamination.

A knife with a blade cover allows you to safely transport it. If you are travelling by air and are only taking carry on, then a cheap one can be picked up at a store, such as Dollar Tree.

Zyliss Utility Paring Kitchen Knife with Sheath Cover - Stainless Steel Kitchen Knife Perfect for Cutting Meat, Vegetables and Fruit - 5.5-Inch, Purple
Zyliss Utility Paring Kitchen Knife with Sheath Cover – Stainless Steel Kitchen Knife Perfect for Cutting Meat, Vegetables and Fruit – 5.5-Inch, Purple

Many times, a container is required in which to heat the food in your HOTLOGIC®. I recommend this 100% silicon container for ease of packing for travel. This fits in the Mini.

Other containers that work with the HOTLOGIC® Mini and Max can be found here.

To remove containers from your HOTLOGIC®, you can use folded wash clothes, hot pads from Dollar Tree store or try these cute, pinch grips.

newblom 2pc Lovely Triangle Cap Pot Holder Oven Mitts Gloves Finger Protector Pinch Grips Heat Resistant for Kitchen Cooking & Baking (2pc Random Color)
newblom 2pc Lovely Triangle Cap Pot Holder Oven Mitts Gloves Finger Protector Pinch Grips Heat Resistant for Kitchen Cooking & Baking (2pc Random Color)

One way to make fresh coffee is to use this pour over drip coffee maker. It collapses to a thin disk. Coffee filters are required. Check your local grocery store.

Eating Utensils

Some additional items to include in your packable, travel kitchen that will pack small and equip you to eat while away from home.

Travel coffee cup with a press to make coffee from ground coffee beans. It makes coffee like a French press or can be used with loose leaf tea.

PRESSE by Bobble French Coffee Press And Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler for On-The-Go Brewing - 13 oz (Peacock)
PRESSE by Bobble French Coffee Press And Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler for On-The-Go Brewing – 13 oz (Peacock)

Collapsible tumbler for hot/cold drinks

This expandable bowl for soups, salads or cereals will pack flat. You can find this item in different brands or with lids. It comes in a variety of colors.

Ecoart Silicone Expandable Collapsible Bowl for Travel Camping Hiking, Blue (1 Pack)
Ecoart Silicone Expandable Collapsible Bowl for Travel Camping Hiking, Blue (1 Pack)

If you prefer a durable set of flatware instead of using plasticware, this Stainless-Steel set will fit your needs.

There are other sets that also include a set of chopsticks which can be useful when cooking.

Here are the dishes that pack the flattest possible. The plate, bowl and cup travel flat and then are snapped together on the folds to form a 3D item. The description says you can even use them as a cutting board, if you don’t cut over the folds.

Fozzils Snapfold™ Solo Pack (Cup, Bowl, Plate)
Fozzils Snapfold™ Solo Pack (Cup, Bowl, Plate)

Travelling by Car

When you travel by car, this gives you more options for food choices and eating times. The HOTLOGIC® can be plugged in and cook your meal while driving. You can, also, bring a 12V portable refrigerator or ice chest to carry perishables.

When you look at portable refrigerators, you need to be aware that if the “cooler refrigerator” costs under $150 it is most probably just a cooler. It cools the interior of the appliance down 20-40°F from the ambient temperature. This means that if the interior of a car is over 80ºF, it is unlikely the cooler will maintain 40°F.

True portable refrigerator/freezers, which allow you to set the temperature, start around $170 and go up from there. They can have dual zones. The ones with dual compartments can be set to be refrigerator/refrigerator, refrigerator/freezer, or freezer/freezer. This type of portable refrigerator/freezer can even be used after the vacation to keep the ice cream from melting on the way home from the grocery store.

For power, the portable refrigerator/freezer will come with two cords, one for 12V DC and one for 120V AC. It can be plugged directly into the car’s 12V outlet. The portable refrigerator/freezer typically use only 40W-60W. If you are concerned about draining your battery or if the outlet has no power when the vehicle is not running, then you can use a portable, power station or a jump starter like the one mentioned above.

These models both use 45 watts.

Portable Freezer Cooler AC/DC Compressor Refrigerator Fridge for Truck RV Boat Party Picnic Camping (30 Liter)
Portable Freezer Cooler AC/DC Compressor Refrigerator Fridge for Truck RV Boat Party Picnic Camping (30 Liter)

Packing Up

Other than the refrigerator, all of the items selected will travel well in your luggage. They will take little space. The HOTLOGIC® in particular is okay to take on a plane. Many flight crew take it themselves into the cabin. Usually though, they do not operate them while in flight.

There are many reasons why you would want to prepare your own food when away from home such as following a diet plan, food allergies, eating gluten free, having Celiac disease, adhering to a budget or for the sake of convenience. These items listed give you a good foundation for a portable, compact kitchen that will assist you to meet your nutritional needs.

For your next trip, I wish you…

Bon Voyage and Bon Appétit

Stock photo couple entering hotel with luggage.

Hot Logic Portable Compact Kitchen

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