What is a hot box?
Hot box is basically a type of dishes that consists of a large box filled with insulating materials. It is used by a chef who first warms food in a pot, usually with meals, such as steamed meat or beans, which are brewed for a relatively long time in a humid environment. The pot is then removed from the stove or other heat source and immediately placed in the insulation in a hot box. After the insulation is closed, it captures heat in the pot and allows the food to continue cooking with residual heat.
There are a number of different ways to make a hot box, although it is quite simple and quite economical. Almost any large box can be used as a starting point, although cardboard box or large cooler are often the most popular options. It is important that the box is large enough to fit insulating materials and a pot in which food will be cooked. Since the heat must be properly captured in a hot box, it should also have it or otherwise be closed in some way.
different types of insulating material can be used in a hot box, often depending on what is available and what can fit. Straw or foam can act as insulation, although they must usually be quite dense to hold the heat properly and prevent it from leakage. Towels and rags can also be used, often wrapped around cooking pots to keep heat inside. If a relatively large hot box is used, the sleeping bag can also be an excellent choice, especially because they are manufactured with insulation so that the sleepers are warm in the outdoor environment.
Hot box works by capturing residual heat in a pot or other dishes. The food is located inside the pot and this is heated by a stove or oven, almost the same way as if it were to cook. However, before the bowl completes the cooking, it is removed from heat and immediately placed inside the box insulation. Over time, residual heat in the pot continuesin cooking a bowl.
This type of cooking may require more time than a stove or oven, but does not require any additional performance after initial heating. Meals such as soups and steamed meat can cook in a hot box for several hours, but only require heat and energy for one hour. In this way, rice and beans can also be cooked; They can take longer than cooking a hundred, but still result in fine and well cooked foods.