Shuttle Chefs

Bank of Dad

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Looking at buying a Thermos Shuttle Chef as we like free camping etc. Does anyone have experience with these? What size would you recommend? Would you recommend the ones with a Bain Marie

Thanks.......BoD.
 

Crusty181

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Ive got the cheap ar$e $50 Aldi knock off Schuttall Sheff and its really good, so can only imagine that a brand name units would be awesome. By bain marie, Im assuming you mean the lower pot that you fill with hot water? I thought that's how they all worked, but anyway the Aldi one has a large lower pot full of hot water that the upper smaller pot slots into, and that works quite well and stays warm for ages. Not sure of the size of our, but its not big. Ill check the size if you don't get any other feedback.
 
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mikerezny

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Hi @Bank of Dad,
we also bought something similar from Aldi last year. The price has gone up and it was $99. But it comes withe a 12V heating element and 240/12V power supply. This could be useful if you want to ensure the contents are kept above the critical temperature on a long drive etc.

The Thermos version differs markedly from all the others in that it works on the same principle as a thermosflask: the inner and outer walls are separated by a vacuum. All the others I looked at just use some sort of insulation.
The obvious downside of this (according to its competitors, is that if it is dropped there is a chance that it will break and it is not repairable. From memory, it is also by far the most expensive.

We love the one we bought from Aldi. At home, to make it even more efficient, we increase the insulation by packing it in a styro box lined with a couple of inches of insulation material.

cheers
Mike
 
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Bellbirdweb

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Hi @Bank of Dad,
The obvious downside of this (according to its competitors, is that if it is dropped there is a chance that it will break and it is not repairable. From memory, it is also by far the most expensive.

The vacuum system on the Thermos version is not glass.

From their web site

The Thermos Shuttle Chef uses patented Thermax vacuum technology which virtually eliminates temperature change by creating an airless vacuum space between two stainless steel walls.
 
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mikerezny

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The vacuum system on the Thermos version is not glass.

From their web site

The Thermos Shuttle Chef uses patented Thermax vacuum technology which virtually eliminates temperature change by creating an airless vacuum space between two stainless steel walls.
Hi @Bellbirdweb,
I sort of knew this. But it still worried me that in a camping/outdoor environment how robust would this be if it were dropped or punctured? Perhaps I was just brainwashed by the other suppliers who talked a lot about how their products were much more robust.

In the end, it was the $99 price tag for one from Aldi. At that price, we determined that we could buy it and see if it worked for us and find out how much use it would get. We think it is good value for us, not so sure we would cough up $400 for the more expensive alternatives.
 

Crusty181

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The vacuum system on the Thermos version is not glass.

From their web site

The Thermos Shuttle Chef uses patented Thermax vacuum technology which virtually eliminates temperature change by creating an airless vacuum space between two stainless steel walls.
The S/S system works well and is pretty indestructible in my 1lt tradie thermos for my work coffee ... its seen a few campaigns, and fell off the tailgate and saw bench more than a few times.
 

Bellbirdweb

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Hi @Bellbirdweb,
I sort of knew this. But it still worried me that in a camping/outdoor environment how robust would this be if it were dropped or punctured? Perhaps I was just brainwashed by the other suppliers who talked a lot about how their products were much more robust.

In the end, it was the $99 price tag for one from Aldi. At that price, we determined that we could buy it and see if it worked for us and find out how much use it would get. We think it is good value for us, not so sure we would cough up $400 for the more expensive alternatives.
$99 vs $350, Hard to argue
 
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Dobbie

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Hey @mikerezny .....the next challenge is to make the chippie portable.

I'll ring the fire brigade for you on the day you try it!

Those Aldi knock offs sound interesting....we bought a Cobb thermal cooker years ago and used it once. This version, I'm assuming, is better? Can it be trusted to cook a casserole while on the move? How much pre cooking would that need before it sits and finishes?
 
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Bellbirdweb

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Hey @mikerezny .....the next challenge is to make the chippie portable.

I'll ring the fire brigade for you on the day you try it!

Those Aldi knock offs sound interesting....we bought a Cobb thermal cooker years ago and used it once. This version, I'm assuming, is better? Can it be trusted to cook a casserole while on the move? How much pre cooking would that need before it sits and finishes?
I've seen them at all the shows. Never been interested in them, thats what I have a kitchen for.
 

mikerezny

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Hey @mikerezny .....the next challenge is to make the chippie portable.

I'll ring the fire brigade for you on the day you try it!

Those Aldi knock offs sound interesting....we bought a Cobb thermal cooker years ago and used it once. This version, I'm assuming, is better? Can it be trusted to cook a casserole while on the move? How much pre cooking would that need before it sits and finishes?
Hi @Dobbie,
I can't see why you cannot use it on the move. You need to cook a stew / casserole long enough to get all the ingredients up to boiling temperature. That is about 20 minutes. Then you need at least a few hours for it to cook in the thermocooker.
The standard sales pitch is to prepare your evening meal in the morning and it will be ready by dinner time.

We use ours all the time for soups, curries and a dish out of a camping book which we call 'Chicken Surprise' So called because other than some chicken and a can of cream of chicken soup, the vegetables are whatever we have on hand at the time: potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, beans, frozen peas, cauliflower, broccoli, onion, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, have all been in it at one time or other.

The other use is for cooking rice. 2 cups rice, 4 cups water, put it on the stove until it boils, then simmer for another 2-3 minutes and put it in the thermocooker. Done in less than an hour but is still piping hot 2-3 hours later.

The Aldi one has two pots, a large one and a small one that sits inside at the top of the big one. So, we can make a curry in the big pot, and a couple of hours later open the lid and add the small pot with the rice.

We also cook beer damper in it. Takes about 90 minutes. But that went on hold since we now always bake damper on the chippy.

No, with regard to a portable chippy. Can't see that happening. But we do use the chippy to prepare things that will go into the thermocooker.

cheers
Mike
 
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mikerezny

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I've seen them at all the shows. Never been interested in them, thats what I have a kitchen for.
Hi @Bellbirdweb,
we are not converts to thermocooking by any means. It involves a lot of forward planning and adapting recipes so they will work. Seems still like being more effort than it is worth. We had a lot of plans when we first bought it (for $99, we thought it was worth a try). However, not as useful for us as we first thought. But, we have found a niche for it that makes it useful for certain things we do.At the moment, we use it at home way more than we use it in the van.

The added complication, is that the great little spot for it was in the small cupboard under our bed, designed to hold a porta-potti. Since that now has a porta-potti in it, the next best place for the thermocooker would be on the floor in the back seat of the car.

So, the thermocooker is still a reasonable idea in progress. Unlike the chippy, which has well and truly earned its place in our van.
And we still have a lot of fun using the chippy.

cheers
Mike
 
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mikerezny

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Have seen them at many shows but never bothered with one. as for the Chippy, may have to look into that.
Hi @1DayIll,
the chippy frame only cost $10 at Bunnings. Together with an old kettle or a billy it will provide very good service just heating water.
Kmart have a 3l stainless steel billy for $7.

It will also do toast.

With a billy, you can do boil vegetables or cook pasta.

With a cast iron frypan and lid, it will bake damper

Next big investment was a cast iron plate from Aussie disposal for $18. With that we do BBQs and bacon and egg muffins for breakfast.

The ultimate super deluxe, all bells and whistles version comes with an old Sunbeam electric frypan. With that you can do roast dinners.

cheers
Mike
 
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Dobbie

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I've seen them at all the shows. Never been interested in them, thats what I have a kitchen for.


Yep. Totally agree but ours was a gift and only used once as we couldn't see the point and I can't be bothered preparing the evening meal while packing up....I wasn't impressed with the result when we did try it.

Just wondered if there's been an improvement since then........
 

1DayIll

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Hi @1DayIll,
the chippy frame only cost $10 at Bunnings. Together with an old kettle or a billy it will provide very good service just heating water.
Kmart have a 3l stainless steel billy for $7.

It will also do toast.

With a billy, you can do boil vegetables or cook pasta.

With a cast iron frypan and lid, it will bake damper

Next big investment was a cast iron plate from Aussie disposal for $18. With that we do BBQs and bacon and egg muffins for breakfast.

The ultimate super deluxe, all bells and whistles version comes with an old Sunbeam electric frypan. With that you can do roast dinners.

cheers
Mike

Thanks for the info, will look into this for sure!
 

Drover

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Hi @Drover,
we are not converts to thermocooking by any means. It involves a lot of forward planning and adapting recipes so they will work. Seems still like being more effort than it is wort

cheers
Mike

Way to go @mikerezny , but I had no idea what a shuttle chef was until this thread, even the much lauded Thermocooker I only found out about from this site, I prefer if I'm going to do some decent tucker while I'm away then I will drag out my camp oven and other bush cooking stuff and do a proper feed, thats if I'm going to spend the time doing it, after years of being out bush cooking some great stuff in the style of Jack Absalom (my outback cooking hero) nowadays a pizza thrown under the Weber will suffice.
And in true Drover style I will upset folks by saying that I think both are just overpriced Bling especially the Thermocooker........but thats just my 2 bob's others are more than welcome to their own views, so don't jump on me, your views are just as relevant as mine.............

PS: this is my only post on this thread @mikerezny so have no idea about your previous post ?? !!!!!........................it's all tongue in cheek anyway......lol.
 

mikerezny

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PS: this is my only post on this thread @mikerezny so have no idea about your previous post ?? !!!!!........................it's all tongue in cheek anyway......lol.
Hi @Drover,
there I go again, stuffing up who I reply to. It should have been @Bellbirdweb.
I have now edited the thread to fix it up.

I need to apologise in bulk, since it is bound to happen again and again and again.

cheers
Mike
 

bigcol

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I lashed out and brought a Thermocooker for SWMBO a good couple of years ago

it was used twice from memory

the problem (as @Dobbie and others have said) thinking about getting your curry / stew / Laska / roast Chook prepared and pre cooked, while your hooking up the Van and doing final loading and boarding

too much of an effort in my honest opinion - I think SWMBO was swayed by the glib sales talk
but

happy wife - happy life