We’re big fans of these devices. They work like a thermos flask with a double skin of stainless steel that creates a thermal barrier around the inner pot. The idea is that you begin cooking something in the separate billy can and then put it into the thermal cooker. Best to pre-warm that with some boiling water for a few minutes so that the billy will sit in an already warmed pot. Then you clamp the lid on and take the meal wherever you like. It will carry on cooking in the pot and the 3L model holds its temperature for 4 to 5 hours when it’s half full.
So you take a meal that’s been started down to the boat and it will be ready soon after you’ve cleared the bar. But if you’re too busy reefing or telling a story it doesn’t matter… you don’t need a cook to watch over it and you just serve it up when ready. There’s no cleaning to do except on the inner pot and you keep using it as you go. Heat up something in the oven or on the normal hob and then transfer to the Mr D. It saves gas and time – and slow cooked stuff tastes the best in any case!
The basic one pot is £89 but if you want to have rice or pasta as well then you can get second billy which sits on top of the first with an extra lid making £130 in total.