See all guides

Smart Cooker Box

Slow cook your food and save lots of electricity

Done in 30 min
Skill level easy

A smart cooker uses heat retention to insulate a pot that has been brought to the boil on a stove. Heat retention is when heat obtained from an energy source is locked in. This reduces cooking time using the stove by over 70%. The method has many health benefits due to the slow cooking, and saves energy so it’s good for the environment and your budget. It needs some experimenting but is super easy and does not cost anything!

Published under CC:BY-SA by

Smart Living Education Centre

Author · Lindie Buirski

What you need

Cardbox box Big enough to fit your pot

Old Paper and/or eggboxes

Pillow case

Cooking pot with tight fitting lid from stainless steel, cast iron or clay. Aluminium or glass cookware cools down too quickly.

How you make it

Find a box that is big enough to fit your pot

Find a box
Find a box

Cut old paper into strips and fill the box halfway

Fill the box
Fill the box

Bring your food to boil in your metal pot

Bring a pot with food to the boil on your stove or on a fire. It is important that the pot is full and has a tight fitting lid on it.

Let the food simmer for the time needed

Meat: 20 minutes

Chicken on the bone: 15 minutes

Vegetables: 5 minutes

Rice (white or brown): 2 minutes on stove

Beans or samp: 20 minutes

Place the pot with the lid on top of the paper

Put the pot in the box
Put the pot in the box

Cover the pot and box with a pillowcase filled with paper strips

Cover the box
Cover the box

Wait and let your food cook slowly in the box

The pot stays hot for up to 12 hours in the box and cooks your food without any electricity at all.

Meat: 3 hours in smart cooker box

Chicken on the bone: 2-3 hours in smart cooker box

Vegetables: 1 hour in smart cooker box

Rice (white or brown): 1 hour in smart cooker box

Beans or samp 20 minutes: 3-4 hours in smart cooker box

Do not open the pot during the time because then it stops cooking. You do not need to stir - it cannot burn. There is no problem if your food stays wrapped up like this all day. For example, you can prepare everything in the morning, wrap the hot pot and when you come back in the afternoon the food is ready.

Find specific recipes on dooiy here

Eat and enjoy.

Further information

Besides cooking your food in it, there are many other ways to use a smart cooker:

Find more information in the Smart Cooking and Home Safety Guide of the City of Cape Town

Share your feedback

More guides to try

What is dooiy?

Screenshot of dooiy web app on a mobile device

On dooiy you find fun and easy hacks that make life easier. Just follow our simple step-by-step guides and create something for your home or community with little materials and tools. Want to start a business? dooiy might be the perfect starting point for you.

Chris from dooiy

You don‘ t have to be an expert to start making with dooiy. Just choose an easy hack and get going. After you made a few, I am sure that you will come up with your own ideas.

Donate

Who we are

dooiy is being developed by Hack Your Shack, a young non-profit organisation from Germany with a passionate team in Berlin and South Africa.

To fulfil our vision, we are looking for partners, volunteers, donors and people who spread the word.

Learn moreand become a partner

  • The dooiy project is supported by
  • German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
  • Impact Factory