10 Ways to Cook Without Power You’ll Wish You Learned Sooner

When the power goes out, figuring out how to cook can get stressful fast—especially if you’ve got a family to feed. But truth is, there are a lot of ways to make a hot meal without flipping on the stove or microwave.

Some take a little prep, some are super quick, and some are good skills to have even if you’re not off-grid. Whether it’s a weather outage, a rolling blackout, or you’re out camping, these methods can keep you fed without relying on electricity.

Propane Grill

A propane grill is one of the easiest ways to cook without power. You can grill meat, toast bread, boil water, or even bake if you know how to manage the heat.

Make sure your propane tank is full before storm season hits. Keep a lighter handy too—many grills need electricity for the igniter, but you can light it manually if needed.

Charcoal Grill

Charcoal takes a little longer to heat up, but it holds a steady temperature and gives food great flavor. It’s a solid backup if you run out of propane or prefer old-school cooking.

You’ll want to keep dry charcoal stored somewhere safe and waterproof. And make sure you have a chimney starter or matches ready, since getting it lit in wind or rain can be a pain.

Camp Stove

Camp stoves are made for off-grid cooking. They’re compact, run on small fuel canisters, and can handle anything from frying eggs to heating soup.

If you don’t already have one, it’s worth adding to your emergency kit. You can use them indoors if the space is well ventilated, but outdoors is always safest.

Dutch Oven Cooking

A Dutch oven lets you cook stews, casseroles, and even bread right over hot coals or a fire. The heavy lid holds in moisture and heat better than regular pots.

You’ll need to learn how to control the temperature using coal placement, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a reliable way to cook real meals when the grid’s down.

Solar Oven

A solar oven uses reflective panels to trap sunlight and cook food slowly. It’s not fast, but it works well for things like rice, beans, and baked goods—especially in summer.

You don’t need fuel, and they’re surprisingly efficient on sunny days. You can also DIY one if you’re feeling crafty, but ready-made versions are easier to rely on in a pinch.

Fire Pit Cooking

If you’ve got a backyard fire pit, you can make more than s’mores. With a grate, you can cook directly over the flames or use foil packets and cast iron.

Stick with hardwood for cleaner, hotter fires, and never cook over treated wood. Once the flames die down and you’re left with coals, that’s when the real cooking happens.

Rocket Stove

Rocket stoves are compact, fuel-efficient, and burn twigs or small branches to create high heat fast. They’re great for boiling water or making one-pot meals.

You can buy one or build your own from bricks or metal cans. Either way, they’re a smart, low-fuel way to cook when propane and charcoal aren’t available.

Butane Burner

Butane burners are similar to camp stoves but usually used indoors—like at buffets or in hot pot restaurants. They’re safe and super easy to use with their small fuel canisters.

Keep extra butane on hand, and make sure you know how to install and light it before an outage hits. These can handle basic meals without needing a full-size setup.

Sterno Cans

Sterno (those little canned heat fuels you see under catering trays) can warm up small meals in a pinch. They’re not hot enough to cook raw meat but work well for heating canned food.

You’ll need a stable base and something like a small pan or metal grate. It’s not ideal long-term, but good to have around when all you need is a warm meal fast.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.