Healthy cooking is usually different from cooking without a lot of work. Probably not so with the CanCooker, which uses steam to ready your meals with a process so simple even the kitchen-challenged can do it.
Designed for outdoor cooking, the device can steam almost any dish for consumption in about an hour. Since it uses a large container, you can throw in a hefty amount of food too, allowing you to feed large groups during picnics and tailgating parties. Just pair it with any heat source (it works with absolutely anything, including portable grills, stoves, bonfires and stove tops) and you’re good to go.
The CanCooker is a 14 x 10 inch (height x diameter) steamer that can cook food for up to twenty people at a time. A clever shouldered one-piece design allows it to effectively circulate the steam for faster cooking than what you’ll normally get with steamed dishes. To fix a meal, you dump the vegetables and carbs on the bottom of the can, the meat on top of that and the spices right over them. You spray a non-stick solution for easier clean-up and pour 12 ounces (or more) of liquid to make the steam. While water is obviously the first choice, you can use any liquid you want, including lemon soda or beer to add even more flavor. Then, you just leave it in the fire and let it steam for as much time as the recipe requires.
Its creators claim it’s superb as an option for preparing practically any food, although they single it out as an excellent tool for recreating popular Midwest, New England and Cajun dishes. Creators Seth and Sonja McGinn based the design on the old cream cans that ranchers used to cook meals conveniently, which they often left unattended while they worked, and returned to only when the food is ready.
A number of recipes are included with each CanCooker purchase, so you can get started experimenting with meals quickly. It’s available from their website for $89.99.