Wonderbag (a slow cooker that needs no power!)

Wonderbag is a genius invention (in fact, the founder has been named one of the 50 genius creators on earth!) An idea inspired by her grandmother (who would cook food then wrap it in hay to keep it warm), it can be used in England for people concerned over energy bills.

But of course it’s also being used abroad, from Africa (to stop the use of dangerous kerosene and chopping down firewood) to more recently in Ukraine, where people can cook hot food, if they can’t afford bills or have no power.

Read up on food safety for people and pets. For tinned ingredients, rinse/remove lids (or pop ring-pulls over holes) then step on upper cans to pinch rims together, to stop wildlife getting trapped. 

Unless you have food waste bins, just bin pepper and allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallot, chives), citrus/tomato/rhubarb scraps. To avoid acids harming compost creatures.

As a social enterprise, this company also uses profits to help provide low-cost cooking facilities to people in need around the world.

How Wonderbag works

First you boil your food. Once simmering, put pan in the Wonderbag. Close with the drawstring, and it will cook away for up to eight hours.

Sold in three sizes (for single households to large families), it’s made from polyester fabric on the outside, and inside repurposed foam insulation, which would otherwise have gone to landfill.

Before placing your post into the Wonderbag, lay a tea towel (or wooden chopping board) to help prevent the interior fabric from burning.

You can spot clean and hang to dry, or use a in a front-loading washing machine (due to synthetic fabrics, use a microfiber filter).