How To Cook On A Clothes Iron (Eggs, Bacon, Sausages, Burgers & More)
Cooking on a clothes iron is probably most useful for students and people who stop in hotels frequently. However if you cook on gas at home, and the gas is off, you can still cook some food using this method.
How To Cook On A Clothes Iron
Some things you can cook beneath the iron (as with the cheese toasties in the photo), but for most things it is easier to invert the iron and wedge in position somehow. You’ve now effectively got a stove top! Depending on the method used, you will need: a clothes iron, some tin foil and two clothes pins. Cooking times will be dependant on the power of individual iron.
To cook toasties – turn on the iron so it heats up. Make the toasties in the usual manner, then wrap them well in tin foil (so no juices etc can escape and make a mess or damage the iron). I recommend double wrapping everything when cooking on a clothes iron, just to be safe. Now place the wrapped toastie on a heatproof surface and place the iron on top (as in the photo). Let it cook for a minute or two, keeping a close eye on things, and then turn it over and cook the other side.
To Cook Eggs, Bacon, Sausages & Oats etc – invert the iron and wedge it securely in position. It is very important that the iron remains in position and level during the cooking. Otherwise your cooking food could slide off and make a mess everywhere. Now turn on the iron so it heats up.
Take some tin foil and make a foil dish (again double wrap to be safe) to fit the hot plate of the iron. Your dish wants to have raised pinched out sides to catch the fats/juices that come out of the foods cooked. You’re basically making a tin foil skillet without a handle.
Once the iron has heated up and your tin foil pan is made – just cook your food the same as you would on a small camp stove. Keep an eye on things at all times and be careful not to knock the iron etc. When the food is ready, use two wooden clothes pins to lift up and remove your tin foil pan from the heat and then enjoy your meal.
Notes: Cooking on a clothes iron is potentially dangerous and messy if you don’t exercise common sense and take care. You could also risk damaging the iron too. If you are careful and take precautions though, this method works perfectly well. The most important safety point is to never leave food cooking on a clothes iron unattended!
