I posted this in another thread dedicated to hot engine problems, but thought you'd like to see it here:

"Okay, it's official--you CAN cook on the MCS engine! We went to a picnic today, and when we got there we reheated our bratwurst on the engine, near the turbo. They were nice and hot after about 15 minutes. True, we'd grilled them the night before, but that was only because we didn't know how they'd do on the 2 1/2 trip before reaching the picnic site. I believe they would have done just fine.

If you want to cook via MINI, make sure you double wrap with heavy duty foil, and crimp the edges thoroughly to keep in juices and/or grease."

If you want more information about cooking with your MINI, get a copy of Manifold Destiny, available through Amazon and others. Not sure it's currently in print, but it's easy to find.

 

A black MCS in summer Taxas heat would burn the hotdog to ashes...

 

Yeah the other day I was thinking that Top gear should redo their cooking experiment with the new minis. Funny to hear someone has tried it.

 

you might try this alternative which is less harmful to your paint and which was invented by a friend of mine in Texas.
July/August 1982

Bill Worrel's Go-Cooker



Most of us have heard of cooking with gas, but it takes on new meaning with this auto-exhaust cooking technique.
Tools: Image Gallery E-mail this article Print this article Share Comments RSS feedsArticles:More Homesteading & Self-Reliance from Mother Earth News
Tips: How to Chop Firewood Beat the Heat: Fire Prevention Tips More Homesteading & Self-Reliance from Mother Earth Living


Most of us have heard of "cooking with gas".But it takes on a whole new meaning with. . .
Lately, most folks in this country have been concerned with squeezing more miles per gallon from their vehicles, but Bill Worrell—a personable teacher and inventor who hails from Art, Texas—has come up with a way to eke out a few meals per gallon as well.
What Mr. Worrell has designed is—in essence—a cast-aluminum pot that slowly cooks victuals, using only the heat from an internal combustion engine's exhaust. Of course, the food doesn't ever come in con tact with the noxious fumes . . . instead, the hot gas is circulated through a lower chamber while the simmering dinner (or breakfast or lunch) is held safely within the confines of a sealed upper chamber.
Bill calls the appliance—which he sells by mail—a "Go-Cooker" . . . and when he offered to send us a unit to road-test, we were so intrigued by the idea of his contraption that we just had to say yes.
Our Go-Cooker—a sturdy, well-built device about 9 inches high and 12 inches in diameter, with a heavy attached lid—arrived complete with a separate mounting bracket and all the nuts, bolts, and locking washers necessary to secure the auto oven in place. The bracket has eight drilled holes and is designed to fit, or at least be adapted to, nearly any kind of vehicle's rear bumper. We decided to attach the cooker to the back of MOTHER staffer Garry Turpin's Toyota pickup. Within just a few minutes—after boring holes in the bumper to match those in the mounting bracket—we had the hardware firmly attached.
srExecute();
close How to Start Homesteading

Whether you live in the country, the suburbs or even the city, you can take advantage of country skills and create your own 21st century homestead. With our Plan the Perfect Homestead guide, you’ll learn from the experts on how to get started, what to plan for and how to prioritize for a successful adventure in country living. This guide also offers an extensive resource list that you’ll find useful time and time again, plus guidance on livestock basics — what cows, goats, sheep, chickens and more need from you. This terrific homesteading guide is FREE when you subscribe to the FREE Mother Earth Living e-newsletter!
Mother Earth Living brings you the wisdom of experienced homesteaders on everything from how to fell a tree to making an emergency survival kit. You’ll also enjoy fun and useful tips on organic gardening, renewable energy, sustainable farming, saving money and energy, and cooking with fresh, flavorful food. Twice each week, the Mother Earth Living newsletter will show you the wonderful world of Mother Earth News, America’s leading magazine on green living and 21st century homesteading. Sign up now to get Mother Earth Living and you can download Plan the Perfect Homestead today!




Next, we simply slipped the cooker onto the assembly and secured the two components' flanges together with a pair of heavy duty bolts . . . which, in turn, are held by cotter pins, making it easy to take the oven off and put it on at will.
With our Go-Cooker in place but not yet connected to the exhaust system, we drove to our local muffler shop and had an extension piece—which is also attached with cotter pins for easy removal—custom-fit to connect the existing tailpipe to the entry hole in the oven's lower chamber. Exit openings at the side and bottom of the unit allow exhaust gases to escape.
In our case, this work cost just under $28. However, Mr. Worrell says the price will vary (generally, he claims, it'll be less than we paid) according to the kind of vehicle involved. He also says that although he'd like to include a complete tailpipe connector with his invention, custom installation is necessary because of the many different kinds of exhaust systems in use today.
All together, the procedure—from bare bumper to ready-to-go—took less than two hours. And with that out of the way, we were ready to begin our testing.
The following weekend, Garry and his wife Bonnie hopped in the Go-Cooker-equipped pickup and drove off for a day of kayaking in western North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest. The 110-mile trip from Spartanburg, South Carolina took about 2-1/2 hours . . . but Garry reports that his mind's-eye image of the foilwrapped chicken, simmering in barbecue sauce as the couple rolled along, made the miles seem to go by rapidly.
Unfortunately, when Garry and Bonnie arrived at their destination, they found that their dinner was not yet quite done . . . they had to drive around for another half-hour before the poultry was cooked to a turn! However, Garry attributes the problem to the highly efficient (and therefore relatively coolrunning) four-cylinder engine in his truck. A more typical powerplant, he theorizes, would likely give off hotter exhaust that might result in shorter cooking periods. Besides, he says, next time he'll simply plan a somewhat longer route . . . or parboil the chicken first . . . or just choose a dish that requires less heat to cook.
In any case, there's no doubt that Bill Worrell's "better idea" works . . . and that operating the auto oven to best advantage would be merely a matter of getting used to its performance with various foods on one particular vehicle.
We think the Worrell Go-Cooker is a great idea, and terrific fun to use, too (it'll even double as a portable charcoal grill when removed from your bumper). The device isn't inexpensive, though . . . its price is $119.95 (Texas residents need to add 4% sales tax) plus $4.95 for shipping and handling. On the other hand, such a purchase ought to last for many years . . . and should give you and your family plenty of opportunities, as you travel the miles, to turn out (ahem) bumper crops of delightful meals.
For $1.00 and a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope, Bill will send you an information sheet on the Go-Cooker . . . and on his companion recipe book, Cruising Cuisine: A Mileage Menu, which sells for $5.95. Or if you'd prefer, you can just go ahead and send for your auto oven now by mailing a check or money order for the appropriate amount. In any case, direct your correspondence to GoCooker, Inc., Dept. TMEN, P.O. Box 56, Art, Texas 76820.

 

Drat....Cooper owners are left out again!!!

 

Oh, man, that is SO much more complicated and expensive than double wrapping in foil and sticking on your engine! We could have cooked along the way, but we didn't have any experience with this car, and we knew there was no back-up food at the picnic site.

We did try cooking on a rental van's engine up in Canada a couple of years ago. We couldn't find ANY place under the hood that got very warm, unlike the MINI, and our success was somewhat limited. We tried making cheese and beef fixin's for Philly cheese sandwiches. The cheese melted all right, but the beef wasn't cooked enough. Bear in mind, this was on an unfamilar cool running engine up in the mountains. I think it would have worked just fine with the MINI, and there are plenty of places to securely place the food. With a little experimentation an entire meal could be cooked!

 

Before you started the engine!

 

I should clarify, the cooking I'm talking about is UNDER the bonnet--no damage to paint possible.

 

Hmmmm, I am not sure I want my MINI to be a rolling bar-b-que grill

 

Oh, but the brats were SO good! And there wasn't a mark on the engine...

It put a big smile on the faces of the other MINI drivers with us, too!

 

Mmmm brats....

So hungry...

Too bad I have neither brats, nor a MINI. Drat!
*shakes angry fist*

 

One summer job during college was working as a janitor on a public beach (yea, it was a nasty job, but got me to Europe for three months). We drove from restroom to restroom in a late 1960's Dodge Van. The Guy that I worked with had engine cooking down. He would put his lunch in the engine compartment (inside between the front seats) and cook it as we drove.

 

Sure hope you washed your hands before you ate...

 

Where, in the restrooms?
I don't really recall, but I seem to have survived that. It has been hospitals that have been dangerous to me.