I (Mrs. J, actually) finally got a chance to use this last night and I am impressed with it. She cooked 2 small venison roasts with potatoes, broccoli and mushrooms in a 10″ dutch oven, though it is big enough to fit up to a 14″ or maybe even 18″ dutch oven. It worked very well, similiar to a crock pot set on low.
Basically, you heat your food up on the stove (or over a fire) and get it to a good simmer. You then place it in this bag and cinch it up with the drawstring and let it set and cook in its own heat.
Pros on this, as I see it, are:
1) It will cook under normal circumstances and not use as much electricity or gas, depending on your oven.
2) If cooking over a fire, you will use considerably less effort maintaing fire, gathering fuels, and keeping your temperature at a proper level. This will also be good for use during a power outage, simply use whatever alternative heat source you have to get your meal simmering and then wrap it up.
The only real cons I saw in this so far are:
1) you can’t season to taste as it is cooking without having to open it and then reheat. Once you open the bag, you are going to pretty much lose your residual heat.
2) The bag itself is a bit bulky. You can, however, use it for storing other things when not in use.
Overall, while it is a bit pricey at around $50.00, I think it is a good long term investment and addition to your prep kitchen, especially if you have a family or a group you will need to cook for.
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