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Gas is a much better option.
Making the toast off-grid – use gas
Graham Leslie
Don’t use an electric toaster when camping off-grid unless you have more battery power stored than you can ever use and a large, professionally installed power inverter. Gas is a much better option.
Electric toasters use a lot of power even if only for a short time. That big power load of 800 to 1800Watts creates very large, dangerous currents on the 12Volt parts of your system. Large currents, if not properly managed, can start fires. Toasters use power at 25 to 40 times that of a laptop, for instance. Additionally most of us don’t have unlimited battery power so I prefer to keep my battery power for things like fridges, laptops, TVs or other devices that don’t have a non-electric option. Making toast does not require electricity.
This also applies to electric kettles. They too are very greedy on power and are best avoided when off-grid. There is a good range of stove-top kettles to choose from. My only advice is check they pour nicely.
“I just use my generator”
Be aware that running a generator in the morning to make your toast and boil the jug will not endear you to your neighbouring campers.
Toast
In a traditional camping world you would have used a toasting fork and a fire, but this is not particularly practical with fire restrictions.
The next best thing is a toaster to put on a gas cooker of which there are many varieties. Some work better than others and I have tried many of them and this is my run down.
Graham: First choice is a two-slice toaster. It has a metal mesh inner that holds and spreads the heat which toasts bread fairly evenly. These are also good on small stoves. They are a bit pricey from $40 to $70 but they make nice toast.
May be a bit bulky for some campers.
Miriam: I have one, in my shed, somewhere, for sale, if anyone wants one. Didn’t work for me. I think my elements were too big or too small — the flame wouldn’t just go up the middle.
Graham: Second choice is the old 4-slice toaster. This is the design I grew up with. They are sometimes hard to balance on a smaller gas cooker and don’t tend to cook the toast so evenly (you can rotate the bread round on the toaster to fix this). They give the toast a bit of a polka-dot pattern as most the heat comes through the little holes. They are around $30 to $40 and make passable toast. (A vintage version.)
May be a bit bulky for some campers.
Graham: There is a variety of single-slice toasters that fit over the element like a frying pan. I don’t see why these would not work. I looked for some reviews and only found one that said it did work OK. These tend to be small and cheaper at under $20.
Miriam: I used the above mesh one in my van when I started out. It heats the metal mesh which then radiates heat to your toast. OK for white bread, but very slow for Vogels. Takes up very little space. Quite good for one person
Graham: This is a folding toaster, but I have never had any success with these. They are cheaper to buy at under $20 but as I have never managed to make it work, I can’t recommend them. I had a look at some reviews, and they seemed to divide between ‘didn’t work at all’ (my experience) and those who said it was fine.
Graham: Another option is if you have a grill on your gas cooker or stove. We have made good toast under these over the years. Sometimes making the toast this way feels a bit slow and fiddley.
Miriam: If your grill is big enough for 3 or more slices, this method might have an advantage.
FueledWithFood: Broiling bread is the fastest way to toast bread in large amounts, but don’t blink because it’ll go from golden brown to dark and burnt quickly.
Miriam: There are a couple of toasters that have metal with holes to direct and moderate the heat from your gas flame to the bread.
The flat, two slice toaster, the Camp-A-Toaster (above, $29), doesn’t take much room, and makes great toast. It doesn’t stay shiny long; it blackens then rusts; lasts about 4 years. It is fast for white bread, slow for Vogels.
Bonus: since the toast is flat you can add your butter shavings to the cooked side to soften up for spreading, or melt your cheese on the toast. At a pinch, warm croissants.
This is Miriam’s number 1 pick.
Miriam: You can toast your bread in a cast iron pan; with butter, oil or dry. I tried this with Vogels in a dry pan, and it did work, though very slowly. I thought it would dry the toast out too much, but didnt. I consulted the internet on this, being short of experience.
FueledWithFood suggests: Cast iron: preheat the pan on medium; 3 mins each side, 2 mins if you use butter in the pan. Carbon steel: medium for plain bread, low if you use butter in the pan; 2 mins per side. Nonstick: low and slow, 3 mins each side, half that if you use butter in the pan. Stainless steel: don’t do it.
Fried bread
soupaddict: “The texture of fried bread is just perfect. I like bread out of the toaster as much as the next person, but if you’re like me, you automatically reach for the butter or other condiments to moisten the bread. It’s just better that way. With fried toast, there’s a nice balance of crunchy texture and olive oil lusciousness. Sprinkle a little finishing salt on top, and you could eat it sans toppings.” Just needs a drizzle of oil in the pan.
OR: Go old-school and truly minimilist and hold the toast over the gas flame!(And let us know how you get on.)
Miriam: I think it all depends on your gas burners and the kind of bread. A toaster can be perfect for one and hopeless for another.
White bread toasts fast and easy. More dense bread such as Vogels toasts slowly, whatever toaster you use.
NOTE: Any draft while you are toasting can slow things down as the heat can go sideways instead of directly up to the bread. A wind shield helps with this (even inside!).
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12 Winter 2025
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