Can you cook a meal on the engine block?

Question

To save time (and money) cooking at home, when you leave work, could you put some food on the engine block, so it would be cooked by the time you got home. Has anyone tried it?

Answer 1

Yes, absolutely. There's actually a cookbook that's become something of a classic, called "Manifold Destiny". Not only does it include recipies, but it goes into some detail on how you can regulate temperature by attaching your meal to various parts of the engine, and it describes the sorts of pots and untensils you can use. At one time, the author sponsored a drive-in cooking contest!

Answer 2

I haven't tried it, but it has been done, although not while the vehicle is moving. American GIs sometimes used the engine blocks of their Jeeps to heat their rations when out in the field. To my knowledge, the vehicles were always stationary though.

There's probably way too much chance for things to jostle around and get jerked into some moving part they shouldn't if the vehicle is in motion. Furthermore, the cooking time of your chosen meal would have to be pretty flexible because you don't know exactly how long you'll be in transit (traffic jams would be bad).

So yeah, it's been done, but I don't think I'd use it as a time-saver over the daily commute. Get some microwavable meals - 2 or 3 mins on the other side is a lot less expensive than getting a mechanic to fix the alternator because your muffin pan got caught up in the serpentine belt. ;)

Answer 3

You sure can, though grease and dirt from the engine may make it taste like crap.

Early Model T Fords were actually modified slightly to have the exhaust run along the side of car to heat a small oven-like box that would roast or bake food while driving.

Answer 4

The TV chef and small holder, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, cooked a whole fish on his engine block on an episode of "A Cook On The Wild Side."
Apparently, it was very tasty!
Mind you, he has cooked and eaten human Afterbirth, so I wouldn't follow his gastranomic advice too closely!

Answer 5

It's been a long time ago, and with the price of gas now, ZI don't think it's done as often. We used to use the exaust manifold but not while we were traveling because it would fall off. You can do hot dogs, baked potatos, just wrap in foil.
We didn't do it too often, maybe at a keg party or something.

Answer 6

Not, directly on an engine block. But, I would say if some dumb-*** wanted to they could rig-up a grill or skillet surface directly above an engine. So, when the Engine was running and was heated the heat would rise, therefore heating and cooking whatever was above it!

Totally-Tim

Answer 7

My husband bought a book called "Manifold Destiny" that not only told you how to do it but also had recipes. When we were dating he lived in NJ and would strap a meal onto his engine and drive up to see me in Boston where we would eat it. All the recipes were good.

I don't know if the book's in print anymore. The important thing is to double wrap the food in the heavy duty aluminum foil so it doesn't taste oily.

Answer 8

Done it loads of times.Steak takes about 5 miles at 70mph.
Make sure you wrap it in a few layers of tinfoil,stop it getting oily,and use thick wire to hold it to the exhaust headers.Cans of stuff should have a hole punched in the top,nothing buggers an engine bay like an exploding can of stew.!

Answer 9

Only tried it with sausage rolls on my Triumph motorbike - bought 6 cold sausage rolls - stuck them in foil between the cam covers and rode home - 20 mins cooked to a treat and really hot.

Answer 10

McDonald's is rumored to have been using engine grease for years and people seem to like it. I don't think they do because it's too hard popping the engine hoods for the drive thru crowd.