Meals without an oven or hob.

[Mummaluelae]

Long story short. We are moving. Private rented and may have to go 1 month at the most without an oven.
What could I cook using the things I already have? Don't always want to get take away
I have a toaster and toastie maker which are obv self explanatory.
Air fryer for chips
Rice cooker for rice and steamed veg
Microwave.
We have no BBQ or grill.
An please please please no recommendations of bacon cooked microwave!

With an air fryer you can cook anything which would go into a hot oven.
With a microwave you can cook anything wet that you would normally do in a pan.
The only thing you have lost really is the ability to cook slowly.

Chicken and spuds done in the air fryer, veg in the steamer.
Beans in microwave, toast in toaster.
pasta and sauce in microwave(you won't be able to make a good Bolognese but any relatively quick sauce should work).
sausages in air fryer, mash in microwave (scoop out middles of baked), veg in steamer.
You will need to be a little inventive but really there isn't much you can't do.

Search for the toastie threads on here- some of the suggestions are great and you really can do lots of things other than standard cheese and ham.

Jacket potatoes in the microwave are fine, and you can do egg rice/ jambalaya in the rice cooker.

I lived for four months without an oven or hob in the winter and relied heavily on my slow cooker if you have one? They are great for one pot meals.

If you are in Facebook- there are air fryer groups there where people cook almost everything with air friers

Slow cookers are great for soups and stews. Most things can be cooked in a microwave. If you should want to be able to fry something like an egg or bacon then you can get a portable gas canister stove like for camping from places like Go Outdoors/Halfords for about £12, and the canisters are pretty cheap.

A camping stove is great for cooking on.

Couscous and feta salad www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/11690/10minute-couscous-salad
Risotto www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2026/quick-tomato-risotto
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3005/microwave-butternut-squash-risotto
Chilli con carne www.bbc.com/food/recipes/microwave_chilli_con_83522
Spaghetti bolognese www.bbc.com/food/recipes/microwave_spaghetti_44920
Burritos www.bbc.com/food/recipes/bean_and_rice_burrito_33565
Spy salmon noodles www.bbc.com/food/recipes/microwave_soy_salmon_07689

Scrambled eggs are super easy. Crack a couple of eggs into a microwave-safe bowl, whisk well, season and pop in the microwave for 30 second bursts, stirring occasionally. The key to getting soft, fluffy eggs that aren't rubbery is to take them out of the microwave before they look ready to eat, as they will continue to cook.

You can cook pasta in the microwave. Immerse the pasta in salted, boiling water. You don't need a lid. Stir in a splash of oil to stop the pasta from sticking together. Add 3–4 minutes to the suggested cooking time – then you can get forget about it and get on with other things!


Look for pouches of Heinz creations there are a few varieties and they make a really quick and easy meal with a pouch of microwave rice.

And there’s always the famous microwave chocolate cake so you needn’t miss out on that either.

Poach fish in the microwave, jacket potatoes .You can get a pasta cooker for mw. Slow cooker for stews, bolognese/pasta sauces, soup, roasts.

Thanks for ideas. I have no intention in buying a slow cooker. Pasta cooker or camping hob and gas canisters because they just would t get used afterwards

Reconsider the slow cooker you can do a roast joint in one, also baked potatoes, whole cooked chicken and lasagna. Oh and you can do a cooked breakfast over night.

Rice cooker - do rice with coconut milk, peas, beans and stick a couple of pieces of fish and some spices.

You can also use it for frittata, omelettes etc.

Potato waffles cook well in a toaster.

Another way to microwave eggs, sort of poached. Rub a little butter into a ramekin, put in an egg, pierce the yolk (this is essential) and cook on 50% power for a minute.

You could ask around to see if you could borrow one. For example I have two old induction hobs which I had when our kitchen was being refurbed

So it’s worth asking.

Definitely worth asking around if any friends have a portable hob you can borrow. I bought a portable induction hob for when we were having the kitchen built. Also, I've always owned a portable camping stove for when the electricity fails, mostly due to bad weather but it can sometimes be turned off if they are doing repairs locally. With a wok or deep frying pan on a portable stove, you can cook loads of meals.

Been there! If funds allow buy a teppanake grill - an electric hot plate designed to sit on a table so won't mark. We lived on stir fries and rice (I also have a rice cooker), salads, hot chicken from the deli counter, microwave meals, slow cooker meals (it was summer so curries, chillis rather than beef stew)