We all know that we rely on power for so many things in modern day life, but do we realize just how much we rely on it for otherwise mundane tasks? I don’t mean simply charging a cell phone or watching television, but tasks that are actually useful, like around the kitchen.
I’d imagine you have an electric can opener and maybe a handheld one, too, but do you have a manual mixer, like an egg beater? Maybe you drink coffee or heat water using an electric percolator, but do you have a backup you can heat on the stove?
Many things, such as a meat grinder or pasta maker, can be useful on a regular basis, while other items, like a citrus juicer or food chopper, are merely a convenience. In any case, the idea is to consider which items you rely on–even rarely–that are difficult to replicate if/when the power goes out at an inconvenient time or forever, and then buy them while you still can.
Fortunately, most of these items are relatively inexpensive, though the Sun Oven she mentions in the video below is rather expensive unless you, like me, are truly planning for a SHTF scenario…then it’s going to be worth its weight in gold.
One piece of equipment that she didn’t mention, which I was surprised by, is a manual grain grinder, something that’s crucial to grinding wheat to turn into flour. I’ve tried a few of these over the years, and if you want the best results, then you really need to buy a good one, such as the WonderMill that I use. But I wouldn’t go purchasing one right out of the gate unless you both have plenty of wheat to grind AND you intend on using it to make bread or other milled products, though you can use the WonderMill to grind all sorts of grains for a variety of purposes.
At the very least, dig through your kitchen drawers and consider which, if any, electrical-powered items you simply cannot live without if the power goes out and then purchase manual options. Remember, too, that having backups can be useful, especially of such critical items like a can opener.
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