Bean bag that does the cooking and saves energy

Just when you thought the beanbag had disappeared completely, a new version has returned with an unexpected lease of life.

Called the Wonderbag, it is an insulated bag in which people can cook anything from meaty stews or vegetable curries to simple rice and soups. You heat up your pot of food on the stove, kick-starting the cooking process and then place it in the bag.

It’s clever insulating properties allow food that has been brought to the boil to finish cooking while in the bag without the use of additional energy. So, families can cook appetising hot meals, while saving energy – and money.

It originated in South Africa where 150,000 have been sold and this is expected to rise to at least 5 million over 5 years.

Here are a few of the things the bag claims to do. It reduces a family’s fuel usage by 30% – saving money and easing poverty. It reduces CO2 emissions. It reduces toxic fumes which means less respiratory problems and other diseases, particularly in children.  It reduces accidents in the kitchen, because stoves are used less.

It reduces time spent cooking, giving more time for child-care and other activities. It saves precious water. When the pot is insulated in the bag at a fairly constant temperature, less evaporation occurs, so less water is needed.

It saves food. 20% of all staple food in Africa is burned, due to pots being placed on open fires and unregulated stove tops. With the bag, apparently no burning happens.

More information: www.wonderbag.com