Cooking Without Power
Safe ways to eat and cook during an outage: cold meals, gas stove use, outdoor stoves, heating cans, and safe internal temperatures in both countries.
Start with food that needs no cooking. Commercially canned food can be eaten straight from the can. Hot food is a comfort, and worth doing only when you can do it safely.
Carbon monoxide warning. Generators, camp stoves, barbecues, charcoal, and kerosene or propane burners give off carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell and which can kill within minutes. Never use them indoors, or in a garage, basement, shed, tent or covered porch, even with doors and windows open. Outdoors, keep them at least 20 feet (6 m) from doors, windows and vents.
Options, safest first
- No-cook meals. See the 14-day meal ideas.
- Gas stove, if it still works. Canada.ca says a natural gas stove can be used to prepare food. Never use it, or the oven, to heat your home.
- Outdoor camp stove or barbecue. Outdoors only, at least 20 feet (6 m) from doors, windows and vents. Bring food inside once cooked.
- Ready.gov also lists candle warmers, chafing dishes, fondue pots and fireplaces. Use open flames only under watch, with a fire extinguisher nearby. These burn fuel inside your home, so keep the room ventilated and a working carbon monoxide alarm nearby, and use a fireplace only if the chimney and flue are clean. Leave and call 911 if the alarm sounds.
If there is wildfire smoke outside, avoid cooking indoors at high heat.
Heating cans
Ready.gov advises: remove the label, wash and disinfect the can with 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, and open the can before heating. Never heat a sealed can.
Safe internal temperatures
If you have fresh meat that is still safe, cook it fully and use a thermometer. US and Canadian charts are not the same.
| Food | US (FoodSafety.gov) | Canada (Health Canada) |
|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, ground pork | 160°F (71°C) | 71°C (160°F) |
| Pork chops, roasts | 145°F (63°C), rest 3 min | 71°C (160°F) |
| Beef steaks, roasts | 145°F (63°C), rest 3 min | 63°C (145°F) medium-rare |
| Poultry pieces, ground | 165°F (74°C) | 74°C (165°F) |
| Whole poultry | 165°F (74°C) | 82°C (180°F) |
| Fish | 145°F (63°C) | 70°C (158°F) |
| Leftovers | 165°F (74°C) | 74°C (165°F) |
Use the chart for your country. If in doubt, use the higher number.
Only use boiled or treated water in cooking.
Checklist
0 of 7 ticked
Before you cook 0/3
Outdoor stove rules 0/4
Everything on this list is ticked. Check it again when you rotate your supplies.
Where to buy
Some links earn me a commission at no cost to you. How this works.
Camp stove, outdoor use only
Coleman: Coleman Classic 2-Burner Propane Camp Stove
A two-burner propane stove for cooking through an outage; use it outdoors only, never indoors or in a garage, because it produces carbon monoxide.
Manual can opener
OXO: OXO Good Grips Lock & Go Can Opener
A manual opener that works without power and has locking arms that hold the can while you turn.
Sources
- Ready.gov: Food https://www.ready.gov/food
- FEMA/Ready.gov: Be Prepared for a Power Outage (PDF) https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/ready.gov_power-outage_hazard-info-sheet.pdf
- Canada.ca: Power outages, how to prepare https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/hazards-emergencies/power-outages/how-prepare.html
- CDC: What to Do to Protect Yourself During a Power Outage https://www.cdc.gov/natural-disasters/response/what-to-do-protect-yourself-during-a-power-outage.html
- FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures
- Health Canada: Safe cooking temperatures https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/general-food-safety-tips/safe-internal-cooking-temperatures.html
- EPA: Reduce Your Smoke Exposure https://www.epa.gov/wildfires/reduce-your-smoke-exposure
Updated November 9, 2026