Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The Ember Oven from InstaFire is an interesting option for off-grid cooking and emergency preparedness. This portable oven is designed to bake without electricity, using InstaFire Canned Heat+ indoors or biomass like sticks, twigs and leaves outdoors. In this Ember Oven overview, we’ll walk through what the maker says it does and why preppers are adding it to their emergency cooking plans.
What Is the Ember Oven?
The Ember Oven is a portable, off-grid baking oven. Unlike camp stoves that only provide direct heat, InstaFire says the Ember uses patent-pending convection heating to bake food evenly, much like a home oven. That means baked goods and oven dishes that are hard to make on a basic camp stove.
The oven is made of cold-rolled steel fused with aluminum for a lightweight design. Indoors, the maker recommends using ONLY InstaFire Canned Heat+ as fuel. Outdoors, it can run on biomass such as leaves, twigs, wood chips and charcoal (burning biomass produces smoke, and biomass fuels are for outdoor use only).
Key Features
- True oven cooking: the maker says it can reach temperatures as high as 550°F
- Two fuel options: InstaFire Canned Heat+ indoors, biomass (sticks, twigs, leaves, wood chips, charcoal) outdoors only
- Portable: compact and easy to carry, with an optional carrying case sold separately
- Construction: cold-rolled steel fused with aluminum
- Temperature control: an air-control knob and rear vent adjust oxygen flow when burning biomass
- Oven chamber: 5″ tall x 11 3/4″ wide x 8″ deep, with a 5″ x 11″ opening
Why Preppers Need an Ember Oven
Most emergency cooking solutions focus on boiling water and heating canned goods. But in a prolonged emergency, you’ll want more than rehydrated meals. With an oven like the Ember, you can:
- Bake bread from stored flour and yeast
- Prepare casseroles that stretch ingredients further
- Roast small cuts of meat that fit the chamber
- Make comfort foods that boost morale during hard times
- Add variety to meals for your family
Pair your Ember Oven with a solid 1-year emergency food supply and you’ll have a much stronger food plan.
How It Cooks
We have not cooked with the Ember Oven ourselves, so here is what the maker says about how it works:
- A two-layer burn chimney increases oxygen flow to capture more heat from a small flame
- A patent-pending heat distribution manifold circulates heat evenly through the oven chamber
- Preheating takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes, according to InstaFire
- With canned heat, you manage temperature by snuffing out and capping a can, or relighting it if the temperature drops
The maker says the design captures almost all of the heat from even a small flame. That matters when you’re rationing fuel during an extended emergency.
Portability and Storage
InstaFire describes the Ember as compact, lightweight and easy to carry, and sells a carrying case separately. The maker does not sell pans for it, so measure the 11 3/4″ x 8″ chamber and pick bakeware that fits before an emergency. For vehicle kits, cabins and home emergency storage, it is a manageable size.
Best Fuel Sources
For emergency preparedness, use the fuel the maker approves for where you are cooking:
- InstaFire Canned Heat+: the only fuel the maker recommends for indoor baking; each can burns up to 6 hours (varies by altitude and conditions)
- Sticks, twigs and leaves: free outdoor fuel that burns hot but fast
- Wood chips: another outdoor-only biomass option
- Charcoal: outdoor only; the maker says it takes longer to heat up but gives steadier, longer heat
Ember Oven vs Dutch Oven
Traditional Dutch ovens work well but require coals and careful temperature management, and they are outdoor tools. The Ember Oven’s big difference is that the maker approves it for indoor baking with Canned Heat+, plus it has built-in air controls. Dutch ovens win on simplicity and have no fuel restrictions outdoors, while the Ember offers an indoor, no-electricity baking option.
Who Should Buy an Ember Oven?
The Ember Oven is ideal for:
- Preppers planning for extended power outages
- Off-grid homesteaders and cabin owners
- Car campers who want better cooking options
- Anyone tired of basic camp stove limitations
If you’re building a comprehensive emergency kitchen, the Ember Oven pairs well with the VESTA self-powered heater for cooking and heating capabilities. Both run on InstaFire Canned Heat+, so one fuel covers both.
Final Verdict
On paper, the Ember Oven is a smart addition for anyone serious about off-grid cooking. The ability to bake and roast, not just boil and fry, expands your emergency meal options. Follow the maker’s fuel and ventilation guidance, and combine it with properly stored emergency food supplies for a more complete plan when the grid goes down.
Sources: InstaFire Ember Off-Grid Biomass Oven product page; InstaFire Canned Heat+ run time from the VESTA product page at My Patriot Supply.