Non-Electric Utensils

Our Grandmothers used them and some of our mothers, as well. However, many people today only own electric kitchen utensils. Gone are the hand-cranked mixers and hand mills for grinding grain into flour. Some families may not even own a hand crank can opener. If the power grid goes down, hand-operated utensils will be essential, so it’s time to take stock of the non-electric kitchen utensils you may need.

Let’s start with the 3 mentioned above. I have 3 or 4 manual can openers. I have so many because only one really works. I need to throw out the others and make more space in my drawer. If you have a trusted manual can opener, buy one more. Can openers are difficult to sharpen and really do dull over time. How fast they become useless depends on how much they are used. In any case, have a spare! You don’t want to end up having to use a knife to cut into cans.

I recently purchased a “retro” hand mixer. It has a wheel with a handle attached and two beaters that turn when the wheel is rotated. This manual appliance can be used as a whisk or mixer, depending on how fast you turn the wheel. I remember my mother having one of these when I was young. Cooking is so very much easier and less time consuming when all the mixing doesn’t have to be done by hand. Let’s face it - if there IS an emergency that knocks out power, life in general, and cooking specifically, will get far more difficult and time-consuming. Any manual appliance that will help save time and effort should be seriously considered. 

The third appliance, which I mentioned in a previous post, is a hand-crank mill. This can be used to grind wheat and rice into flour. It can also be used to grind coffee beans, corn, nuts (for nut butters, like peanut butter), seeds, and herbs. This is an appliance that really is a MUST for every household in the case of an extended power outage. Most manual mills attach to a table. They range in price from very inexpensive to VERY expensive. The most expensive ones have a series of wheels that allow for minimal effort with maximum output. I now have two: an inexpensive one that I believe my sons can operate easily for me, and a nicer, heavy-duty cast iron one that should take abuse and last a lifetime.

Another absolute essential is an emergency radio. You can purchase these easily on-line, either solar-powered or hand-cranked. An emergency radio is essential to hear broadcasts that will provide infrastructure information, such as whether or not tap water is safe to use and updates on the power grid. Many of these emergency radios can also be used to charge cellphones and other electronics. 

Alternate lighting is another essential. Candles and lanterns can be a fire hazard, so you should consider flashlights and work lights and have enough for every room of your house and every person living in your home. You might also consider in advance how to store these near the doorway into each room so family members can easily access them. Consider putting a wrist strap on every flashlight and keep enough screw-in hooks to put next to the light switch of every room. In an emergency, you can install these screws and hang a flashlight next to every light switch. You might also want to invest in lanyards for every family member that they can wear around their necks with a flashlight attached. All of the bathrooms in my house are interior rooms that have no windows. Even in broad daylight, it’s difficult to see in these rooms. You might also consider battery-operated push lights for closets. These attach via a sticker on the back and just have to be tapped to turn on. In rooms not accessed very often, this is something you can do now to prepare in advance.

You can purchase hand-crank flashlights. If you choose to go the route of battery-operated ones, make sure to also stock up on batteries. Conserve your batteries as much as possible by opening blinds and curtains during the day and remaining, as much as possible, in rooms that have sunlight. Gather as a family in a single room in the evening, using a worklight that allows everyone to see. As family members retire, they need only to use their flashlights for a short time as they prepare for bed.

You might also seriously consider using rechargeable batteries. These are more costly up-front, but payoff well when recharged over and over again. You can also purchase solar rechargers for rechargeable batteries. There are solar chargers on the market for cellphones and other electronics, as well. Use the sun’s power as much as you can. It will save you money in the long run.

One last note on batteries. Duracell batteries have a 10-year shelf life. If you purchase them right now and don’t use them for 8 years, they will still be fresh when you do. Energizers have a 20-year shelf life, making these an excellent investment.

If you’re wondering about all the fuss over the power grid, there are some important facts you need to understand about the U.S. power. In 1989, Canada suffered a power outage due to a solar flare. In 2003, a “software bug” power outage left 45 million people in eight different states and 10 million people in Canada without power. In 2015, over Christmas and, again, in 2017, Russia succeeded in cutting power to 250,000 in the Ukraine, including 911 services. Just this year, hackers were able to take the Colonial Pipeline offline, and numerous airports and other infrastructures have been attacked by cyber terrorists. These have not yet resulted in a significant loss, but we are playing the odds now. Add to that weather issues, like the loss of power in Texas due to flooding, and the brown-outs in California due to fires and droughts, and you begin to get a picture of how frail our power system is. And a huge issue is the age of our current power grid, most of which was built in the 1900’s. Almost without exception, the grid in the U.S. is at least 30 years old, with very little updating. The system is antiquated and not able to provide adequate service to all Americans already. Without expensive improvements and new power sources, the system will fail. Why have power companies begun offering incentives to users willing to convert to solar power and sell their excess, unused power back to the power companies? The answer, of course, is that the power companies realize they have reached capacity and will not be able to provide adequate power to all their users without alternatives. Encouraging consumers to generate their own power and sell the excess is a great solution. But it should also help consumers understand the severity of the problem.

Preparing for a loss of power is not an “End of the World” scenario. It’s just common sense. Look at your kitchen utensils, flashlights, and batteries. Purchase solar versions of anything you can, manual versions of others. Do your research so you understand the current state of our power grid and can protect your family  in a power failure.