The Dreampot is a great example of Aussie ingenuity creating a product that has a terrific number of applications for all those who go camping and travelling. Think of all the times that you have arrived at a camping ground or holiday destination by motor car and then needed to rustle up a meal for hungry ankle biters, mates or the cheese and kisses.

This neat invention can best be compared to a giant Thermos flask insofar as it is an efficient way to keep prepared food either hot or cold. But that's not the complete story either, as the Dreampot's full insulation serves to complete cooking as one travels.

Put simply the Dreampot is obviously a really smart way of taking a hot or cold dish just about anywhere really. Examples would be family picnics, visiting friends, a special function, or soon as one arrives at the chosen destination with the eating team on the starting blocks ready to go.

There are currently two Dreampots available: a 6L model and the slightly smaller 5L pot. Each Dreampot contains a pair of stainless steel bowls that serve as cook pots as well as storage containers within the main Dreampot unit.

Remember that the Dreampot will actually complete cooking: if a meal is nearly cooked the Dreampot finishes the job as one travels which is a pretty handy situation. The idea is to select the right sized bowl for the job and then use it accordingly. Either way, once the hot meal is inside the stainless steel bowl the latter item is placed inside the fully insulated Dreampot and the lid closed down and locked into place.

Alternatively, if cold food is to be transported it's chilled to the required temperature and then placed in the unit.

In practice I found the Dreampot worked just fine. A lovely venison stew was cooked to near perfection the 5L bowl and then placed straight from the stove into the Dreampot while the stew was still simmering. I found that the neat fitting handle on the stainless bowl made placement in the unit very easy and not at all likely to cause tender fingers to be burned or scalded. Once the bowl is sitting within the main unit the handle lays down neatly into a recess to allow the lid to close correctly. We took the Dreampot loaded with stew for a three-hour drive and when we opened it for a meal later I found that the stew was virtually as hot as when it went into the unit. And absolutely delicious!

As I mentioned, this item can be likened to a giant Thermos flask, with the trapped air and insulation keeping things at the same core temtperature as when the were placed in there – very similar to a Thermos flask.

The manufacturers of the Dreampot, Green Brothers Wholesale from Bundaberg, see the unit as a portable cooker, a rice cooker, bain-marie, cooler and yoghurt maker. I certainly could not argue with any of those claims. A recipe book is part of the Dreampot kit so an owner should be able to turn out some pretty exciting and very palatable tucker.

Overall, the Dreampot is a very well made and robust item. It's large enough to the do the job yet a convenient size for tucking into the car or boat. Finish is absolutely top shelf and each unit has a strong carry handle for ease of transportation.

The 5L model sells for $249 while the 6L sells for $279. An investment in one of these units would be for the long term considering the excellent workmanship on these items.

The reviewed Dreampot was made available by Great Escape Camping Co. of Slacks Creek on (07) 3808 9924.