Long-haul truckers are the backbone of our economy, but life on the road means being limited to truck stops for hot meals. While some drivers cook in their sleeper cabs with plug-in appliances, that often requires idling the engine—burning fuel and making noise just to heat up dinner. Cooking outside means hauling a separate grill and fuel, taking up valuable storage space.

Newr offers a better way. We created Chef: a battery-powered, smart induction burner with smartphone integration and an expandable cooking surface. It’s designed for the reality of the road.

Here are five key benefits of cooking with Chef, and four major drawbacks of sticking with the old methods.

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5 Advantages of Cooking with Chef

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1. Cook Anywhere Without Idling Your Engine

‍Chef is a powerful, battery-powered induction burner. This gives you the peace of mind to park your truck at any rest stop or remote location and cook a real meal without ever turning the key. Its battery is designed to handle a full day’s worth of cooking, so you’re never at the mercy of a truck stop kitchen’s hours or whatever is left on the food warmer.

2. Fits in a Crowded Cab

‍Space in a sleeper cab is precious. Too often, a hot meal is limited to whatever fits in a heated lunchbox. Chef is designed to be compact, portable, and easy to store. It sets up on any small, flat surface—even the top of a cooler—and when you're done, it takes up about the same amount of space as a pair of work boots.

3. Fast, Safe, and Easy to Clean

‍After a long day, the last thing you want is a long cleanup. Because Chef uses induction, it only heats the pan, not the surface around it. The glass top is cool to the touch moments after you remove the cookware, meaning no waiting around to wipe it down. This also makes it significantly safer than appliances with exposed hot surfaces—a huge plus in the tight quarters of a cab.

4. Recharge From Your Truck or Any Outlet

‍Flexibility is key on the road. Chef can be recharged from any standard 110-120V wall outlet or directly from your truck's alternator while you drive. This means that no matter where you are, you can easily top up your burner, ensuring you always have a reliable way to cook.

5. Get Notified on Your Phone

‍Why should your doorbell be smarter than your stove? With the Newr app, Chef sends notifications to your smartphone. You’ll know exactly when the water is boiling for your pasta or when your meal has reached the perfect temperature, reducing stress and eliminating cooking errors while you relax.

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4 Disadvantages of Traditional On-the-Road Cooking

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1. The High Cost of Idling

‍Using a standard plug-in appliance forces you to idle your truck's engine, which burns expensive diesel fuel for the entire time you're cooking. That's like paying a "fuel tax" on every meal you make. A battery-powered solution like Chef eliminates this cost entirely.

2. The Hassle of Grills, Hoses, and Tanks

‍Outdoor grills require you to haul bulky propane tanks or bags of charcoal, along with all the necessary hoses and accessories. This equipment eats up storage space that could be used for other essentials and requires a significant amount of setup and teardown time.

3. Limited to a Fixed Cooking Space

‍With most portable grills or stovetops, what you see is what you get. If you need to cook more food than fits on the surface, you’re out of luck. Chef was designed with an expandable cooking surface. Inspired by building blocks, you can connect multiple Chef units together to create a larger, seamless cooktop whenever you need it.

4. Safety Risks in a Small Space

‍Using open flames from a propane grill or dealing with surfaces that stay dangerously hot long after you’re done cooking is a significant safety risk in and around your truck. Induction cooking is inherently safer, as it eliminates open flames and dramatically reduces the risk of accidental burns.