"I recall you don't like pressurized gas appliances, but... "

I should have been clearer about that... my only reservations are about pressurized gasoline (white gas, Coleman fuel) or other liquids. When that type of lantern and stove first became available an awful lot of farm houses burned down before people figured out they weren't for indoors. A lot of people have now forgotten that lesson. I've been talking to people who have been cooking over Coleman stoves in their houses. I've tried to convince some that it's a bad idea, but they don't want to hear it.

I don't really have the same reservations about propane or butane cannisters, and it's a good suggestion. It's certainly convenient, and unlike the Esbit, you can actually control the temperature enough to simmer foods...or, say, cook an omlette.

On the other hand, Esbit is cheap, simple, non-toxic (unlike some similar solid fuels) very compact, has a long shelf life... and generally all I'm trying to do is get coffee and tea.

I think Lehman's (Amish country hardware) still has kerosene refrigerators. Not going to spend that kind of money just to chill the wine, though. :-) Only a problem maybe 5 months out of the year anyway...

"I suspect the the cost of a SMALL portable generator to power a freezer is less than the cost of the contents of the freezer."

Well, not in my case. The stuff in the 'fridges got moved to coolers with the ice from the freezers once the ice started to melt, so that food was Ok for the short period involved. Total contents of the freezer was probably between $50 and $100. Actually, since the restaurants and grocery stores were open, we didn't even use any of the MRE's in the basement. :-)

I'm still unconvinced on the generator thing. As I said, I heard them dying, presumably from lack of fuel, and being restarted at 2 or 4 in the morning... and reports from the Montreal blackout included a lot of them being stolen. Then there's the noise- turns out we attracted more attention than I really like just by having bright lights.

But maybe someday I'll be convinced. If this becomes a regular thing (and no one scoffs at that idea any more).

Glad you and yours weathered the whole thing safely.