I don't disagree with anything miniMe said, but I might add a couple of thoughts.<br><br>As he indicated, water is always going to be a very high priority, and cooking a relatively low one.<br><br>That having been said, assuming that in your projected scenario you've really taken care of all the higher priority items and are still concerned about cooking, there are a couple of things I might consider:<br><br>One- MREs with MRE heaters. This is a short-term solution, but it will get you hot food. You pour a little water in the heater and it heats up the pouch in about 10 minutes, no flame. Some ventilation is needed for any food-heating option.. but, after a big one in an apartment, you may already have a lot more ventilation than you need.<br><br>Two- for longer term I MIGHT consider an Alpaca kerosene combination heater/stove. Kerosene is much safer than gasoline (white gas, Coleman fuel, whatever) and stores much better (at least 5 years). This one-burner stove/heater is, as far as I know, unique in that it's built on the same principles as kerosene space heaters, and is designed for use without venting (chimney, ducting), NOT without ventilation. It's pretty small (about a foot high), but efficient, and as a heater will take the chill off of an apartment in a pinch as well.<br><br>I would never consider any gasoline/Coleman fuel stove (or lantern!) for indoor use, and I have used them outdoors for a lot of years. Also, before I purchased any heaters or stoves for indoor use, I bought both fire extinguishers and battery-powered combination smoke detector/CO (carbon monoxide) detectors. The model I bought is easliy detatchable from the ceiling (twist) for use in whatever room you're cooking in or heating. I wouldn't want to use a kerosene space heater without one or two.<br><br>Also be aware that such devices should be stored empty and dry (which can be a hassle after use), and from that state it will probably take 3 hours or so for kerosene to saturate a dry wick- so this is not a quick option. I'd think about filling it as the MREs or MRE heaters were getting low, unless it was really cold.<br><br>Of course, cooking outside is always preferable when feasible. You really, really don't want a fire. The ethic your mother taught you of turning the lights out when you leave a room used to be life-and-death, not just the electric bill.. when all light was combustion, getting in the habit of leaving a room with one burning vitually guaranteed that sooner or later you would burn down your house. Never leave any flame unattended, even by dozing off. If you have a fire of any kind going, you need someone on fire watch.<br>