Many of us who use the Guru cook with an empty pan. The method that works well for me is to crumple up about 3 sheets of aluminum foil into a ball, uncrumple the foil, place them in the water pan and then place a full sheet of HD foil over the pan. The crumpled foil assists with shielding the heat. That is the method that was recommended by Shotgun Fred. I've often wondered how that method would work without using the Guru. Let us know how it works out. It should definitely help conserve fuel. The real question is whether or not temperature control becomes more problematic.