Caravan BBQ Options
Good evening, we are hoping to get some advice and guidance on what people are using for a gas BBQ and what your thoughts are.
We are hoping our first major trip to Devon & Cornwall in June might still take place if things continue to improve. Santa brought us a nice Air Porch Awning so we are looking at a BBQ now.
I have seen various reports about the Cadac but I can't help feeling it is a lot of money and it is essentially a kettle bbq. I have seen on a couple of sites a folding option which has a couple of side trays which are handy and it is only about £90. It seems to get a good report too.
We have an Eccles 560 with an external gas point and there will just be the 2 of us and our 2 cocker spaniels.
Can I ask for your thoughts and recommendations please, all contributions gratefully received. TIA.
Comments
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My experience of gas BBQs is that you definitely get what you pay for. I've lost count of the number of cheaper ones I have bought over the years and ended up throwing away after a year or so because they either don't cook properly or start to rust and look unsightly - or are difficult to clean.
I don't have any experience of the Cadac, but plenty of people use them so they must be OK - but I have a Weber Q1000 - indeed I now have two. The original one is 6 years old - still looks virtually new - cooks perfectly, every time and is easy to clean. Perfect size for two people but I have also catered for 25 for Ros's big birthday a few years ago - hence the two that I now have.
You will have to convert it to plug into your caravan - but that's easy and the gas canisters they are designed to run on are cheap and easily available and gives you the advantage of being able to use it away from the van if you want to.
They are expensive but as I said at the start if it lasts 10 years (and there's no reason why it shouldn't) it's a worthwhile investment.
The main thing is that I get perfect results - every time!
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My tip is buy one you think is portable and the easiest to keep clean. I am not a great fan of gas BBQs but I have a >Cadac Grillo Chef< the biggest problem I have with it is, if it goes out for any reason and it is hot it is difficult to relight. l a also have an >O-Grill< much more portable than the Cadac but more difficult to keep clean.
I sometimes take a >Cob charcoal BBQ< away with us in preference but at home I always use a charcoal one.
peedee
P.S. I have two sets of pipe for the Cadac which I made up, one for use with the external BBQ point and on for use with a gas cylinder.
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For the last 10 years we have used a Cadac>safari chef<. Although it requires a table to stand on, it is much less bulky than the grillo type and is plenty big enough for two.
Ours is the original version and the design has changed somewhat over the years. It is now getting close to needing replacement and that will be with the current version.
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Hi, For us charcoal is a non starter-literally!
Having wasted lots of time over the years trying to get the BBQ lit we bit the bullet as the site we were going to in France only permitted gas-thats still tyhe case so something to consider if going abroad.
But, the main reason is that my wife does not really like the taste of BBQd food-I have to say this might have been more down to my cooking skills, or lack of, than the actual appliance!
Our first was a huge, cumbersome and heavy lava coals type so, whilst visiting friends in Holland, went to Obelink and bought a Cadac Carri Chef.
I cannot recommend them enough, and we are now on our second one, and it is so easy, and quick, to set up and store/carry.
It is very controllable and we use it most days, when the weather is suitable, while on holiday, for anything from a breakfast to main meal and even pizzas.
We have the skottel top, like a shallow dished wok, and non stick liners mean that cleaning is minimal-often just a wipe over-however, the full on BBQ with 'sticky' foods will necessitate more cleaning but it does, to me seem easier than I recall with my charcoal BBQ.
Another big advantage for us is that, due to its portability and ease of assembly, we keep it at home, where it gets well used, and this makes the cost/benefit equation more attractive.
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We use a 10 year old Uniflame table top gas bbq, very portable has legs that fold flat for easy storage, it is also very easy to keep clean, and heats up very quickly, nice temperature guage in the lid.
Prefer gas whilst away as we eat a lot of fish, which if you cover in lemon, wrap in tinfoil cooks in less than 10 minutes, so the whole cooking process is over in no more than 15 minutes, and the bbq stays clean, pretty much the same for chicken portions, good piece of steak, and sweetcorn wrapped in tinfoil, whereas it can take 30 - 45 mins for a traditional bbq to heat up, and then you have to wait for it to cool down before you can move or clean, too much hassle.
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In reality all those fuelled by gas or electric are nothing but outside cookers. If you really want that proper BBQ experience and taste it has to be solid fuel. Wood is best, then charcoal, then briquettes. For simplicity and ease of cleaning the best compromise option for me is the Cobb using cobblestone fuel. This is one of the few BBQs you can use on a normal picnic table or indeed carry to the table (outside) to serve up from.
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Agree the Cobb is excellent. We use one at home, the gas cadac while away. However, the cobblestones, although very good if cooking a whole chicken, are a bit overkill and very expensive if you only want to BBQ some sausages, or fish. A box of 6 is now £15. Although a bit more messy, about 10 briquettes in the fire basket, ignited by those cardboard lighters works well for 40 minutes of use.
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I'm another that uses a Cobb regularly but i also have a safari chef which is great for picnics and the beach. i have a large Webber charcoal bbq at home.
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I've owned a cadac carri chef for over 10 years and wouldn't be without it. It's an amazingly flexible bbq as you can use it on the flat or ribbed side of a large griddle plate, with a skottle (stirfry pan) or with a pan support for conventional pans/frying pans.
It has its own carry bag and is easily assembled. The downside is that it is heavy and a devil to clean.
You can have lots of fun cooking .....
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However, the cobblestones, although very good if cooking a whole chicken, are a bit overkill and very expensive if you only want to BBQ some sausages, or fish
You can get cheaper equivalants to cobble stones in Wilkinson even so these would still be overkill for sausages. The most I use, even to cook a chicken, is 6 brickettes. Charcoal is no good in a Cob it burns too fast.
peedee
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We use a Cadac Carri Chef.... in fact we have 2! We use the old Cadac at home in the garden (it lives in the shed when not in use), and the Carri Chef 2 already packed up and ready to put in the car for when we are out and about in the caravan. In each case we always use a re-useable non-stick cooking sheet on the cooking surfaces. It helps considerably with cleaning. It makes cleaning a doddle.
David
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We use a Cadac Safari chef ideal for two people and it can stand on the grass or on a suitable table. Costs approx £90 when I bought it in 2019.
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I sometimes use Heat Bead brickettes on the Cobb. If you can be bothered you can extinguish them with water once you have finished cooking and reuse them.
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You can buy smoked wood chips of lots of various types e.g. whisky, you soak them in water in a suitable metal box, you can buy these, for about 30 minutes or so place in bottom of BBQ and hey presto once they heat up you have the aroma of whisky or smoked apple etc. suitable for most gas BBQ's
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Yes, cobblestones are a bit expensive. However, I make up packets of 7 heat-beads (excellent briquettes in my opinion and just fit in the fire basket) slightly cheaper but still good for 45mins approx..
I have tried using those smoke chips on an outdoor gas cooker but to be honest the flavour whilst okay wasn't anything like the experience of the real thing! Have used the proper hickory chips on my Cobb too, now they Gilded the Lilly
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I didnt notice that.
I've had mine about 10 years.1 -
I like my Cadac Safari Chef LP. Only annoyance is the piezo ignitor which has never been reliable despite Cadac sending me some ‘fixes’ in the early days. Quite a few others I’ve met had similar problems - maybe improved now? Otherwise a great bit of kit, very versatile, very portable and well made.
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Out of all caravan gadgets and accessories I have purchased over the years,the Cadac safari chef 2 has got to be the best and most used with value for money.
With all its different 4 cooking surfaces, and even the lid can be used as a wok.
Mine is an early version,with out the piezo ignition,when it come to replace it,I will be looking to replace with the same.
I do cover the cooking surface with foil for easier cleaning and possibly small if cooking for 4 people.
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We have owned Cadacs for about 20 years, swapping our original family size one for a smaller Safari Chef, perfect for just the two of us about 5/6 years ago.
I do not see it as a BBQ, for me a BBQ needs charcoal. It is excellent though for cooking outside, if you can get it level and out of the wind.
We use this and/or the Remoska every day when away.
Colin
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To add to the versatility of the CADAC Safari Chef, I purchased a LP to HP cartridge assembly from Hamilton Gas Products. Makes it ideal for a beach BBQ etc.
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How insightful-yes it is just you!!
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Or with the pizza stone.
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