15 Awesome Tools For Cooking Over The Campfire - Article

[Oliver_Elite2]

Thanks for the tips on the dutch oven.

[Oliver_Elite2]

Ecoque - A Greener Way To Grill

Ecoque as mentioned by poster.

[Oliver_Elite2]

OP?
Me?
Should I be insulted?
What is an OP?

[Oliver_Elite2]

Brings up a point.

We use a grate that is woven that can cook small pieces of things like small onions, mushrooms, etc. Even good for foods such as cooking fish. Can use it on our small MECO dome 3 short legged charcoal grill. It can sit on the ground. Lightweight and definitely space saving. Ours is black. The one shown here is red. Built right here in TN.
http://www.meco.net/
http://www.onefiregrills.com/
http://www.onefiregrills.com/media/wysiwyg/Banner_3.png

[FishingBob]

Originally Posted by Oliver_Elite2

OP?
Me?
Should I be insulted?
What is an OP?

Just shorthand for Original Poster, who started the thread (and asked a question that can be forgotten 10 pages later).

[padlin00]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

I used to use a regular cast iron one, but as you said, they are a bit of a chore to clean. The enameled ones are great. Just as heavy, good heat retention, can be used anywhere you would use a cast iron one, including over an open fire, only much easier to clean.

This gave me the idea to replace the bare cast iron fry pans I use at home on the grill for fish and such as even with seasoning things stick but ran into this on the Lodge Caring For Your Cookware web page.

"Enameled Cast Iron can be used on gas, electric, ceramic and induction cooktops, and are oven safe to 500 °F. Do not use in microwave ovens, on outdoor grills or over campfires. Always lift cookware to move."

Makes it sound like the enamel burns? May try it anyway.

[Oliver_Elite2]

OH OK.
I claim the OP.
Apparently you can forget this thread.
Others seem to like it
Looking forward to a thread you start.
Next.
Have a good one.

[Rzrbrn]

I have used cast iron, including a dutch oven with legs, at home and on the road, for many years. All are properly seasoned and very easy to clean. Enameled (which I also have) is seldom used.

I even use my deep cast iron for spaghetti sauce, and it has no impact at all on the pan because it is so well seasoned.

[Scamper Jim]

That should say "17 Awesome Tools". How could they not include two of my favorites!

[Rzrbrn]

Scamper Jim

Wow!. Have a collapsible rake that would emulate the multiple hotdogger, but the shopping cart!!! Man, what a great idea....gotta have one....guess I will have to strap it to the top of the Casita....because my oversized recliner will be strapped to the top of my pickup...where to strap a 60" TV.....

This thread is unearthing some fabulous new must have Gewgaws....!

[Oliver_Elite2]

Love it! Very creative the multi-doggy rake. Shopping cart? How do you haul it?

[Johnny M]

(1) UGA pot holders & apron
(2) BEER (very important)
(3) dutch oven (LOVE COOKING WITH THIS!)
(4) folding campfire grate (some fire rings have them some don't)
(5) portable charcoal grill (for when it is pouring rain on the campfire)
(6) portable Coleman propane grill (same reason as above)
(7) Coleman portable gas grill to complement the grill cooking when needed for large meals
(8) fire essentials - lighter, wood, charcoal, lighter fluid, etc.
(9) camping utensils set - wife got me this and I love it - it has measuring spoons, can opener, tongs, knives, grater, scissors, most of the essential cooking tools you will need
(10) cooking knowledge/experience - cooking on an open campfire is not the same as cooking on the stove at home, just saying!
(11) a comfy chair!

[Oliver_Elite2]

JM,

Love your list!

I don't know if I mentioned on my posts but we use a small weaved "grate" ontop of our charcoal grill so that we can do shish ka bobs and the shards that break off don't go down into the coals. Also works well grilling fish.

Of course one of the most important that outside cooking cries out for is beer.

For beer battered fish or well otherwise...

P.S. we prefer Big Orange here. But we always root for the Bulldogs UGA over other mascots too except for Smokey of course. Hoping to see lots of SEC colors in FL when we go back to the redneck riverah on the Panhandle in August.

[JC_In_Austin]

We cook on a light weight propane stove outside.
Especially stuff like bacon and eggs.
Grease can make a real mess inside.

I cook my bacon at home and just heat it in camp; eggs are poached ~ no grease!

[Rzrbrn]

We cook outside and Johnny M's list is basically our list. However, each season is seem to have a different stove or cooking method to try out. This year we will be trying out the Blackstone propane grill. I also have an electric griddle and a hot plate for when we connect to shore power.

I minimize using the kitchen in the Casita. We only boil water, reheat food in the microwave, and make coffee and try to minimize odors. Come to think of it, we sometimes bake a potato in the microwave.

RVing for a week or so is one thing, but we go also out for 3 to 4 months at a time each year. During that time we spend at most 5 or 6 days in one spot. We find two people (no pets) in a Casita for that long to be a bit trying, and our menu gets old.

Our solution is to sometimes buy a pre made salad from a grocery store for lunch or a rotisserie chicken for dinner, and occasionally go out for lunch or dinner. We seldom find decent food in restaurants however, but it does happen.

[Casita Greg]

Most of the camping we do is done at full hook-up sites, but we've "survived" with power-only sites for a few days as well. But, we are prepared for cooking both on and off the grid, and most all of our cooking is done outside anyway. Besides the standard two burner stove in the trailer, (which we hardly ever use,) and the microwave, my additional culinary equipment "arsenal" includes a 2 burner Camp Chef propane stove, our enameled cast iron Dutch Oven - and yes, we use it on the propane stove burner, but we set it on one of those round "flame tamer" sheet metal disks, so the DO isn't actually impinged by the direct flame. We also have a 6 Qt. pressure cooker, which is another very handy and versatile pot, especially for cooking something that would actually take hours but can be done in 20-30 minutes. Good for conserving your propane as well, in not having to cook something for hours. Additionally, for when we do have power, (which is probably 95% of the time,) we have a Cuisinart convection oven. This is definitely a true "multi-tasking" piece of equipment. I can use it to toast, bake, broil, roast, heat left-overs, etc. This item, although it does take up some space, is much more utilitarian in my view than say those George Foreman grills, which are kind of a "one trick pony." These are supplemented by an assortment of other pots, pans and utensils for various tasks.
The nice thing about the Cuisinart convection toaster-oven is when it is cold out, it also heats the trailer nicely without turning on the heater. If it is hot outside, then we set it up on my little side table outside the trailer next to the outside convenience outlet. And if I want that "char broiled" flavor, we also bring one of those rectangular Weber "Go Anywhere" charcoal grills as well just for those occasions. Just the way we roll. YMMV

[Jane P.]

Getting ready for winter camping. My MO is to freeze stews, soup, & chili. I fire up the generator in the evening, and defrost dinner in the microwave while charging my batteries. When dry camping, water is a precious commodity. So. I minimize cooking with utensils & pots that will need to be cleaned after eating.

I do have a small assortment of pots & pans. I found a 6" nonstick fry pan at Smart n'Final. This fits better on the stovetop, is perfectly sized for my scrambled eggs, and uses a minimum of water for clean up.

I am considering a small 2-4 quart stovetop pressure cooker (thanks for the mention, Greg) so I can make delicacies like Risotto & steel cut oatmeal. I'd leave the other pots at home to save space.

For cooking under the stars, I have an ancient Coleman propane stove, and a cast iron grill. I considered a portable Coleman or Webber grill, but I'd have to lug around charcoal, and they are heavier than my propane stove. Sad but true, tables are not always available for my Coleman. Splurged on a BBQ utensils set & matching storage bag.

I REQUIRE good coffee in the AM, and have given much thought to coffee making equipment. I use a Coleman camping coffee maker ($15 via Craig's list) which works with the my trailer's stovetop. It is also designed for campfires. I really like it as it makes several cups of fairly tasty coffee. And it's easy cleanup. I drink a cup (or two) at breakfast in the trailer, and fill up my 20 oz travel mug for the drive to my destination. On one of my trips, I accidentally broke the carafe. So I bought a large, metal French press. That makes a very nice pot of coffee. But ... it is rather messy to clean, and requires way too much water when dry camping. At home, we grind our beans, but on the road I use ground beans which are kept in the freezer.

Ironically, the most valuable tool in my galley is a tall, tulip-shaped corningware teapot my husband got from his mother. It is perfectly sized for all my boiled water needs.