What cooking appliances do you take on longer trips

[PandJ R away]

We use the camp oven for just about everything Roasts, Curries, bread and sponges and yabbies – you name it. It works well on the Coleman stove or a campfire. The Thermal Cookware pot isn’t used that often but we wouldn’t leave without it as it does a job nothing else will - cook while we are driving or absent and allows preparation for dinners in advance. This is ideal for busy sightseeing days, Pot Luck diners or for when we have activities planned ie night tours. The main reason we don’t use it more often is that dinner is a very social time for Pam and I when we are away. We have a few drinks, chat, look at the stars etc while we are cooking. This period is like our TV time at home except with more communication. The Pot takes the need to stay in the one place away and while it is very effective it doesn’t give us the social triggers we like. We prefer to cook outdoors, cook slowly for a longer time and on a fire if possible. This often leads to others joining which reinforces the social benefits

John

We carry
All the time;
2 ss saucepans ( it is likely that these will be left home soon in favour of the Thermopot saucepans
lge frypan
1 small frypan
1 Birko ( 700w)
1 Electric Jug (2400w) for use in camp kitchens etc
1 Thermal Cookware 2 pot’ cooker’
1 cast Aluminium dutch oven 10”
1 cast aluminium grill plate 12”
1 ss billy for campfire use
1 Coleman Sportster 2 Dual Fuel Stove ( for outside use – replaces cartridge gas stove – more heat and less fuel and not as risky)
Jaffle Iron

Most of the time;
Choofer ( 4kg gas bottle)
Grill and billy stand for choofer
SS Billy for use on stoves (clean)
Teflon film type BBQ sheet

Occaisionally;
external SS gas BBQ
Alum Griddle Grill (old square design with handle)
Ozpig choofer (when we are with others and need more heat output and spread.
Second Coleman Sportster 2 Dual Fuel Stove

The most used items;

Coleman Sportster 2 Dual Fuel Stove
Alum Dutch Oven

Least used;
3 burner gas stove with oven. I am not sure if the oven has ever been used.
SS saucepans

John

[GregnDee]

We also have a choofer but haven't used it yet....looking forward to giving it a whirl. Will send a photo some time.

As for the Dreampot, at this very moment I have a pot cooking with a massive amount of savoury mince with loads of veggies...enough for at least four meals for both of us. Was going to have one meal tomorrow but heading to Sydney to pick up an automatic HF radio aerial, so I shall divide it into four and freeze. We then do things like shepherds pie, pasta sauce, curry, etc., adding the necessary spices. Works for us. It is bulky, but it can also be used to keep things cold!

We carry a chainsaw for the wood, and a .22 rifle so we can have fresh kangaroo (joking!!!).

Cheers
Dee

[Swisslulu]

Never thought of Savoury Mince in the Dream Pot. Great idea! Thanks Dee.


Cheers
Lesley

[Dot]

John I haven't seen that word Birko used in years or even the jug for that matter, can you still buy them?
Dee how about the savoury mince recipe for the dreampot if you will please.

[PandJ R away]

Dot
http://www.birko.com.au/food-drink-heater.html

It looks just like ours. They haven't changed much in 40 years. Pam's mum still uses the one she purchased to heat baby bottles etc when she had Pam. I can't tell you the age of that Birko.

We used ours a lot. It will run on a small inverter, hold enough for making tea or the washing up water, is pretty quick and OK for immersion cooking ie boiling the carrots or a tin condensed milk. I have never poached an egg in one despite this being one of the consistently advertised application for many years. I purchased our in an Op shop for a couple of dollars but the new ones are still out there.

John

[Dot]

Thanks for that info John, just went and had a look at the stockists list and that will be my next purchace

[T1 Terry]

They aren't cheap are they, might be a trip around the op shps me thinks.

[PandJ R away]

Yep

We have 2 Birkos, one in the Coaster and the other at the block. Together they cost less than $10.00 from op shops / garage sales.

We only use them to boil water but really they are electric saucepans. Ideally suited to smallish inverters. Ours are rated at 700w but I noticed the new ones are 750w. Progress I suppose.

Mostly due to the way I fitted it up and placed the valves I find the gas stove to be a pain to use for an overnighter. With the calorifier we don't need to boil water for washing up now and so the Birko makes us a cup of tea at breakfast and fills the thermos for morning and afternoon tea. Quick, clean and easy and no noxious gas to worry about.

We used to carry a small SS bbq for outside use which meant turning on the gas and a clean up afterwards. We then started using a canister type stove which was very convienient but they don't provide a great heat output and I am cautious of the canisters especially as we ended up carrying 8-12 of them around.

I just can't speak highly enough of the Coleman sportster stove. http://compare.ebay.com.au/like/3308595 ... eItemTypes . It is small, has a high heat output, good simmer control, is reasonably economical, robust and I feel more confident with Shellite in Sigg bottles than the gas canisters. I havn't been able to bring myself to use unleaded petrol in the Coleman yet although I have many people who do. We coupled it with a 10 panel windshield http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-plates-Fo ... 5382wt_807. Again I purchased ours second had for about $30-40.00

I can fit the 10" dutch oven, coleman stove, BBQ plate spare fuel, windshield a few cake tins, trivit etc in a milk crate which weighs less is smaller and more versatile than the BBQ.

I would have posted a pic but we have left it up at the block.

John

[Dot]

I got a near new Birko for $5.. new one $67 for the 800ml and $75+ for the 1300ml.. And the beauty it will work without the gennie or 240v .. I am doing my day at the op shop tomorrow so will keep my eyes wide open....

[PandJ R away]

Good on you Dot

Having waxed on about the Coleman our next trial will be an induction cooktop. I bought one a few years ago as a trade event and it has never been out of its box. Pam wasn't very interested in it at home. Now we have a bigger inverter(for the calorifier) we can run the cooktop. It could make a great companion to the Thermal Cookware pot or a quick egg. Again much easier than the gas and we can do it inside or outside whereas the Coleman is an outside only device.

We visited a fellow the other day who has two single 'burner' induction plates set up on his electric stove. The were 1/2 the size of mine about the same as a good pot mitt. He never uses his stove now. When he takes is MH out he just takes one with him.

John