BBQ season. Gas, electric or charcoal?

[Burgo]

If you want to bbq then it's got to be charcoal (pref lump wood), wood or at a push briquettes. Everything else is grilling, not bbqing in my book.

Having got that out, many sites here and places in the sticks you're not allowed open fires in summer due to the fire risk. So we use a Cadac plugged into an external gas point most of the time, but with my added lava rock 'hack' which gives a better taste due to the fat burning off and makes cleaning a doddle. Still using the same lava rocks 4 years later - I just tip them out the last night before we move onto the earth then next morning when they're cold pop them into screw top container. See https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/cadac-lava-rocks.206724/ ffi.

 

[TOAD on Tour]

If you want to bbq then it's got to be charcoal (pref lump wood), wood or at a push briquettes. Everything else is grilling, not bbqing in my book.

Having got that out, many sites here and places in the sticks you're not allowed open fires in summer due to the fire risk. So we use a Cadac plugged into an external gas point most of the time, but with my added lava rock 'hack' which gives a better taste due to the fat burning off and makes cleaning a doddle. Still using the same lava rocks 4 years later - I just tip them out the last night before we move onto the earth then next morning when they're cold pop them into screw top container. See https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/cadac-lava-rocks.206724/ ffi.

I missed that lava rock thread! I’m off to order some now for my Cadac!

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

This is the best option in our humble opinion,

LotusGrill UK

Official online shop for LotusGrill UK

www.lotusgrill.co.uk

Absolutely, or one of the cheaper copy versions.
I have one from Leisurewize called a
“ Yoga Grill”.
Were about £65 and absolutely brill with a cast iron grill plate.
Piece if cake to use and clean!
AND, is completely self-contained with the lumpwood charcoal held in a cylindrical mesh tube on the inside, and a removable battery powered fan for assisting in getting the charcoals going.
Also is cold to touch on the outside when full lit.

 

[Ernesto]

Another vote for Weber Q series. Charcoal whilst out on the road is just too much hassle and bbqing over a gas flame is next best thing.

 

[Albacore]

For many years when caravanning I used to take a Weber Q200 - which was rather large and heavy. Then with a new caravan without large opening front window I switched to a Weber Q1100 which is brilliant, but still relatively heavy. Last year I watched a guy on site near us use a Cobb for all meals, breakfast lunch and dinner. I have purchased one for my PVC as it is considerably lighter and smaller than the Q1100 - even with all the fancy accessories I purchased. I've used it once in the garden and was extremely impressed with the speed at which it heated up, its cooking ability and the fact it remains cool on the base so can be used on a table etc. I'm looking forward to trying out all my different cooking options (beer can chicken/pizza/paella) when on holiday soon.

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[Minxy]

We have a suitcase gas cannister one, like the suitcase gas stoves (which we also have) but wider with a rack top. We have a griddle pan for use on them too.

Cadacs are okay but they are just glorified griddles IMV so you might as well get one of the above and plonk a griddle pan on, much easier to stow and clean too and of course you can use it for non-BBQ stuff (eg boiling a kettle when waiting for a ferry after your gas has been turned off).

 

[Minxy]

Small van small solution. Get a small table top gas ring with disposable cartridges and a griddle pan. Our pan is an oversized oblong shape so one end is for cooking(frying) and the other end to keep cooked warm.
Never going to match charcoal for taste or smell but u can cook outside if that's your thing.

Just make sure that the 'hanging' end of the pan is over the side away from the canister housing otherwise you could overheat it and cause it to explode.

 

[berni109]

Yes mel forgot to say that. Good point

 

[Wessexwanderer]

We recently bought one of these:

Broken Link Removed

Not used in anger yet - although that will be rectified over Easter. I was pretty impressed with it as I unboxed and it came in a bit cheaper than the Cadac.

As it is a gas grill, I am going to try liquid smoke (bought from Amazon) to try and replicate the bbq taste. I'll post again once we've cooked on it !

Liquid smoke?! Do let us know how it goes !

 

[Spriddler]

My Tesco has dedicated parking for fat blokes buying BBQ's

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[Wessexwanderer]

I missed that lava rock thread! I’m off to order some now for my Cadac!

 

[Wessexwanderer]

We have a suitcase gas cannister one, like the suitcase gas stoves (which we also have) but wider with a rack top. We have a griddle pan for use on them too.

View attachment 730594

View attachment 730595


Cadacs are okay but they are just glorified griddles IMV so you might as well get one of the above and plonk a griddle pan on, much easier to stow and clean too and of course you can use it for non-BBQ stuff (eg boiling a kettle when waiting for a ferry after your gas has been turned off).

I like the look of his one - is it supplied with hte griddle pan?

 

[Wessexwanderer]

My Tesco has dedicated parking for fat blokes buying BBQ's

View attachment 730795

 

[Roby2008]

My Tesco has dedicated parking for fat blokes buying BBQ's

View attachment 730795

Cool, and I thought it was parking for guys going in for the snip .....

 

[Wessexwanderer]

Another vote for the Cadac range.
We have the Safari 2
Superb bit of kit. (But is an outdoor grill, not a true BBQ)
We never fry anything inside our van. Not even an egg. (Smell, danger of fire and sticky residue)
We always use the Cadac outside for all frying and BBQ'ing .

What you could also get is the Snow Peak fire pit
They are expensive, but well worth it, both my brother and sister have one.
(Make sure you get the large one, the small one is just for picnic use)

They can be used as a log fire pit (without burning the grass), as a charcoal or coal BBQ if you add the grill on top, and as a place to boil a kettle or even roast meat on a spit.
They fold completely flat. and take seconds to erect.
Best of all as they are an inverted pyramid the fire keeps concentrated as it burns lower, so that you have very little ash and it will keep giving out heat to the very end.

Firepit looks good but a bit pricey for me!

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[Wessexwanderer]

It was looking good until I read this bit.

• Grease dripping from your food cannot drip on the charcoal and burn

Ahh, not a BBQ without burning some grease!

 

[Minxy]

I like the look of his one - is it supplied with hte griddle pan?

No, I just got my own.

 

[simsy56]

We got a Cadac 2 cook 2 pro. Perfect for us 2. Did have a Cadac safari chef, but found that too big, too messy, and took up too much room.

Craig

 

[vanVhome]

I use a cadac safari compact 30 with the gas canisters and a cheap notebook charcoal bbq that folds nice n flat.

 

[Keith and Jules]

Our 6m moho is fairly short of storage space so I'm looking for alternatives! Can't stand the taste from disposable bbqs, can't be bothered to keep cleaning out a " proper" charcoal bbq so a small electric or gas (canister - no extl bbq point in this moho!) Seems like a good idea. Pros, cons , experiences please!

Check out what camping Gaz have to offer more affordable that cadac, pack into a small bag

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[Charlie57]

Campingaz Party Grill run off screw in bottles

 

[BobJayne]

Lotus Grill look-alike available from ebay for £19 if anyone's after one.
Same as the Leisurewize Yoga model that I have. Brilliant bit of kit.
HERE.

 

[Mike001]

we use a gas BBQ as in the height of summer in NZ there are a lot of places that can be a high fire risk, so charcoal and such is not alowed due to the possibility of flying embers
(when freedom camping)

 

[Grianan]

We have a Cadac 2 Go which is superb for 2. It’s Gad though not charcoal. We bought a Cobb this year and the food was great but the main issue was that - if cooking in the evening - it wasn’t cool enough to pack away for several hours which isn’t always ideal.

 

[Brianmor]

Just ordered one, at the price we'll throw it away if it's no good

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[Jewellbags]

Unless you are always on Hook Up, or have a decent inverter with loads of battery capacity electric will be out. A gas thingy isn't really a BBQ It's more of an outdoor grill.

I use a Cadac Safari Chef (there will be many detractors from Cadac, but it works for me), which can be floor standing or in my case I put on a table. It gets used most trips out. Plenty big enough cooking area for a couple. Two versions High Pressure and Low Pressure. HP the cannister screws directly into the underside valve. LP you have a hose and regulator into which the cannister can screw, but alternatively the hose could connect to the BBQ point you don't have. As standard a grill plate or flat plancha is used, and there is a lid useable as a paella pan. Also a stand so you could boil a pot or kettle. I also acquired a 50/50 grill/plancha which is ideal for the morning bacon and eggs breakfast. I find it works well, and is stored in a circular bag that will get into the under bench seat of my smaller than yours PVC. But, it is tempermental in windy weather so I often deploy a windbreak. After a couple of years it is getting more challenging to clean the grill plates, certainly not the easy wipe implied by some videos.

There are outdoor gas stoves that use cylindrical cartridges. Some have fittings for a grill, rather than as a stove. I suspect those are challenging to clean. Also limited with the size of the pot or pan so it doesn't overhang the cartridge area. But advantage is these can be very cheap and quite compact. I used a couple regularly when I had a tent, before upgrading to the Cadac.

Have to agree that this cadac is very good , use it all the time and in fact have just taken out the charcoal bbq from the moho as we always favour the cadac . Never had a problem cleaning it (I think that’s a case of how you cook) and always comes up sparking . In high winds I wrap tin foil around the bbq which keeps the heat it - bit of a faff but then , we are camping .

 

[Orion]

Cobb is the choice for whole chicken or joints of meat if charcoal is allowed. The Napoleon TravelQ 285PRO on the scissor cart is used all the time with a griddle in one side and a plancha in the other - does sausage, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and eggs all in one go.

 

[BobJayne]

Just ordered one, at the price we'll throw it away if it's no good

Just use lump wood charcoal (not the instant light) and lighter gel in the bottom part.
Pretty much ready to cook on straight away.

 

[dunnah01]

I'll order one just as soon as summer starts

 

[The Wino]

Lotus Grill look-alike available from ebay for £19 if anyone's after one.
Same as the Leisurewize Yoga model that I have. Brilliant bit of kit.
HERE.

We've got the Aldi equivalent but I think it still cost more than that

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