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quoteCooking outdoors when caravanning or motorhoming? What’s your preference? A more traditional barbecue? Or a gas-powered griddle design? Or something even less conventional?
The good (outdoor) food guide
There’s an amazing choice of outdoor cookers out there. And almost as many as there are ways of actually cooking food outdoors. Here’s our guide to outdoor cookers for caravanning and motorhoming.
Top tips for choosing and using outdoor cookers
- Choose your preferred fuel source. Traditionalists might want to go for cooking with charcoal. Or, if your leisure vehicle has an external gas socket, this might be your preferred fuel. You might even fancy electric variants.
- Outdoor cookers with lids tend to cook food faster and more efficiently. It can also be easier to control the temperature.
- Check out all the dimensions. Size when up, and when packed away for travel. Are legs removable and does at least one leg have adjustment to cope with uneven ground? Weight matters, too, of course. And, the number of people you are catering for is another factor determining size of outdoor cooker you want to go for.
- Ease of cleaning can be a major factor in determining what style of outdoor cooker you end up with. Features like removable fat trays and cooking grids are a help.
- Consider what accessories are available for the cooker you want. These can range from items allowing alternative cooking styles (pizza stones, paella pans etc) to cleaning products to carrybags to all manner of tools and food servers, protective gloves and more. Also, a meat thermometer can help make sure key foods are properly cooked.
- Wiping any metal grills with oil before cooking will help prevent food sticking and also help reduced the possibility of rust forming.
- Check with your campsite regarding its rules for cooking outdoors. And don’t forget to think about your neighbours, especially if your cooking is going to create smoke.
- Think safety. Make sure children and pets, especially, don’t accidentally get too near any hot surfaces.
- Don’t be tempted to use an outdoor cooker inside your motorhome or caravan and have a fire extinguisher and/or fire blanket and first aid kit nearby when you’re cooking outdoors.
- Be sure any cooker you use is fully cooled before you pack it away.
Star Player #1
Cadac Carri Chef 40 BBQ/Chef Pan Combo
A highly versatile gas-powered outdoor cooker that combines a barbecue and a pan, with a removable pot stand. Ceramic cooking surfaces mean even temperatures for consistent cooking.
It’s a tripod design with one leg adjustable for height, while the lid can also be hooked on the side to provide protection from breezes.
A storage bag is included but you’ll have to budget separately for a gas pipe and regulator to suite your choice of gas – butane or propane. There’s also a full range of accessories – including pizza stones, plancha, paella pan, covers and more.
Unpacked dimensions are 45cm x 52cm x 86cm, packing down to 65cm x 44cm x 31cm. Weight is 10kg.
Key features Dome lid with thermometer, 39cm ceramic barbecue grid, ceramic pan, removable enamelled fat pan, piezo ignition
Expect to pay £250
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Star Player #2
Vango Camp Chef Explorer 14 plus Pizza Oven
What starts out as a conventional enough single, high-powered gas burner – the Camp Chef Explorer from Vango – turns into something completely different when you add the Pizza Oven option, or more.
The Explorer 14 can be used with propane or butane and comes with a hinged top that folds over to provide a handy work surface.
You’ll be producing pizzas (up to 12in diameter) to perfection if you add the Pizza Oven. Designed to cook pizzas in the traditional way, it goes up to 370degC and has a ceramic stone for even heat (it’s also the secret to a perfect crust) and a temperature gauge on the top.
Another addition could be the £175 Camp Chef BBQ Grill Box, which effectively turns the Explorer 14 into a barbecue. Or there’s the all-steel flat-top Griddle, for £50. Other accessories include a carry bag.
Key features Detachable and height adjustable legs, temperature control, supplied with 1m gas hose and connectors, cast aluminium burner, 1,700Watt power, weight 10.9kg (Explorer 14); ceramic stone, weight 9.54kg
Expect to pay £185 (Explorer 14)/£190 (Camp Chef Pizza Oven)
Star Player #3
Campingaz Bistro Grill
This neat little cooker operates from CP250 gas cartridges and comes with a non-stick coated cooking surface that is removable for easy cleaning. It’s also slightly angled to allow fat to flow away into its grease drawer.
There’s extra safety here, too, thanks to a gas cartridge locking system that prevents any accidental leaking, as well as safe ejection and cutting-off of the supply should the cartridge overheat.
Its four feet also air to flow under the unit (again, to prevent any unwanted overheating). Size is 43cm x 28cm x 11cm and it weighs 5.2kg.
This comes pre-assembled and heating-up time for cooking is as little as six minutes. It’s also supplied with a hard carry case (100% recycled plastic)
Key features 940cm2 die-cast aluminium cooking surface, 1,900Watt tube burner, grease drain with fat collecting drawer, two automatic gas shut-off safety systems, piezo ignition, painted steel body, zinc-plated steel firebox,
Expect to pay £99.99
Star Player #4
BioLite Firepit+
How modern can you get? This unit burns firewood and charcoal for cooking and also relies on a 12,800mAh battery for its power as a source of warmth. It has an “X-ray mesh” body specifically designed to radiate heat all-round. It also comes with a Bluetooth app that allows you to control the flames (which you can also do manually).
The battery runs a fan for anything up to 30 hours before needing a recharge (via a USB). The fan also heats with the heating up process when you’re using logs or charcoal, with a fuel rack that’s adjustable depending on your choice of fuel. The process is almost completely smoke-free.
There’s also a comprehensive line-up of optional extras – carry bag, domed lid, griddle etc.
Key features Fire pit or grill flexibility, removable grill grate, enamel coating, folding legs, weighs 9kg
Expect to pay £299.99
Star Player #5
Weber Go-Anywhere
One of the biggest names in barbecues, Weber has a huge portfolio of models using charcoal, gas, electricity or even wood pellets.
The Go-Anywhere is one of its classic designs. A truly portable unit, the Go-Anywhere opens out to 53cm x 31cm x 37cm high on folding legs that also act to lock everything in place for carrying, with a cooking area of 42cm x 26cm. It weighs 6.78kg.
The cookbox and lid assembly come with 10-year no rust through/burn through warranties, and the plastic components are covered for five years (it’s two years for the rest). A porcelain enamel coating keeps the bowl and lid fire- and rust-resistant.
Weber offers a full range of accessories, including discounts on covers, accessories and fuel with every barbecue purchase, right up to barbecue cookery courses.
Price from £111.99
Key features Plated steel cooking grate, rust-resistant aluminium vent, GRP handles, heavy-duty fuel grate
Star Player #6
Outwell Calvados Grill M
A handy sized charcoal grill – 36.5cm diameter, height 31.5cm – that can be used on a tabletop or at ground level. Dome style barbecues like this have a design that reflects the heat around the whole cooking area.
The legs are removable and can store loose in the grill for transporting.
Key features Steel/iron/chrome-plated iron construction, clip-on lid with heat-resistant handle and adjustable air vent, weight 2.9kg, two-year warranty
Expect to pay £56.99
Star Player #7
Easy Camp Adventure Grill
With a distinctive green lid, this is a smaller charcoal barbecue, with a very competitive price.
Folding legs make it easier to stow – it packs down to from a diameter of 36cm and a height of 35cm to 27cm, with three locking clips keeping it all together. It’s light, too, at just 2.15kg.
Key features Steel body, chrome grill, heat-resistant lid handle, adjustable air vent, folding legs clip in position, self-assembly
Expect to pay £44.99
Star Player #8
Lifestyle Appliances Explorer Barrel BBQ
A stylish looking charcoal barbecue in shiny stainless steel with a wooden carry handle.
Open it fully if you want two cooking surfaces, or use one half as a lid to keep everything contained.
Cooking area is 34cm x 22cm and it’s a relatively light 3.5kg. Rubberised feet help overall stability.
Key features Rust-resistant stainless steel body, comes nearly fully pre-assembled, four legs, one-year warranty
Expect to pay £50
Star Player #9
Swiss Luxx Large Teppanyaki Grill
The more powerful of two mains-powered Teppanyaki grills from Swiss Luxx (the other is rated at 1,500Watts), this has a 44cm x 23cm hotplate cooking area with a non-slip coating and an adjustable temperature control.
With its temperature control, you can cook most foods – bacon and eggs, stir fries and more – indeed, pretty much anything you’d cook on a typical barbecue. The word teppanyaki is actually a reference to a particular style of cooking that originates from Japan.
Key features 1,800Watt rating, removable drip tray, non-slip feet, supplied with standard 13amp plug
Expect to pay £39.99
Star Player #10
Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker OG701UK
Powered by mains electricity, this cooker also uses wood pellets that are burnt in a removable wood-fire smoke box so they can impart flavour to your food.
As well as its main unit with grill plate in aluminium with a ceramic coating, there’s a cook and crisp basket.
There are seven cooking styles – grill (maximum temperature 260degC), smoke (utilising the in-built convection fan), air fry (using 75% less oil than a conventional deep fat fryer), roast, bake (including cakes and bread), dehydrate and reheat. Operating temperatures are 40degC through to 260degC.
Dimensions are 46cm x 46cm x 34cm high and it weighs 14.75kg.
Key features 2,400Watt rating, non-stick grill plate, grease tray, pellet scoop, supplied with Robust Blend and All-purpose Blend 100% wood pellets, 160cm cable, IPX4 waterproof rating, range of accessories, two-year guarantee
Expect to pay £249
www.ninjakitchen.co.uk and www.lakeland.co.uk
Over to you…
Got any advice on other outdoor cookers you’d like to pass on to fellow caravanners, campervanners, or motorhomers? Please feel free to add a comment below.
robust cooking equipment of high-quality great results and easy to maintain. Worth price
Very useful to see a large selection of cookers reviewed in one article.