I am looking for suggestions for eating something warm on my allotment. Something very simple. Do those disposal barbecues work. Would they cook bacon o.k. Can you do toast? Never used a barbecue of any kind. With petrol costing more I thought I would stay longer on my plot but would love to have something warm and tasty. Is there a way of keeping food hot, the reverse of cold bags. I am sure there are some clever ideas about. Help please.
One of the little camping gas stoves and a small wok should do the trick. Useful for boiling a kettle as well. Don't burn down the shed!
Thanks but I havn't got a shed that is why I asked the questions about Barbecues etc.. I hope to have one next year.
We take a wide necked flask with soups & stews but you've probably got one of those.
Janet
We freeze our soup in sealable bags(just enough for two). I get them out on the morning and put them in the saucepan and take em to the plot still frozen. By dinner time they are more or less thawed and they dont take long to heat up on the gaz bottle with a burner on top. We do it in the GH cos we haven't got shed. We only make veg soup so its quite safe to let thaw
Hi all.
I`ve got a little camping gas stove so I can make coffee and I take sandwiches and cake etc for breakfast and lunch on the plot.
I sometimes think about making a solar oven which would cook and heat food using just the sun. (you can research this online. Some bloke got £50,000 for putting this up as a new idea >:( )
But I`m quite happy with the food I take so I never bothered.
Col
Quote from: tomatoada on May 17, 2009, 14:58:06
I am looking for suggestions for eating something warm on my allotment. Something very simple. Do those disposal barbecues work. Would they cook bacon o.k. Can you do toast? Never used a barbecue of any kind. With petrol costing more I thought I would stay longer on my plot but would love to have something warm and tasty. Is there a way of keeping food hot, the reverse of cold bags. I am sure there are some clever ideas about. Help please.
I've used those disposable barbies before - they are ok, but from what I remember only have the 1 life, and I'm sure you can cook pretty much anything on them, its a test and try situation. You might be better trying to get some bricks and an old bit of grill and make your own barbi, probably cheaper too! That way you could get a good fire going and do easy/ simple things like jacket spuds
Other than that its a flask with soup/stew :D
Thanks for replies. Never thought of putting stew in a flask. I will try it. We are not allowed fires. Surrounded by residents who phone the council. I don't want to get a stove until I have a shed. Still looking for a hot box as the reverse of a cold box. Thanks again.
Quote from: tomatoada on May 18, 2009, 08:13:53
Still looking for a hot box as the reverse of a cold box.
A cold box does keep hot foods hot, the insulation keeps cold food cold or hot food hot according to what you put in them.
The bags are lighter & take significantly less room to store when not in use.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330330519542
Disposable barbies are OK for small amounts of food but they burn out very quickly, and would work out very expensive if you used them a lot (not to mention the hassle of getting rid of the litter they generate).
I'm looking at getting something like this http://outdoorsrus.co.uk/Camping-Stoves-and-Gas/Portable-Barell-Grill-BBQ-by-SunnCamp.html
Its stainless steel so shouldnt rust if left outside, and is bigger than a round barbie, and is portable.
However if you are planning on taking everything home at the end of the day, I think a lightweight camping stove kit would be lighter and less hassle than a barbie.
Re cool/hot boxes, if you are doing it on the cheap maybe you could look out for those polystyrene boxes that organic greengrocers get herbs delivered in? I'm using one as a coolbox but I'm sure it would keep the heat in just as well as it keeps the heat out.
The little camping stoves are a better investment than the mini barbies.
I used to know a plumber who used his blow lamp and a frying pan to make bacon butties. Not health and safety approved.
Those little single ring stoves are transportable if you have a car but you can end up taking what seems like half the kitchen, with a kettle, cups, tea/coffee milk, pan, plate, cutlery and what ever you intend to cook.
Wait until you have a shed then there is somewhere to keep bits on site. Or, if you can put it safely on one side, on site. One of those plastic container boxes like they use for recycling which are available as 'storage containers' and cost less than a fiver could be used for keeping your mini kitchen on site.
There are loads of tinned meals at supermarkets from soups, baked beans with sausages to curries, stews and chilli con carne type things. Or you can warm up something from home.
My calor gas camping stove, with two rings and a grill, is ideal. I've made a meal for 6 on it at the allotment.
Look up Cadac stoves. We have one works on a small gas bottle. Has a Wok, griddle plate, bbq plate and can be used to boil a kettle or stick a pan on. Comes in a bag easy to carry. No BBQ smells or smoke, we use ours all the time camping it's brilliant and easy to clean.
Meant to say the easy carry Cadac is called the Safari Chef but look around for good prices ebay has them for £47. Yeah it is more expensive than a portable BBQ but if you work out the cost it will save you money in the end and you can take it home and use it in the garden.
Go to B & M (ex Glynn Webb) even Argos.
You can get a single ring cooker for less than £10 and cylinders for less than £5 for a pack of three.
Take them anywhere.
Keep the barbie, they are not an adjustable heat, the gas cooker is.
I use a bucket BBQ like this
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shoppingandservices/homeware/ss09/garden_furniture_bbq/02.htm (http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shoppingandservices/homeware/ss09/garden_furniture_bbq/02.htm)
but mine's in pink! :o
I dont have a shed but I just leave it out and it has faired well so far.
Ooh I have just checked out the Cadac safari chef, looks great! Was trying not to buy anything this month..