BBQ - CADAC Safari

[PBLP]

Just happened across this BBQ, and it seems to come with glowing praise. Has anyone used one while camping or other?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/CADAC-Safari-Chef-complete...

Any comments good or bad welcome.

Thanks
Paul

[Chrisgr31]

Its gas therefore its not a BBQ!

[bananaman1]

Yep got one of these a couple of years ago....does the job pretty well :-).....only criticism I would make is that the grill is abit to close to the heat....juicy food tends to flare up ......8/10.

[vladcjelli]

Just got one, so not used it in the field yet, but it seems fairly well put together.

Personally like the idea of the flexibility, being able to cook different ways makes it a useful tool, I guess.

Will report back upon first outdoorsy meal.

[cidersurfer]

We've had one for a few years. Really well made. Agree that it's tricky to regulate the heat but it works well enough. My only moan is it's a bit small if you want to move the food around a bit.

[Rhodie]

We have limited space in our California so looked for a suitable smallish gas burner. Found it to be very good, from steaks to stir fry it does most you would expect when camping. If you keep it clean it repacks into a cover. Make sure you get the correct gas regulator for your gas bottle. No hesitation in recommending it.

Rhodie

[Rhodie]

We have limited space in our California so looked for a suitable smallish gas burner. Found it to be very good, from steaks to stir fry it does most you would expect when camping. If you keep it clean it repacks into a cover. Make sure you get the correct gas regulator for your gas bottle. No hesitation in recommending it.

Rhodie

[Rhodie]

We have limited space in our California so looked for a suitable smallish gas burner. Found it to be very good, from steaks to stir fry it does most you would expect when camping. If you keep it clean it repacks into a cover. Make sure you get the correct gas regulator for your gas bottle. No hesitation in recommending it.

Rhodie

[Rosscow]

We have the big one for our caravan (Cadac Carri Chef 2).

Echo the above re: heat, you have to watch it carefully!

You'll also need a good wind break if it picks up, they don't like wind.

[PBLP]

Thanks all, sounds like it should work a treat for BBQ and bacon n eggs, ect. I’ll get one on order and report back.

[lescombes]

we have the High Pressure one with the screw in canisters.... works fine for use but these days...dependent on where we are going and time of year we are out as butane hates the cold...lol...we sometimes use a griddle pan on top of a coleman petrol stove...
Like the VW and most other campervans space in our Bongo is limited too...so you always look for space saving kit...hence the coleman stove/griddle pan as an alternative

[oblio]

Rosscow said:

We have the big one for our caravan (Cadac Carri Chef 2).

Echo the above re: heat, you have to watch it carefully!

You'll also need a good wind break if it picks up, they don't like wind.

I bought the Carri 2 as well for the MH. Great piece of kit so if the smaller one is anything like the Carri 2 then go for it

[bluelightbabe]

PBLP said:

Just happened across this BBQ, and it seems to come with glowing praise. Has anyone used one while camping or other?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/CADAC-Safari-Chef-complete...

Any comments good or bad welcome.

Thanks
Paul

We bought one last year after getting fed up of st disposable BBQs. We have also started touring in France - it's ideal as you can cook al fresco instead of inside the van on a sweltering hot day. With the different attachments you can do a good variety of meals too.

It's one of the best things I've ever bought. Packs up small, lots of interchangeable surfaces for a variety of meal choices and other attachments are available like the pizza stone and roasting tin.

I've done a cooked breakfast on the hot plate (it is only really big enough for two people though for a full English), and also tried pancakes (they didn't work because the stove was on uneven ground - operator error!). We've used the BBQ function the most, but have also used the lid as a wok for cooking fajitas and a curry. I bought a pizza stone for it a couple of weeks ago and we tried it out last weekend - amazing! I never thought I'd be able to cook a pizza whilst camping!

So in a nutshell, it's a really good piece of kit. I know it's not proper BBQing as it's gas, but those diosposable BBQs are really naff. At least with the Cadac you can cook a bit, eat it, turn the stove off, cook a bit more etc. You don't have to cook everything at once for fear of it not lasting.

Bad points - pretty minor grumbles really...
1) The hot plate/griddle attachment didn't come with it's own storage sleeve unlike all the other attachments. It's the one bit that really needs protection though as it's teflon coated so prone to getting scratched if not protected. The other attachments (grill, deflector plate) are enamel so more hard wearing.

2) If you're BBQing there's quite a bit to wash up afterwards - the grill, the top deflector and the bottom deflector. I find the top deflector plate quite difficult to get clean. It's not been a major problem as we've only used it for weekends so far so I take it home to clean. On a longer holiday though it may be a problem without a decent washing up area or really hot water. I've packed a brillo pad and washing up sponge in the bag just for using on the Cadac to save trashing the sponge that washes everything else up.

3) Another thing that I think can be improved is the dial to regulate the temperature. There's no marker on it so it's difficult to tell how hot you have it. Next time I use it I'm going to count the number of full turns it takes to go from off to maximum so I have some idea how much heat it's chucking out.

All in all, it's a fab piece of kit and I love using it. I like a challenge in the kitchen and enjoy thinking of what I can cook on it next!

[Simes110]

I've also got the Carri Chef 2 for my motorhome and am exceptionally pleased with it.

The pizza stone is well worth getting, as is the big non-stick hotplate thing. I imagine the Safari Chef has these as options?

There are downsides, predominantly with the large single burner. It doesn't allow any form of heat distribution within the cooking area. This is both good (for an even heat) and bad (for the same reason) as you can't really cook food and then move it to a cooler area other than the sides with other food still cooking, or searing, on a direct heat source. With the lid on, the heat won't be much different. With it off, you'll cook slower anyway.

But this is a relatively minor gripe.

They're well made, well priced and can be configured for different cooking scenarios as mentioned above.

[tenohfive]

Somehow missed this thread.

I've just picked up a Beauclaire - similar sort of thing, only a slightly better reputation than the Cadac's. Having shared use of a friends one whilst camping last year I was totally sold - being able to cook meals for 6 in less time than it took to cook for two on gas hobs at home tipped the balance for me.

I think they're slightly more expensive than the equivalent Cadac if bought new, but having hunted for awhile I managed to pick up one that's borderline brand new, in perfect condition and with both the griddle and paella pan (glorified wok, just much bigger) and all the accessories for £60. I've used one before so I know what to expect, but I'm about to go away with it for the first time and am looking forward to having a much easier life than in the past when I've been camping. Very good bit of kit and I've not heard a bad word said about it.

[Crush]

Loved our Safari chef on holiday, the lid becoming a wok is a fantastic option

Cooked everything from full English breakfasts, to Thai food to roast dinners with it