Good evening all.
So I've just got my shiny new Cobb and I'm looking forward to some great bbq's. However on reading all the forum posts here it seems the Cobb isn't the greatest tool for actually 'bbq'ing' with people saying it not getting hot enough etc.
Ok so what if I modify the Cobb? I've seen on a couple of video's that some people have drilled holes in the base plate, allowing for heat to come up but also allowing fat to fall on the coals and create the real bbq experience.
Yes this will cause more smoke but i'm not concerned about that whilst at home (of course I would be more concerned on a site where it may annoy people and would cover the holes with foil)
So has anyone done this? Cooking is my passion and I like to get the most from my cooking tools. Can anyone see a problem with making the Cobb more like a traditional bbq where the food is exposed to direct heat?
I'm first going to look around for a wire mesh plate that I can use but if not then its holes in the plate for me!
Don't do anything til you've used it a few times and get to really understand what it is and what you can do with it. The more times you use it the better you'll get with it but you're bound to have some not-so-successful attempts along the way. I've never had a problem with the plate not getting hot enough, in fact the centre of the plate is usually too hot until the coals/cobblestone have been burning for a while so you're limited to cooking around the edge. As far as I can see, the only thing that you will gain from drilling holes in the plate is allowing the fat to drop onto the coals.
I've often wondered what it would be like to use a more traditional wire plate on the Cobb but haven't got round to it yet so if you do try it I'd love to hear how you get on.
Happy Cobbing!
Karen
------------- Mar - Milarrochy Bay - 9 days
Apr - Drayton Manor - 1 day
May - Saxdale - 4 days
May - Nantcol - 9 days
July - Weymouth - 1 day
July - Rozel Bay - 14 days
Aug - Corfe Castle - 2 days
Aug - Saxdale - 4 days
Sep - Stratford - 2 days
Oct - Stainforth - 2 days
Dec - Saxdale - 5 days
To be continued.....
We haven't got one but I agree with Karen about not drilling the thing!..
..if need be I'd be sourcing something like an additional round wire rack(eg cake cooling rack?)or a round sandwich/cake tin and then adapt/drill that as needed..
I certainly wouldn't be altering the actual Cobb...
A Cobb is a brilliant bit of kit. It can be really good as a BBQ, if there's just 2 of you then you'll be able to cook enough food in one go without having to lift the lid. The problem with it not being hot enough is when there's a lot of people as you can only cook what will fit on the plate then if you're taking the lid off to turn it and replace with other food for cooking the temperature goes down.
Thanks everyone, thats really good advice. I am going to look for something I can use instead of modifying my actual plate however it will come down to weight etc. My main cooking plates are all cast iron whether in the home or away. These are just too heavy for me to take many with me though.
I'm hoping to give the Cobb a workout in the next few days, just need the high winds and rain to stop!
Would you believe it... I already have the Remoska rack! I shall be looking at that later! But anyway yes thats the kind of thing i'm thinking of. Btw How amazing is the Remoska, did some half sour dough bread rolls this morning and they are stunning, no different to doing them in my semi pro combi oven.
I shall also be searching the car boot sales as soon as they start again. I want to get the best out of the Cobb and from the substantial reading i've done on it, it does seem a pretty perfect unit with the only complaint being that sometimes it isn't hot enough. I can't comment as I have no experience with it yet, however I wonder whether coals/heat beads etc could be the cause of some of the negative responses.
Lots of playing around with it to be done.
You should definitely experiment with the fuel for your Cobb. I only use the cobblestones when I want to get cooking immediately (morning fry-ups, beach BBQs etc) but personally think that Aussie heat beads are the best all-rounders. A lot depends on the number you use and this is where you need to find what works best for you. If you got a cook book with your Cobb they usually show how many coals to use with each recipe but this is obviously only a guide.
------------- Mar - Milarrochy Bay - 9 days
Apr - Drayton Manor - 1 day
May - Saxdale - 4 days
May - Nantcol - 9 days
July - Weymouth - 1 day
July - Rozel Bay - 14 days
Aug - Corfe Castle - 2 days
Aug - Saxdale - 4 days
Sep - Stratford - 2 days
Oct - Stainforth - 2 days
Dec - Saxdale - 5 days
To be continued.....
Thanks again. I quite often make my own charcoal... as you do lol. So will be keen to use charcoal. I only do it small scale but its a good way to use up bits of wood and of course its free! Charcoal burns nice and hot so i'm confident it will be a good heat source in the Cobb. I shall be investigating the heat beads but I do wonder if there is something available a little more locally.
I don't use briquettes due to the additives and its origins.
You may find that the charcoal does not burn as hot as heat beads (tried charcoal myself). Not found anything that burns as hot as the aussie heat beads.x
Thanks Becca,just noticed where you are from, I'm a Mexborough lass! I will look into the heat beads for sure. Another thing about home made charcoal is that its usually quite large pieces so wouldn't fit into the cobb. I could of course do smaller branches but they wouldn't last very long.
We have a Cobb and love it! We also find that it burns quite hot enough with the Cobblestones (so hot it burns the non-stick coating off the centre of the plate!). As has already been said; try it a few times before you think of doing any modifications!
I hope it does burn the non-stick coating off, I hate them! Good old seasoned cast iron is the way to go, for me anyway. I think I'm just an old hippy!
I once tried using some cheaper briquettes in our cobb but found that they created a lot of ash in the bottom that blocked the air intake holes and then it just stopped cooking, would love to know if anyone gets success with a different fuel.
One thing that I did make for our cobb was a skirt made from canvas that wraps around the outside of the base and secured with velcro, it acts as a wind shield preventing heat loss from the bowl, the original cobb base was solid plastic so I knew that it wouldn't create a problem.
Quote: Originally posted by Paul + Wendy on 23/1/2012
One thing that I did make for our cobb was a skirt made from canvas that wraps around the outside of the base and secured with velcro, it acts as a wind shield preventing heat loss from the bowl, the original cobb base was solid plastic so I knew that it wouldn't create a problem.
Ditto,I have done the same, it is a great improvement.
The solid plastic was changed because they split with the heat. I had one that did just that. Been a COBB devotee for a long time !!