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Hello all!

Maybe it's just a bloke thing but I LOVE cooking on the BBQ at home in the summer! (and am apparently quite good according to the people that survived! ) For me it's not just eating the (hopefully cooked) final product, but everything about getting it cooked! (anyone with me?)

I've been searching for a small (when packed) bbq to take away with me. Now I know what your going to say (I think)... the cobb or the cadac seem to be the two preferences from reading through the forums. Looking at the cadac's they all seem to be gas fuelled. I'll avoid starting a gas/charcoal debate , but lets just say for me a bbq has to be with charcoal.

So this leaves me with the cobb.

My question is, how is this to cook on compared to your average bbq you'd have in your back garden? (not just in terms of the resulting food).

I have seen a product that seems ideal (albeit with what could be very wobbly legs) but it is only available from a US supplier from what I can see. (weber also do a similar bbq but it is substabtially thicker!)

http://www.portaq.com/

Does anyone have any thoughts, comments or ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Stuart

Ohh yes....you want one of these we bought one last year as the OH likes to cook and requires real fire (I know it's a man thing!).  (edited to say - the "Go Anywhere" one near the bottom of the page)

It works really well and is bigger than it looks - we've cooked for six people on it quite happily. 

It's not cheap but it's a good investment that will last you for years.   For travelling we turn the lid upside down and sit it in the barrel with the grill in the lid and wrap it all in a black bag - we also shove a couple of the self lighting bags of charcoal inside it to save space! 

The problem I'd imagine with the one you've shown is that because it's not very deep it doesn't generate enough heat to cook properly.  That's the problem we found with the cheap ones (including the really cheap one that set fire to itself in France last year!!)

So you have the weber not the cobb?

The weber go-anywhere grill does look great and if you can half the space it takes up as you say it is certainley more appealing.

The gadget fanatic in me likes the idea of the cobb but I fear it won't be the same to cook on.

Many thanks for the info!

Stuart

What makes you think that?

Cobb is fantastic, we got ours last year and have used it so much in fact its sat in my kitchen at the moment last used 2 weeks ago so we use it all year it can barbecue but it can also do so much more. Can you cook a whole chicken roast potatoes and veg together on your barbie? Cobb can and if it rains which it generally does you can pick it up and bring it inside. (try that one single handed with a cadac!!!!!!!).

You still get to light it like every other barbie (the manly thing) and sooty hands when it comes to cleaning so its just like your home barbie only better.

Oh and you can get a bag to take it to the beach. or anywhere else.

Marie  

Decisions decisions!

I'm not disputing that the cobb is fantastic, it looks far from it and I am very tempted!   I just wonder if you cook the food in the same way (standing close by with beer and tongs in hand, keeping a close eye on proceedings ) or is it just lob everything in and leave it to do it's thing? The reason I ask is that I read that you should keep the lid on otherwise everything takes longer to cook?

Thanks again!

Stuart

Hi Stuart ........ welcome to Ukcampsite ....... yes you can put your food in the Cobb and the sit back and relax while it cooks itself ........ but then again if you like to turn and poke, you can do that tooooooo ... but food will tale a little longer to cook ........ best of both worlds I'd say .........

But then I love my Cobb  

Happy camping

Many thanks for the info.  I'm still a little undecided but I'll have a think and let you know what I finally go for.

Thanks again!

Stuart