Cadac Carri Chef BBQ now 20 years old!

[Dustydog]

She’s served us very well for two decades. All instructions lost and not much on line for this model.
The three photos show the main base which sits on the gas burners, the diffuser plate and the wire mesh grill. It comes with a lot of accessories including a paella tray flat solid griddle and a couple of other things.
my question is have I been using it incorrectly🥴
When an when not should the separate diffuser plate be used?

 

[otherclive]

She’s served us very well for two decades. All instructions lost and not much on line for this model.
The three photos show the main base which sits on the gas burners, the diffuser plate and the wire mesh grill. It comes with a lot of accessories including a paella tray flat solid griddle and a couple of other things.
my question is have I been using it incorrectly🥴
When a when not should the separate diffuser plate be used?

No photos yet.

 

[Dustydog]

No photos yet.

Going slow😥 See above

 

[Hutch]

Yours has done better than my 15 year old one the bottom diffuser has totally gone, exposing the burner, but looking at new models that's what they are like now, so just sit the "spider" diffuser on and carry on Cadac-ing.

 

[Dustydog]

Yours has done better than my 15 year old one the bottom diffuser has totally gone, exposing the burner, but looking at new models that's what they are like now, so just sit the "spider" diffuser on and carry on Cadac-ing.

Seems weird Hutch I’ve been using a mobile diffuser on top of a permanent one? Ah well you’re the engineer, good enough for me. Just thought I may have been doing it wrong all these years!

 

[Hutch]

As I remember, using the "Spider" on top of the fixed is what your supposed to do, and put water into the grease collection well, which seems to help steam food.
I suppose I best get the wire brush on the corroded bits.
Anyone have the instructions for the use of the Cadac ?

 

[Dustydog]

I usually line the well with foil. Slow roasts are brilliant. I still don’t get the use of two flame diffusers 🙃🙃

 

[otherclive]

Amazing piece of kit. There aren’t many other camp cooking sets that would take such constant use over a prolonged period of15-20 years. Even the Weber kettle bbq would have given up well before the cadacs. Think mine is around 6 years old, a mere baby compared to your two sets.

I put water in the base and it makes cleaning so much easier.

 

[GaryB]

I think ours is now approaching 15 years old, to be honest I got well and truly reeled in with the Cadac sales pitch and invested in at least three different cooking plates. They're all great but since buying one of the electric hot plates I just find it a lot more convenient and easier to clean, especially seeing as there's only the two of us (or three when daughter comes away). I did/do enjoy using the Cadac but the frustrating thing was the wind blowing the burner out, the wind-break did a good job of shielding it but it was as if the wind saw me putting the wind break up and immediately changed direction to get round it!

 

[Deleted member 23278]

I don't know how old ours is but it's between 15 and 20 years. I have tried the 'spider' and grill a few times but use the griddle plate or skottel the majority of the time.
I did manage to buy a replacement griddle plate 4 or 5 years ago (the non-stick had gone from the original) and have looked at buying something lighter and smaller but, the cadac doesn't owe us anything so we'll probably keep it till it gives up or we do!

 

[Dustydog]

I wrote to Cadac about this issue.
I Hope their reply is helpful😥😥

Hi Dusty

Thanks for your enquiry, unfortunately the deflectors for the Carri Chef 1 are obsolete and no longer available. All remaining spares in circulation are with our spares partner www.towler-staines.co.uk however I don't believe they have any stock of these.
On the newer models the deflector is built-in to the grids so these wouldn’t be compatible with your model I'm sorry.
Best regards
Toria
Customer Service Support

CADAC | Dometic

 

[otherclive]

I wrote to Cadac about this issue.
I Hope their reply is helpful😥😥

Hi Dusty

Thanks for your enquiry, unfortunately the deflectors for the Carri Chef 1 are obsolete and no longer available. All remaining spares in circulation are with our spares partner www.towler-staines.co.uk however I don't believe they have any stock of these.
On the newer models the deflector is built-in to the grids so these wouldn’t be compatible with your model I'm sorry.
Best regards
Toria
Customer Service Support

CADAC | Dometic

Good customer service. Didn’t realise they were part of Dometic.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Good customer service. Didn’t realise they were part of Dometic.

Is there anything to do with Caravanning thatisn't now owned by them??

 

[otherclive]

Is there anything to do with Caravanning thatisn't now owned by them??

Yes lots of stuff.

 

[Ferrodo]

Absolutely love my CADAC, had one since around 1985 when it was just a “scottle braai “
Which is why our current model is call Harry (Aristotle) soooo versatile, can be a bit of a pig to clean but as said a bit of water in the grease pan helps immensely. Don’t get me wrong I I would always reach for wood and charcoal first but it’s not always practical nor sociable on a camp site. The old defuser version was only used to stop fat dripping directly onto the burner. Didn’t need it for the chefs pan or scottle pan.
Regards

 

[Dustydog]

As a matter of interest can any of guys tell me exactly which accessory you use to cook what, eg paella Scottle etc

 

[Ferrodo]

I have used the scottle to cook paella but find the chefs pan or the proper paella pan better as all the sauce doesn’t run into the middle. Chefs pan for beef burgers, bacon, eggs , etc
Braai griddle for chicken, lamb chops, fish etc
Use with the domed lid after browning.
Aftermarket ribbed griddle pan for steaks, pork chops.
A very large stock pot on the pot stand for lobsters.
Aftermarket deep sided casserole pan on the pot stand for curries and stews.
I find the best use for the skottle pan is stir frys.
But really It’s what floats your boat (or prawns)
That’s the advantage of a CADAC you can adapt it to your own style
Enjoy trying

 

[Ferrodo]

Oh and it makes a very reasonable roast using the roasting pan although I must admit I did modify mine a tad before it performed properly

 

[Brian_374234561]

mine is 15 years old and still going strong. Use the skottel for curries and fajitas. and a picture below of the annual fried eggs for the lads weekend at Silverstone for F1! (Sausages, bacon, hash browns as well of course!)

 

[Mr Plodd]

As a "sort of" connected thing.........

A pal gave me a trick he has used for years to clean his barbecue. Take a large receptacle, place all of the BBQ grids etc in it. Drop in a couple of dishwasher tablets and add some very hot water. Slosh things around until the tablets have dissolved, Leave things to soak giving the grids a bit of a scrub every 10 minutes or so with a dishwashing brush.
After an hour or thereabouts your BBQ grids are grease, and burnt on carbon, free.
I was sceptical, but it works. Lovely carbon free cast iron cooking grids and plates, with precious little effort, result!!!
Not tried it with the Cadac, should give the same result I would think.

 

[Firkle]

As I remember, using the "Spider" on top of the fixed is what your supposed to do, and put water into the grease collection well, which seems to help steam food.
I suppose I best get the wire brush on the corroded bits.
Anyone have the instructions for the use of the Cadac ?

 

[Firkle]

Hutch,

I have a PDF copy of the instructions but cannot upload it onto here. PM me with your email address if you would like a copy.

 

[Buckman]

As a "sort of" connected thing.........

A pal gave me a trick he has used for years to clean his barbecue. Take a large receptacle, place all of the BBQ grids etc in it. Drop in a couple of dishwasher tablets and add some very hot water. Slosh things around until the tablets have dissolved, Leave things to soak giving the grids a bit of a scrub every 10 minutes or so with a dishwashing brush.
After an hour or thereabouts your BBQ grids are grease, and burnt on carbon, free.
I was sceptical, but it works. Lovely carbon free cast iron cooking grids and plates, with precious little effort, result!!!
Not tried it with the Cadac, should give the same result I would think.

I appreciate that it is an old post, but doesn't the skottel have some sort of non stick coating? Dishwasher tablets seem to destroy any non stick coating.

 

[Hutch]

Buckman, the Scottie is wonderful, and has come away almost totally unscathed, against all my attempts to burn food to extremes..
I love my Cadac, I think the coating is just fully enameled.
Whatever almost indestructible, great for Spathcock chicken.