Thoughts on Cadac bbq's?

[jallin]

Hi All
I'm so excited as we have just booked a caravan site in France next year - we like to book so that we can really look forward to a holiday! We have been looking at purchasing a Cadac/or other gas cooking system and wondered what other people have and your opinions. I am aware there are different types of Cadac - we would like one that we could cook a range of foods on not purely for BBQ food. Would be grateful for any thoughts. Thanks!

 

[Lynnybobs]

We have the carry chef 2 which came with the BBQ plate and the chefs pan.
We love it and cook pretty much everything on it if the weather is good enough.
The chef pan is the one we use the most.
We use our cadac for full English breakfasts (put beans in a foil takeaway tray to heat up), pancakes or omelettes, toasties, french toast (or eggy bread as its known round here!), steaks and stir fries, fajitas and 'sizzler' type dishes, roast chicken (I also have the roasting pan for that)....I could go on !
Most of the time there are just the two of us but we have used it to cater for 15 people for a weekend camp so its a good all rounder for us.

 

[otherclive]

We bought one of the new cadac Grillogas bbq and it’s very good. Ample size for four people and with the paella pan can cook up a variety of foods too. Lighter than the full blown cadac.

 

[Craigyoung]

Hi Jallin , lynnbobs , we have the Caddak Safari Chef BBQ which we have found great for last five years we also have a hot plate which you can plug into a plug on the mains which you can buy from B&M home bargains for about £25.oo which is great too to cook alongside the barbecue if there's not enough room and if going out for the day we also have a slow cooker that you can just put on the morning set away and is done for when you get back for tea time .
France is great for barbecuing the produce is great if you & if you get the weather , then yous will love it . Each time we go I barbecue breakfast dinner and teatime ! Can't wait to get back there .
Enjoy .

Craig

 

[jallin]

Thanks everyone. Lynnybobs that is exactly how we wanted to use it so it's good to hear. Craigyoung thanks I hope we do get the weather - we are going in August( because we have to) and going to the Pays De La Loire region so fingers crossed. This is the first time we are doing this - we normally fly to Greece. We are very excited even though it is a distance away. Any tips on towing abroad would be much appreciated. Cheers

 

[otherclive]

There were some recent posts on towing in France. If you do a search then I’m sure you’ll find some useful advice. It’s a lovely country to visit I am sure you’ll have a really good time.

 

[Brasso530]

Hi,we have the carry chef 2,great piece of kit,only gripe is the chef pan is slightly domed so all juices go to the edge and dry food out? Somebody told me they just use a paella pan for everything,something to consider.

 

[Burn]

We have the Safari chef 2,there is only the two of us so just the right size and it all goes into it`s own bag,brill.

 

[Kevin2306]

We have the full blown Cadac, it’s quite old now but still serviceable.
We bought it early n in our touring life when the kids were small. Now it’s just me and the boss it’s a little big and heavy so will buy a smaller version in the spring, paella pan for everything with us.

Kev

 

[Tukums]

We have the Safari Chef also, does well for the two of us, folds up into its own bag. BBQ's are even better when the Germans on the next pitch provided us with the local Mosel wine!

 

[jallin]

Thanks Kev - the oldest one flying the nest is one of the reasons we are doing something completely different this year I suppose we'll get used to it! Tukums fab photo - even more excited now.....

 

[otherclive]

Hi,we have the carry chef 2,great piece of kit,only gripe is the chef pan is slightly domed so all juices go to the edge and dry food out? Somebody told me they just use a paella pan for everything,something to consider.

The paella pan is very useful but cannot comment on paella as it’s not in my inventory of dishes when on holiday.

 

[Craigyoung]

We would normally travel down to Dover and stop there the night and then get an early euro shuttle across to calais and then I think you may have about a five hours drive , if you get a good early start yous could be on site by early afternoon , also look into the santeff toll tags for when you are driving through the toll roads , it will save you time . Other people will give you other alternatives but Enjoy.

Craig .

 

[otherclive]

Make sure you understand the caravan outfit speed limits. French police carry out random breath tests in areas and times where you wouldn’t expect it. Stop for lunch at motorway aires around 1130 otherwise you might find parking difficult. If your spare wheel is underneath the van take it out and carry inside. Otherwise you would be pulling it out into lane 1 of an autoroute. Buy the CMHC foreign touring handbook as it contains a wealth of technical and touring information. Make sure you carry electrical cable adaptors in the event that your sites don’t use the normal type. I find 2x6 kg gas bottled more than enough for four weeks even using one for bbq. UK gas bottles have different connectors to French ones. One 6 kg plus a camping gaz for the bbq is an option as you can get camping gaz easily in France. Make sure you have adequate recovery and travel insurance. The two clubs have very good reputations when/if things go wrong.

 

[Craigyoung]

Told you !!

 

[Mogwyth]

Wouldn't be without ours from one pan breakfast in the paella dish

To local ribeye steak for tea

 

[jallin]

Thanks some great advice. We are planning an overnight stop in Folkestone as we come from sunny Derbyshire, then Tunnel (although we've never done this before!!) then a drive down - about 5 and a half hours I think. I am definitely sold on a cadac we are now looking. Maybe a present for each other for that festive event coming up which I refuse to accurately name yet.......

 

[Craigyoung]

Jallin [ quote ]Maybe a present for each other for that festive event coming up which I refuse to accurately name yet.......[/quote]

Easter or valentines day !?!

 

[jallin]

Valentines day???? never heard of it...

 

[HomerS1]

Going against the trend here I'm afraid. We've had both Cadacs and while I had many a happy hour sitting outside the van, beer in hand cooking up a meat feast, it's once the food is eaten the problems start. The Cadac has the very worst non stick surface imaginable. It has to be scrubbed so hard that the black finish actually wears out. I got fed up in the end and went electric.We bought a James Martin electric griddle and have never looked back. Not only am I not using valuable gas supply (long trips abroad) but the non stick is fantastic. A gentle wipe is all it takes and job done. It also costs a fraction of the Cadac. Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[otherclive]

Told you !!

And I’ve not even started on “cedez le passage” “prioritie a droite” and the SANEF autoroute toll transducers

 

[Hutch]

Going against the trend here I'm afraid. We've had both Cadacs and while I had many a happy hour sitting outside the van, beer in hand cooking up a meat feast, it's once the food is eaten the problems start. The Cadac has the very worst non stick surface imaginable. It has to be scrubbed so hard that the black finish actually wears out. I got fed up in the end and went electric.We bought a James Martin electric griddle and have never looked back. Not only am I not using valuable gas supply (long trips abroad) but the non stick is fantastic. A gentle wipe is all it takes and job done. It also costs a fraction of the Cadac. Good luck whichever way you go.

I must agree with you Homer abou the Cadac non stick, but I found that when I "seasonded" the griddle plate with spray oil it all changed and now it back to being a non stick surface. Some of the sites I have stayed on are only 6 amp power, how much power does your electric plate draw?

 

[Hutch]

And I’ve not even started on “cedez le passage” “prioritie a droite” and the SANEF autoroute toll transducers [/quote]

Love our Sannef toll tag, had it over 7 years now and had it replaced on batterie life at 5 years old , now have the new type. Two gas bottles and a camping gas 901, never have run out even after last years 6 week tour.

 

[Mogwyth]

Going against the trend here I'm afraid. We've had both Cadacs and while I had many a happy hour sitting outside the van, beer in hand cooking up a meat feast, it's once the food is eaten the problems start. The Cadac has the very worst non stick surface imaginable. It has to be scrubbed so hard that the black finish actually wears out.

I must agree with you Homer abou the Cadac non stick, but I found that when I "seasonded" the griddle plate with spray oil it all changed and now it back to being a non stick surface. ?

Odd I'm not a fan of non-stick all our pots and pans are home are either stainless steel or hard anodised aluminium but don't have issues with the Cadac surface, my wife always gets it clean fairly quickly.

 

[Craigyoung]

Told you !!

And I’ve not even started on “cedez le passage” “prioritie a droite” and the SANEF autoroute toll transducers

Oops ! Predictive text ! Could have been worse