Cobb Cooker

my experience is this - when they work they are really good when they dont work its a waste!!

Pros -
mmm....cannt think of any!

cons -
take up more room than the camp oven
cannt take the lid off to check how its cooking as the heat escapes
very fussy to get hte right amount of heat beads
cannt be used in fire ban
no good in the wind as the wind keeps it cold
the extra giddle plate costs $52......

I have had more failures than successes, mainly due to the whether going on around it - WIND is the main cause!! I have successfully cooked a roast in 50 degree heat and smoked fish and about 4 porcupine meatball stews that I ended up doing in the house - minus the heatbead lighting part!

would I spend the money on one - NOPE!! IMHO they are NOT worth the $200, or is it $300 ????

(we were given ours and have given it plenty of use with too many failures to care if it gets used again!)

Laura

Had one for 6 months (the deluxe stainless mesh model) - we like it lot - anything that compact that can do a roast leg plus vegies using 7-8 heatbeads is a winner IMV. The cleanup is easy enough.
We still use our Hillbilly campoven when we have a campfire (more room inside). For us, the Cobb shines when a campfire is out of order for whatever reason - no wood available, rain, too windy, too dangerous, banned etc.......can be used inside the tent, camper etc. if the weather is bad (with supervision)........and the lighters and beads are so easy to stow. Oh..... have to watch the size of the legs / joints etc too - make sure they will fit - and read the instruction book thoroughly.

G'day Anne,

Its all a matter of personal opinion, but at the end of the day I'm with Kiwi. They don't really impress me.

I used to work for a retailer that sold them, and I consider the product just a gimic. In 95% of cases (not a factual figure), the consumer uses it a few times and then endeds up in the back of the cupboard gathering dust and taking up space.

If you can be bothered taking the time to get the thing started it can potentially give you a nice flavour, but like Kiwi says - its a bit hit & miss, and like Darians experience they are really best left for roasting only. You wouldn't waste your time doing bangers & steak.

IMHO they're sort of like Webber bbq's at home... they can be usefull, but practically speaking a pain in the @ss to get it going, and in time the amount of use it gets is...once in a blue moon...maybe!!

If you do get one.... try Salmon braised in scotch wiskey and cooked/smoked with soaked Cedar-chips..... very nice.

Matto

Anne,

I must be doing something wrong, I have had a Cobb cooker for about a year and find it fantastic, we have cooked just about anything and everything on it, and it works just great. We had done roasts, bread, cakes, soups, stews etc and from memory only had a few failures mainly when we first bought it.

One trick is to buy the best quality firelighters and heat beads you can, no Black and Gold rubbish, then I would agree with others it can be hard and fickle to light.

Agree about the Cobb bra to help combat the wind, but it works a treat, we also have a Dreampot and the combination of the two means we can cut down on the pots and pans we need to carry and the amount of gas we use and the number of gas cyclynders we carry, and yes I also have a camp oven which gets plenty of use on the Cobb as well.

Why a Dreampot and a Cobb, in total fire ban season a Cobb is classed as an open fire, and therefore banned in WA on those days, so we just swith to the Dreampot, which uses no ongoing fuel source.

Happy cooking.

Barry H

Hi Anne,

They can be a pain, as in more 'stuff' to carry, need to clean etc..however use them for a decent roast and I reckon they are
worth the money..but to each his own.

Check out the sig picture below.


Cheers
Michael

Thanks for all your opinions. We are going camping for 4 weeks and while hubby would be happy with a barbie every night I would like to have the chance to cook different meals now and then. I think I might wait till I can get to BCF and have a look at what's available.

Anne

Yep we're doing something wrong too!
Can't fault the Cobb.

The best tip we got was to use only good quality brand charcoal like"Heat bead" brand.
The other BIG tip is to get one of those Heat Bead brand chimneys. Available at Franklins and some camping outlets for under $20. You put head beads on the grate and fire lighters underneath the grate.
All the heat beads burn within 10 minutes. then you just pour them wherever needed. Works for camp ovens as well as for Weber style BBQ's.

Another benefit of a Cobb is you can put it anywhere while cooking so if raining you could place under awning of tent etc. You can pick up and move by the base without gloves. We try to use ours at home often so we can make and learn from mistakes there and get it right when camping
Just my thoughts

Had one for four years.

The first thing to get packed when we go away.

Highly recommended.

A great feeling sitting under a tarp in the rain with a roast sizzling away in the Cobb, when all around you fires (and camp ovens) are getting washed out.

My Deluxe S/S is for sale

The best thing we ever did with ours was to sell it.

I have had one now for 6 months -- first impressions/ use was not that good -

BUT now --- WOW - after you learn the little tricks , the thing is Fantastic - I have a camp oven and would choose the cobb any day over it --

we usually do a leg of lamb or chunk of meat of some description - and have not had a failure yet .. Infact i had some friends come away camping with me last weekend - and gave them a sample of the meat i cooked - they loved it -- and made them stop raving about there marinated steaks ..... :)

I used about 9 heat beads -1/2 fill the moat with water - add some oragano or Mixed herbs - and a bit of Steak spice or pepered seasoning -- then throw a heap of potatoes , sweet potatoes and pumpkin in the moat ( Individually wrapped in foil) they go in about 30 min before i put the meat on

Meat goes up top - the trick is to turn is over every 20 min or so or you will end up with burnt bottom on the meat. make sure the plate the meat sits on is nicely oiled up

just keep checking and turning -- and you should have a great dinner ...... there are some other options of cooker that are much cheaper - but my one has paid for itself in the dinners it has made whilst away

Boc

Anne,

We prefer camp oven cooking, and when we go to places that we know have lots of firewood we do not take the cobb

But if it is or has been raining, or if we go to locations where firewood is iffy or with a total fire ban, we do not go without the cobb. It is not too good for bbq, but as an oven it is great. It makes better bread than any camp oven, as the temperature is consistant and even.

When we set up camp in the afternoon, we put the roast in and forget about it until it is time to eat. Hint - we use a thermometer, takes all the guesswork out

Having said all this, I can understand that some do not like the cobb and prefer camp ovens and bbq over the fire, it is a personal choice, but you can't have a camp oven when the wood is wet or when there is a fire ban.

Cheers

Chris

Have'nt had any problems with ours. I think the trick is to get the right heat beads and to make sure they're all grey before starting the roast. That generally means 4 firestarters and leave for around 30 - 40 mins.

Use 8 or 9 beads for a 2kg roast and cook for 90mins per kilo as per the instructions. I only turn the roast once and have'nt burnt any yet (lamb, beef , pork).

Use beer or water in the moat with garlic ( yum yum ), mustard or herbs.

I have 2
Takes a little time to learn how to use it right but once you do you can cook a roast leg o' lamb with veggies and herbs/wine in the moat, sensational.

The other thing not mentioned yet i think is with the now stronger mesh base you can use your camp oven on the heat beads basket too. Mine slides in nicely into the base and sits on the basket.

So if the weather turns nasty you can bring it in under cover.
The thing can even double as a heater under the awning, if you are careful not to kick it over and there are no toddlers around.

The minimal fuel usage and ability to handle it while it is cooking are bonuses but the meals are great and that makes it a worthwhile thing for me.

slow expensive over priced pain in the butt.
head beads are a painful expensive way to cook
cobb and stuff associated with it takes is an unpacking and packing episode.
useless on one day or overnight stops
best thing we did with the Cobb was sell it.

bought a spun steel Bedouri with gas or fire and find it great.
can use the Bedouri anywhere anytime including the caravan stove when raining.

Hi Anne

I was always told the proof is in the pudding, you can click on the link below to view what I have cooked in the cobb.

Macca's Cobb cooking

Cheers from

Macca

Gee, it appears there may be some impatient "cooks" here.

Anne, the Cobb Cooker is one of my favourite pieces of camping apparatus. I also have a Hillbilly Camp Oven but for roasts, stews, etc., I generally use the Cobb when there is just the two of us.

I don't think you would be disappointed.

As for using "expensive" Heatbeads©, what could be cheaper than a mear 7 or so at a time. That's all the Cobb needs.

The last time I cheacked, You can still buy the Cobb Mark II which has a black plastic bowl. The "Premium" Cobb has a stainless steel mesh bowl and some people had initial experiences with wind affecting the temperature and thus the cooking time.
"Bras" are now available to overcome this and Klaus from In Front Camping has a great Cobb Bra which can be used externally or internally.

For $9.00 they are a worthwhile accessory for the Cobb.

Bill.

I prefer this. It does all that the Cobb can, doesn't take much extra space and is far more versatile.

Anne,
We use our Cobb out camping and concur with the useful tips above, to get the best out of it.
We also use the camp oven, or gas stove, or BBQ . These things are easily packed in our camper van.

It all depends on the weather, camp ground rules or what we feel like eating, as to which tool we use for cooking.

No regrets here. Each to his own as they say.......

Surely if they need a "Bra" as mentioned above, they should come with one, after all, they certainly aren't cheap!

Check out Cobb`s web site, they have their own fuel coming out in August -- called Cobble Stone. It`s a moulded briquette that fits into the bottom of the unit. Made from coconut shell.
Regards G.T.