Cooking Outdoors Grilling, Camp and Dutch oven Cooking! » 2010

Vocano 2 Grill, part 1 opening and assembly.

I have known about the Volcano 2 Grills for a few years, but have never been able to get my hands on one until now. In the Dutch oven cooking community these are quite popular for cooking without a table, quick and easy to assemble, almost instantly ready.

The Volcano 2 Grill is an engineering marvel, it’s already pre-assembled and pops open with a simple lift of the handle. I am thoroughly impressed with this simple but important feature, realisticallyyou can be using this in under 1 minute. Solid all metal construction, durable powder coating and cool accessories to go with it make this a versatile grill.

Wood, Charcoal or Propane, the Volcano 2 grill will handle it, making this a grill to take anywhere. My demo unit came with the propane attachment, but I could easily use Wood or Charcoal if needed with the included Charcoal grate. Such a simple concept (A portable grill) perfected with flawless design and engineering.

Let me give you some specs:

Volcano 2 Cook Stove – Premium Edition
The tri-fuel solution for outdoor cooking

Compatible with 8″,10″, and 12″ deep dutch ovens
144″ cooking surface
Multiple fuel options – wood or charcoal or propane
Patented heat chamber conducts heat more efficiently than conventional stoves
Double-wall construction allows usage on any surface
Collapses to 5″ for convenient portability and storage
Adjustable ventilation regulates fuel consumption and maximizes heat efficiency
Weight: 26 lbs

The heat chamber on the Volcano 2 is unique in the fact that it channels all of the heat upwards directly towards the food. This process keeps the sides and bottom from heating up, allowing you to use this on virtually any surface. Fuel efficiency is maximised by this design also. Switching from propane to wood or charcoal take a few seconds to do by simple removing the propane burner.

Folded up the Volcano 2 is only 5″ tall and with a simple lift of the handle it expands to a full 13″ tall. It’s simply amazing to do this, one pull on the handle and it pops open with the legs fully extended and ready to go. To collapse the Volcano 2 all you need is to grab the bottom and lift up, quicker that you can blink it collapses. My demo unit came with a convenient carrying bag that holds everything and I think I could get a few accessories in there as well.

So first impression is a big “Wow, this is really cool!”

I made a slideshow to share with you the opening of the Volcano 2, all of the goodies you get, and the ease of assembly.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXilnqhzTBE

If you can’t wait to get your hands on the Volcano 2 Grill go to http://www.volcanogrills.com/ and enter “cookingoutdoors” at checkout for a 5% discount! Exclusive to my Cooking-Outdoors fans!

Part two – Cooking on the Volcano 2 Grill!

“Get out of the kitchen! Light the fire! Start cooking outdoors”

A Pan is a Pan and a Pot is a Pot, or is it?

With most of us, cooking can be considered to be a hobby or an escape. Some even cook as their form of relaxation or some out of boredom. For me personally Cooking Outdoors is a passion. But whatever reason they have, the main reason why people cook is basically to have something ready-to-eat on their dining table. Human beings have their own basic necessity and that goes well for cooking. Without the basic tools, cooking would never be possible. Here is a brief history of where cookware came from:

“The history of cooking vessels before the development of pottery is minimal due to the limited archaeological evidence. It has been possible to extrapolate likely developments based on methods used by latter peoples. Among the first of the techniques believed to be used by stone civilizations were improvements to basic roasting. In addition to exposing food to direct heat from either an open fire or hot embers it is possible to cover the food with clay or large leaves before roasting to preserve moisture in the cooked result. Examples of similar techniques are still in use in many modern cuisines.”

In this modern age, cooking a hearty meal has never been difficult. First, you have to have the finest (not necessarily expensive) and freshest ingredients. Second, you have to have the right cookware to be able to execute everything properly, or do you? Below are the basic cookwares that can be found in any kitchen:

a) Roasting Pan - This is intended for roasting things (meat / vegetables) in an over or under a broiler).

b) Sauce Pan - There are 2 kinds of sauce pans but does similar functions. It only differs in shape and depth. The Windsor and Saucier is very efficient if you want to reduce your sauce. The slanted sides make it very effective and easy for whisking. Though it may not be a top necessity, this can be added to your cookware for people who go for a more “culinary-style” cooking.

c) Skillet / Frying Pan - This is one type of cookware that no kitchen should miss. This basic frying pan is a must in every kitchen. It is very versatile and can be also called an “all-purpose pan.”

For those who want to enhance their cooking experience, there are also different kinds of cookware that to be used. These items cater for specific purposes in cooking.

a) Chef’s Pan – the chef’s pan is not that deep but has rounded sides. It also has a wide mouth and flat bottom. It can do the function of a sauce pan, frying pan and a skillet. You may use this pan for cooking risotto, stir-fry dishes, braised dishes and reductions.

b) Double Broiler – the double broiler consists of two pans. One is a pan that can hold up to 2-3 inches of boiling water. The other pan is where you place and cook the food. This one is perfect for melting butter or chocolate, cook custard or cream and even for heating or reheating food.

c) Dutch Oven – it is popularly known as the “French oven.” It is made out of cast-iron that allows heat to be equally distributed to cook food. You can use the Dutch oven for stews, soups, cooking huge amounts of rice or pasta for large groups, oven roasting and braising.

d) Stock Pot – the stock pot is a deep and tall pot ideal for boiling large quantities of potatoes, pasta and even lobster. From the name itself, it is used to make huge amounts of stocks.

e) Stir-Fry Pan – the stir-fry pan is very popular in Chinese cuisine. It has deep, slanting sides that allow the food to slide back and forth. Food is cooked through very high heat thus stirring the food continuously until it is cooked.

f) Omelet Pan – this pan was specifically designed for omelet cooking. The size of the omelet pan is perfect of cooking the right amount of omelet.

g) Braiser Pan– the braiser pan is purposely made for braising food. It has two (2) round handles on each side and a lid to seal in the liquid and moisture of the food.

h) Casserole Pan– the casserole pan is exclusively made for baking casseroles. You may use this as a stovetop pan for sautéing thus put it right into the oven then serve the freshly baked food immediately. You need not to take it off the pan since its design is appealing already.

i) Sautéing Pan– designed for sautéing purposes. It has a large handle to be able to easily toss up food. The sautéing pan is also slightly deep to allow food to move around.

When it comes to Outdoor Cooking, do you really need all of this fancy equipment? No and maybe, depends…. how is that for a straight forward answer? Dutch ovens – yes, Cast Iron pans – yes and variations of those for sure. A large roll of Aluminum foil can replace many things in the outdoors. Use you imagination and ingenuity, mix things up, try something different and don’t wait for the next new gadget to arrive. Keep it simple and it will still taste good. Heck everything taste good when it’s cooked outdoors, right?