Cobb Barbeque (again)

[BlueSkyNick]

A few weeks ago there was a discussion about the merits of various barbies for the boat. Steve-Clayton and duncan mentioned they had ordered a Cobb.

Anybody actually used one? Are they as good as they seem?

 

[boatone]

I've posted a few observations on MoboChat...do a search on 'Cobb' on MoboChat for last month and you should find several posts.

 

[abraxus]

I've had one for about a year. Great for cooking for two, coped well when I cooked for five. I'm very pleased with it.

They reccommend using "Heat Beads". I've used normal charcoal and heat beads, and the latter are much better, burning for a lot longer.

 

[Steve Clayton]

Hi Nick,
it's arrived and we've used it a couple of times. It works well and does stay cold on the outside plus cleaning it is easy. We use briquettes and are now looking for the heat beads as these, reportedly, do a better job.
You and Karen are more than welcome to pop over and try it with us /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[boatone]

[ QUOTE ]
cleaning it is easy

[/ QUOTE ]

Be interested to hear your procedure for this.... find it a pain.
Do you have a nonstck griddle plate or the earlier non teflon one?

Cobb do recommend the aussie heat beads available at tescos.

 

[Steve Clayton]

Cleaning; we have the stainless steel grill. Use a product over here called KH-7. It's a liquid spray which cleans most things brilliantly. (Scuff marks, and the blue taint that you get on fenders when rafted against a blue hull (or blue stripe), disappear with only the lightest of rubbing).

No Tesco's here for the beads though - still looking!

 

[fireball]

u need to do a swap - beads for a case of KH-7 !! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Gordonmc]

Second use of mine was at the weekend. The first time I did chicken thighs on the (stainless) grill and loaded the moat with spuds, courgettes and corn on the cob.
The clucky was fine as were the veggies but the spuds were underdone.
At the weekend did sirloin with carrots, spuds and courgettes (I like em) in the moat. Same outcome, underdone spuds.
On the basis of trial and error I think I'll not bother with potatoes in future.
On a wooden boat with no pushpit to mount a a kettle barbie, the Cobb is excellent. Cleaning isn't too bad... pour water in the moat as the charcoal burns off and the grill steam cleans itself... either that or drop it over the side on a bit of string for a few hours.
I now leave the cobb on the boat and take a paper bag full of the right number of briquettes and a solid paraffin lighter for each burn... much cleaner and less bulky than taking a sackfull.
Next time out I will do some fresh caught mackerel with some smoking chips on the
charcoal.

 

[abraxus]

Gordon

Re the spuds, the last time I used mine I used the heat beads and put the spuds in about half an hour or so before starting to cook anything else and they came out perfect.

I guess it's about experimenting with timings but if you like baked potatoes it's worth it as they were great.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Thanks for all the comments folks, I will go for one from HERE per duncan's advice.

Re Spuds, you could par-boil them first but that defeats the object a little.

Re Cleaning, I never wash the grill on the barbie at home, just burn and scrape off the crap the next time I use it. Presume I can do the same on the Cobb. Not too keen on fatty stuff collecting at the bottom though, but will see how I get on.

 

[boatone]

See my thread HERE

Thats where I got mine from as well.

Also, you will need to shop around for the Aussie Heat Beads. Tescos are already reducing summer stock items - none in Guildford store this morning but found some at small camping shop.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Thanks for that, I found another post where you, duncan and others had discussed them, but not the one you have just highlighgted. I have already ordered it, and assume I will get the older version, but what the heck - if I cook, SWMBO cleans up anyway! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

 

[boatone]

Has anyone got the recipe book that comes with the latest version? Is it worth bothering about?

 

[ruthhobson]

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_forum_topics.asp?ForumID=6

This is a camping forum with lots of old threads on Cobb BBQ and heat beads. They also have a top tip that once you have extinguished your fire with water the partly used heat beads can be dried out and used again later. Think there are also threads on Cobb recipes and the cook book (I think?).

HTH
Ruth

 

[ex-Gladys]

We deliberated for a long time before getting our Cobb, and did a shoulder of lamb on it at home as a test run. The instructions say you spray the inside of the dome etc with oil, I would advise anyone not to do this, but to wipe oil on it. Once the BBQ was ready to cook, we filled the moat as recommended, and the thing flared with the oil that had run down. Would have been a nightmare on the boat. Having said that the food was BRILLIANT. Parboiled spuds roasted brillianly, courgettes on top and the lamb was to die for.

 

[BlueChip]

How do you mount this on a boat - does it have a pushpit bracket?

 

[boatone]

The unit is freestanding and can be safely used on the deck or on a table as the outer surfaces are insulated from the heatbox.

If you dont know what it looks like look HERE .

The food really is delicious /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Steve Clayton]

It's a freestanding unit on rubber feet. A google search will bring up details, pictures, etc

 

[boatone]

Theres even a Cobb Forum HERE

 

[jerryat]

Hi boatone,

Yep, endorse Steve's comment re KH-7, brilliant stuff, though I've never seen it in this country. Still got, and use, a can of the stuff we brought back from our last trip to the Med.

We were originally recommended it for cleaning that dreadful gunge that you get on the inside of ovens etc, and it's remarkably good at shifting this with very little effort. I reckon any similar oven type cleaner will do a similar job!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cheers jerry