How To’s and Information

Wood Pellet Grills, BBQ’s and Smokers

Pellet Smoker GrillPeople have been cooking with fire since the cavemen. The invention of the hearth seems to be one of the first cooking methods in recordable history. Over the years fire cooking has come a long way and wood fired grills have even made their way onto back patios. Until now it’s never been so easy to cook with wood fires.

Wood Pellet Grills, from Camp Chef, are up there with Propane grills in terms of approachable cooking. Set the temperature and forget it. The grill maintains the right level of pellets to keep a consistent temperature within 20 degrees of the target temp.

The true benefit you’ll see with a pellet grill vs a propane grill is taste. Pellet Grills infuse your food with a smoky, delicious flavor. Low temp, high temp options provide a wide range of cooking options that make Camp Chef grills versatile out of the box. Accessories such as the Sear Box, Rack, Front and Side shelves, and Pizza Stone take this grill even further as your advanced grilling tastes heighten. The Camp Chef SmokePro Pellet Grills are most appropriate for those accustomed to grill, smoke or bake. Grill / smoke burgers, chicken, brisket, ribs, sausage, bacon, and so much more.

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Cast Iron Care & Maintenance

Some folks are a little hesitant to use cast iron because they’re worried about how to clean it and care for it. Hesitate no more. This information will help answer all of your question and guide you through proper care and maintenance to help your Dutch ovens, pots, skillets, griddles and more last a lifetime.

Prepping Cast Iron for Seasoning

Some cast iron cookware brands come with a wax coating, which protects the product during transport between the manufacturer and you. This coat helps minimize rusting. Being metal, cast iron is susceptible to rust if not properly cared for. Camp Chef cast iron comes with a True Seasoned ready-to-cook finish which provides that initial protection against rust and means no preseasoning necessary on your end. 

If your iron is not seasoned, do the following. Place your cast iron upside down on your Camp Chef outdoor cooker, in a barbecue or in your home oven. If using an oven, use a cookie sheet under your cast iron to catch any wax drippings. Set your heat source to medium heat to melt off wax coating. When burning off the wax on your cookware, the wax will smoke. This step is best done outside to avoid excess smoke in the kitchen. When smoking stops, your cast iron is ready for seasoning. Remove from heat source and let cool. Wash and dry thoroughly with hot water to eliminate any deposits.

**BE SURE TO WEAR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND THICK LEATHER GLOVES WHEN HANDLING HOT CAST IRON TO AVOID BURNS**

Seasoning Technique

  1. Liberally apply Camp Chef Cast Iron Conitioner to a clean cloth rag
  2. Coat all surfaces of the cast iron with conditioner
  3. Place in heat source upside down and heat to between 400° and 450° F in oven or on medium setting of a low pressure Camp Chef burner
  4. As the cast iron begins to smoke, remove carefully from heat (be sure to wear protective clothing at all times while working with hot cast iron)

Your cast iron cookware is now ready for use. Let cool, then store for next use. After each use, apply a small amount of Camp Chef Cast Iron Conditioner, about a dime’s diameter worth, and thinly coat all surfaces of the cast iron. Over time, this will make your cast iron black, creating a finish called a “patina.” This patina will enhance your cast iron by creating a glasslike finish, which also provides a nonstick surface.

How to Clean Your Cast Iron

We want people to feel comfortable about using cast iron; that goes from cleaning, to heat management, to seasoning and caring for your cast iron. Proper use and care will ensure a long life for your cast iron.

Many have asked about ‘the right way to clean your cast iron’.  While there are several ways, Camp Chef has developed two products for anyone that wants a sure fire way to clean and care for cast iron. Cast Iron Cleaner and Cast Iron Conditioner. These two are designed to be used together for best results.

Camp Chef Cast Iron Cleaner cleans using natural oils. This special blend of oils and cleaning agents breakdown sugars and other food particles. The natural oils will not damage the finish of your cast iron cookware, it’s safe to use on all seasoned and enamel pieces.

Instructions for Cast Iron Cleaner:

  1. Use a pan scraper to remove excess food from cast iron.
  2. Put apporoximately 2 teaspoons of Cast Iron Cleaner in with a small amount of clean warm water into the pan and rub with a plastic brush or clean rag. If dealing with stubborn or hardened food, let the pan sit with warm water and cleaner for about 10 minutes, then scrub. This cleaner does an excellent job of releasing even the toughest gunk.
  3. Rinse the cast iron with clean water.
  4. Wipe the cast iron dry with a clean dry rag
  5. Apply a light coating of Cast Iron Conditioner, warm cast iron back up and let cool.

After each use, re-applying a small amount of Cast Iron Conditioner on all surfaces of cast iron, this will help continue to build your patina.

Camp Chef Cast Iron Cleaner includes trace amounts of citric acid, this is present as a cleaning agent and is normal. We recommend avoiding soaps that are heavy in citric acids.

Some people feel comfortable just using hot water to clean their cast iron. Here’s how:

  1. Remove all food particles from cast iron cookware using a Dutch oven scraper or a plastic pan scraper.
  2. Fill pot half full of hot water; allow to sit for a period of time. If you have burnt food in it, it may require the water to be boiled to help loosen the food.
  3. With a stiff bristled long handled brush, scrub the remaining food residue away and off of the iron. Rinse thoroughly, pat dry with a towel. If the finish looks healthy or black and shiny, you can store your oven. If it is dull, gray or marble looking you may have to touch it up with a little Cast Iron Conditioner to apply a healthy coat of seasoning.

Have Rusty Cast Iron?

Though there are many methods for cleaning rusty ovens, the one that we have found to be the easiest to use is a can of cola. If the inside is rusty, pour the cola in and let it do its job. Depending on how rusty the oven is will depend on how long you will need to leave the cola on the rusty spot. If you have an issue with the outside of an oven, use a sponge to apply the cola, or place the cast iron in a large bowl or bucket with enough cola to dissolve the rust (some rotating may be necessary). After rust is removed be sure to wash and re-season your cast iron by following the steps provided above.

Camp Chef Icons Explained

Matchless Ignition

Matchless Ignition

Don’t worry about where the lighter is, when you have matchless ignition you can get your stove roaring with the twist of a knob.

 True Seasoned

True Seasoned Finish

Camp Chef’s True Seasoned Finish is an all natural finish that means our griddles and Cast Iron come out of the box ready to cook with.
Even Heat

Even Heat

Our Even Heat technology helps to reduce hot/cold spots on our griddles by distributing the heat more evenly.

 Ready to Cook

Out of the Box, Ready to Cook

The majority of our stoves, all of our outdoor ovens, griddles, and grill boxes come out of the box and ready to cook with very little or no setup required.
Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness Recommended

Durability, dependability, functionality. These qualities define many Camp Chef products. They are also crucial qualities that are needed from cooking equipment you can rely on whenever an emergency strikes.