I was all prepared to go ahead and get the Cobb Cooker but have now read all about the Turbo Cooker (some might call it a convection oven). Our van only has a grill and I would dearly like to once in a while make a roast or pie or even a cake!!!
I am put off by the size of the turbo cooker and have been looking at a good old fashioned electric fry pan.
Need feedback from experienced travellers.  Help!!

dont know anything about the turbo cooker but we carried our cobb around australia twice and enjoyed the most delectable full roast dinners including roast spuds and carrots and onions with gravy at the most strangest of places, one was by the cooper when she came down unexpectedly one arvo. (nearly lost the lot there) two things wrong with the cobb (1) you must carry a supply of dirty heat beads ( that black muck is hell to get off your hands when your water is limited) and when they fall out halfway across that old dirt road with little black beads everywhere all over white carpet well you get the picture (2) to get the cobb clean afterwards is a full half hour job and hell on wheels if you havent enough water. I know people who have them and they dont clean the thing to my standards but there is nothing worse than opening up a cooking implement only to have it smell like left over rotten grease and meat. I know you are asking " well why take it the second time" anybody that has travelled will tell you they miss the home cooked meals the most. well roast is as home as you get and it is absolutely amazing in the cobb, I tried the camp oven and oh boy the mess I had to clean you wouldnt believe, me and the oven are not friends anymore, but me and the cobb are inseperable, I will take it to my grave if they allow it even though our relationship is at times a little strained, one can also have it going in an area of fireban too so thats a plus. I dont sell the cobb I just use mine a lot even at home

the heat beads and slowness of been able to get a meal ready was painful with the Cobb. Best thing about the Cobb was when somebody bought it.
We use a 30cm Wok and have two lids. One a high domed lid and the other a normal lid. We use this on gas and can do nearly anything and everything in the Wok. When roasting or baking we put a hand tower on top of the lid to keep the heat in, and it works a treat.  When baking or roasting we use one of those perforated metal plates from Spotlight $8 to prevent burning and spreading the heat. Good thing about the Wok you can use it inside in bad or cold weather our outside on the gas stove. Is quick and easy and importanly light and works.

before you make any purchase check this website out http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/View.aspx?fq=24016&p=/Forum/Default.asp and compare all other cooking methods, getting the beads ( 8 of them ) to temperature takes ten minutes, unless you have done something drasticaly wrong, full roast for 6 including all vegies 2.5 - 3 hrs, as I say the only thing that may compare if you have ample power available is of course you electric frypan, all other types of cooking gives heat only from the bottom and one has to keep turning the meat and vegies, with the cobb set it and forget it, inside ( with ventilation as with all cooking ) or out, we have used ours as a bbq and it also frys, it is not cheap but with the aforementioned drawbacks ( which is not a concern to me ) I think the best all round, I just wish I had been around when a cobb came up secondhand as I would have been more than happy to grab it, I will tell you now there is no way on gods green earth that you would get mine the kids are already squabbling over who gets it, the website for further info is http://www.cobbaustralia.com.au/


-- Edited by dave06 at 15:50, 2008-07-06

-- Edited by dave06 at 15:53, 2008-07-06

We have an ezicook which is really great for cooking and also a multi cook from ezicook which does everything from slow co,oking deep frying and rice cooker.  There are both designed for camping - generator friendly and we would not go anywhere without them.   You can use your ezicooker for doing anything that you woud cook in your oven from grilling - baking = roast.     Alsoanother great appliance for in the caravan is a food steamer.    Very light and no pots need to be carried.    You can even do your boiled eggs in it.   Hope these help