Gav Grayston
Pizza appears to be the universal food of kids. No matter which friend our kid invites around, pizza and chips seem to be liked by all.
One of the big hits at campsites and day camps are our pocket pizzas. We’ve also made a pizza pie in our Dutch Oven.
On a recent visit to a show at Camping World we saw Cadac demonstrating their cooking system, and what no better way of explaining, than by cooking stone-baked pizzas up for the crowd.
What is a Cadac stove?
I suspect you’re wondering what a Cadac is.
Cadac is a South African company that makes a range of outdoor cooking stoves. What they are most known for in this country is for their Cadac Chef range of stoves that are practical to use when camping.
We’ve not yet used a Cadac ourselves, but have heard a lot about them, know people who love their Cadac stove, and we were very impressed when Cadac took us through their stove system at Camping World.
What makes a Cadac special?
When you first see a Cadac, it looks very much like any other gas-powered BBQ. However, some excellent design features make it much more versatile than a BBQ, and why so many families love using them for camping.
The two Cadac stoves we saw demonstrated was the table-top sized Cadac Safari Chef, which Cadac recommends is ideal for up to four people, and the larger free standing Cadac Carri Chef.
A small gas cylinder powered both Cadac Stoves, and would typically last for 3 hours of continuous cooking. However, these stoves are designed to work with much larger gas cylinders too. (Click here to see our guide to gas camping cylinders)
Let’s look at what’s inside the Cadac.
Some of the different ways to use the Cadac Safari Chef camping stove.
Using the Cadac as a Gas Hob
Firstly there’s a gas hob with pot support so that you can use it just like a regular gas stove.
Using the Cadac as a Gas BBQ
Place the grill arrangement on the Cadac, and you have a gas BBQ.
The lid can also be placed in different positions allowing you to shield the wind regardless of its direction.
Using the Cadac for Roasting
On top of the hob you place the Cadac roast pan.
Now this isn’t like a normal roasting pan. It has a special channel in it that you fill with water. All the oils and fats from roasting drain into this channel that you can just empty after cooking, making cleaning a lot easier.
On top of this pan, you insert a deflector plate. This is designed to move heat away from the bottom and to the top.
Above this deflector plate, you put the grill, and on top of that, you can use a foil dish for roasting.
Put the lid on, and it turns into an oven, thanks to the deflector plate moving the heat from the bottom to the top.
Using the Cadac as a Griddle
If you don’t need to use the Cadac as an oven, you can use it as a BBQ.
Simply place the griddle plate on top of the roasting pan.
You can use this either side. One side with grooves for cooking things like sausages; the other side is flat and ideal for frying eggs.
Using the Cadac as a Wok
This is only possible on the smaller Safari Cadac stove, but on that one, you can turn the lid upside down and use it as a wok!
What about the Pizzas?
Preparing the pizzas for cooking on the Cadac
So, back to the main business: how to make pizzas on the Cadac.
You set the Cadac up like an oven with the deflector plate fitted, with the grill on top.
The 25cm Pizza Stone for the Cadac.
On top of the grill, you then place the Cadac Pizza Stone. This is an extra accessory that you can get for both the large and small Cadac stoves.
The way they cooked pizzas was straightforward and something that would be quick easy to do at the campsite.
- Use pitta bread as the base.
- Paste Pizza Sauce on top of the pitta bread.
- Sprinkle grated cheese.
- Place on the pizza stone and put the lid back on the Cadac.
- Wait a few minutes…and voila: instant stone-baked pizzas that go down a treat!
Freshly cooked stone-baked pizzas on the Cadac
How much are Cadac Camping Stoves?
As you can imagine, a cooking system like this is not the same as a cheap gas camping stove, but they do cost similar to many gas BBQs.
Here are some of the best prices for Cadacs that we found.
Alternative to the Cadac
Have a look at our review of the Campingaz Party Grill alternative.
Useful links
- How to cook pocket pizzas
- Making pizza pie in the Dutch Oven
- A guide to gas camping cylinders
- More Cadac Recipes
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Gav Grayston Contributor
Father to 3 kids, who loves getting out and about (hiking, running, camping, cycling, canoeing...) Co-founded Get Out With The Kids to help other parents enjoy the outdoors with their family.
Pizza for kids is always a hit, and it can be so much easier than trying to cook a meal when camping
Yep. We made pizza this weekend when camping.
Didn’t use a Cadac but made our own DIY pizza oven, which worked a treat 🙂