Wild Stoves

'How are your BBQs selling?'

People often ask me how my BBQs are selling, and I (patiently, of course) point out that in fact we do not sell BBQs, but outdoor wood cooking stoves. 'Oh. So can you BBQ on them?'

Good question. I decided to find out how the sturdiest of them all, the StoveTec Rocket Stoves would perform, and here is the result.

I used a trusty StoveTec rocket stove which spends much of its time planted on a wall just outside our kitchen, and onto this put our cast iron griddle. It soon heated up and I put on the chicken legs which sizzled away. The heat is most intense in the centre, so I just rotated the legs as I turned them, from the outside, towards the centre. It wasn't as quick as cooking on a hot BBQ, but then being a rocket stove there's very little lead time on heat, so you're more than quids in at the end.

As usual you need to keep your eye on the fire, but I soon developed as satifying rhythm; push in the sticks, turn the chicken; sip my wine... and so on.

BBQing on a griddle means you can also add a bit more flavour and interest to your meat or veg; I fried onions among the chicken which caramelised and imparted a rather delicious flavour.

So, given the choice between cooking on this, using a few twigs, or our BBQ, I'd personally opt for this, as I liked the near-instant heat, and adding another great use to the StoveTecs...

So how are my BBQs selling? Actually rather well - thanks to all those who have fed back happy stories of cooking on the stoves and I recommend trying this out sometime.