As the weather gets warmer, it becomes tempting for us to move all of our kitchen appliances to the patio. The heat of your cooking can make it unbearable to stay in the kitchen for more than a few minutes, and the result is usually ordering takeout until the next winter comes.
Barbequing is always a fun way to grill your homemade food, but not everyone wants to invest in a BBQ set, which can be a hassle to operate and can also easily burn your food if you’re not careful. If you’re looking to cook outside this season, and don’t feel like burning your homemade burgers over an outdoor grill, here are the best alternatives.
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Solar Oven
Solar ovens are growing increasingly popular right now, and that’s because they can save you tons of money on electricity, while also providing you with a kitchen station in your backyard. When you bake bread or pizza in a solar oven, they’re slow-cooked to perfection and will taste nothing like your electric oven treats. These bad boys are also easily portable and can come in handy if you tend to camp often. High-end solar cookers can heat up to 400 degrees and include adjustable angles for year-round use.
You can also find them for cheap, depending on the size of the appliance that you opt for. If you’re interested in buying one, you may want to look up solar oven recipes online, as food usually takes longer to cook inside these appliances. The slower it takes for your baked goods to get ready, the fresher and more delicious they will turn out.
Electric Smoker
The urge to grill in the outdoors can easily be overcome by the hassle of powering a grill and having enough propane to run it every time you feel like taking your cooking outside. If you’re looking for gas alternatives, BBQ foodies recommend that you opt for an electric smoker instead. These can be much less of a hassle to power, and they have adjustable settings that prevent burning your homemade burgers.
If you’re unfamiliar with the options in the market, there are many to choose from, all of which come at varying sizes and prices. If you’re feeling frugal, you could opt for the cheaper brands that come under USD 100, which work just as fine as a high-end smoker does. The difference is not in performance but in size and portability. When it comes to electric smokers, you’ll always find something within your budget.
Camp Oven
If you’ve purchased your electric grill and you’re looking for an oven to complement it, camp ovens will be everything you need. They’re small and portable, which makes them perfect for camping purposes as well. You can bake everything from cakes to whole meals in these ovens, which usually come with as many as three racks. You don’t have to plug them in, either. These ovens are designed to be placed on top of electric ovens on low to medium heat, and can then bake your food to perfection.
Some of these can also be placed on top of a camp fire. Make sure that you read the instructions in the manual before you use your camp oven, as different brands are powered differently. The good news is, many of them come as low as USD 35, which can be a great investment if you already own an electric grill.
Wood-Fired Cob
While it sounds like something from a TLC cooking show, a wood-fired cob can actually be built in your backyard for pretty cheap. There are many DIY tutorials that you can find online to help you, while you could also buy a clay oven for quite cheap on the internet.
Some of these ovens are specifically made for bread, while others are designed to fit large sized pizzas. If your family doesn’t enjoy your homemade bakery, a wood-fired cob oven will definitely change their minds. Baked goods have a much richer taste when cooked in a wood-fired cob, which cooks them more slowly, and gives them a fuller texture.
Cooking meals outside can be a fun activity for the family, while it’s also more refreshing to cook while breathing fresh air. Many alternatives to grills can be made much more delicious meals than your conventional kitchen appliances make.
Slow cooking in a solar oven or wood-fired cob can be a great way to make homemade pizza, while electric smokers are a great alternative to conventional grills. If you’re looking to take your cooking outside without investing in any new appliances, taking your camp oven to the patio can provide you with a mini outdoor kitchen station.
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