Webasto Cooking Tips

[RoamingRobertsons 11]

I'm reading up on the Webasto stove and it seems simple enough to start using but there will be a learning curve to using it well. I thought it would be good to have a topic so all you pros can give us tips on what you've learned to do (and not to do) with this interesting appliance.

 

I do have one specific question. We like to do quick breakfasts before hitting the road in the morning, consisting of some sort of boiled meal/drink to be eaten in the truck as we head out. I know the stove stays hot/warm for a while after it's turned off. How quickly does the stove cool off enough to be able to close the camper?

 

Please share any cooking tips you've learned below.

[marc@xpcamper.com 34]

Takes about 15 minutes to cool.

[marc@xpcamper.com 34]

The cook-top is  a single burner. The right side of the cook-top is a bit cooler and used to simmer for example.

It's basically an electric cook top but it runs of Diesel.

 

 

 

 

Simmer away

 

Yes, you can actually cook on those.

 

 

Add pasta to sauce

 

Voila

 

 

 

 

 

[marc@xpcamper.com 34]

Here is another example of a Pork dish. ( cooked at 7000 ft)

 

 

Pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce, braised cabbage and Knoedel!

 

 

 

Searing of the Pork. Yes, cook top gets pretty hot!

 

Braising the Cabbage and starting the mushroom sauce.

The 3rd pot shows the water for the Knoedel.

 

Overall view of the cooking process. Here yo can see how I use 3 pots on the cook top.

 

Voila

[RoamingRobertsons 11]

Now I'm hungry! What about good ol' American steak? It there a good way to cook it on this stove or do we need to figure out a grill?

[marc@xpcamper.com 34]

Steaks go on a Grill    !!! You can't use a Cast Iron pan on these stoves. I have done New york strips in a non stick once though. You definitively need an oil splash guard though.

[glideking 28]

Here is a Video on Youtube showing some cooking. Looks like he has some plastic cover over the stove top for cooking hamburgers without a pan. What is it?

 TRAKKA Trakkaway 700 & Food Stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3aa4n4DMls

 

Here is the Webasto video on how it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDTADWUmnqA

[marc@xpcamper.com 34]

Never seen that silicon mat. Now that I need to look into.

 

Thanks for the the videos. It really showcases how the cook top works!

[RoamingRobertsons 11]

I had seen the video of the burgers before but didn't realize they were grilling on a mat when I asked my steak question. If that's a viable option it would save the need for a separate BBQ. Who's going to be the first guinea pig?

[BobbiRinker 2]

I'm waiting for the XP Camper Chef video series......

[glideking 28]

Looks like you will be getting your XP before mine. You will have to start the cooking videos. I will follow up with some stove top desserts when I get mine. 

[samerica 14]

We've been on the road for 5 months now, living full time in our XPCamper, so I thought we'd chime in..

 

Every morning my wife (Erica) makes coffee for breakfast.  We usually fill the kettle with water and put it on the stove before we go to bed.  First thing when we wake up, erica rolls over, hits the button, and the water will come to a boil.  BTW, for coffee, we have tried several different options.. french press, drip, etc..  The AeroPress DESTROYS the competition.  Very very good, highly recommend it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018RY8H0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0018RY8H0&linkCode=as2&tag=sonoftheroa-20

 

Erica would have brought our giant espresso maker if we had room!

 

We have never had an issue with the stove being too hot by the time we wanted to leave camp.  It cools off pretty quickly.

 

You'll get good at swapping the pots & pans between the simmer burner and the main burner..  For example, get your pasta sauce started on the simmer side while you bring water for the pasta up to a boil on the main burner side, then swap them.

 

Another TIP: We've been in mexico the last 2 months, and we have found that you can wrap tortillas, garlic bread, etc. in tin foil and place it right on the simmer burner and it will warm it up perfectly.  Warning:  you may think you can just put the tortillas directly on the simmer burner.  This is a bad idea -- and it's a nightmare to clean up.

 

This cook set works great on the webasto stove -- highly recommend it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049MFVG8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0049MFVG8&linkCode=as2&tag=sonoftheroa-20

 

If you want, they have a non-stick version, which is easier to clean (also a couple extra pieces not in our 7 piece set):

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002TV7QCS/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002TV7QCS&linkCode=as2&tag=sonoftheroa-20

 

This cook ware is great quality, evenly distributes heat, and it is nested so it fits easily into the cupboard below the sink (at least the 7 piece set, would be great if someone with the 10 piece set could chime in).

 

We basically use that 7 piece magma and we have a medium size non-stick pan that we use for eggs and other stuff.

 

A couple ideas around grilling..  You may be able to use a cast iron pan..  One of these might work:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SBI7/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00004SBI7&linkCode=as2&tag=sonoftheroa-20

 

- or -

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DINYZ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0000DINYZ&linkCode=as2&tag=sonoftheroa-20

 

For grilling, we bought a cobb grill and have been loving it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GGTYIW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000GGTYIW&linkCode=as2&tag=sonoftheroa-20

 

We pull out the flat bed, throw some charcoal in it, and 15 minutes later it's ready to go.  We've done pork shoulder, whole chickens, chicken breast, vegetables, steaks, and fish.  It uses a small amount of charcoal and stays warm for a very long time.

 

Another non-webasto tip..  We keep a small bottle of propane (i think it's a 2 pound coleman cartridges) and the uber simple "burner on the bottle" stove, just for emergencies..  Like when you need to heat something up really fast, or you forget to put diesel into your tank (2 months in mexico, and we've only used 1.75 gallons of diesel, using the stove multiple times per day).  Here is a link to the coleman 1-burner stove that we have (only $20):

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PUR5E/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0009PUR5E&linkCode=as2&tag=sonoftheroa-20

 

Last non-webasto tip.  Get the 2,000 watt inverter, because you can do a TON of stuff with a blender.  Smoothies in the morning, salsas, soups.  We got the inverter for that sole reason and have not regretted it at all.  We use a blendtec:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIGZXM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000GIGZXM&linkCode=as2&tag=sonoftheroa-20

 

I've heard vitamix are amazing as well.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Sam & Erica

http://songoftheroad.com

[BobbiRinker 2]

Really appreciate your tips as they come from well experienced owners. But explain the grill and flatbed bit please.

[TommyGunns 2]

Really appreciate your tips as they come from well experienced owners. But explain the grill and flatbed bit please.

I believe Sam was referring to the pull out drawer at the back of the truck bed, it doubles as a table and is handy for barbequeing and outdoor food prep. Bottom pic is Sam using his.

[samerica 14]

I believe Sam was referring to the pull out drawer at the back of the truck bed, it doubles as a table and is handy for barbequeing and outdoor food prep.

 

So awesome!  We use our Cobb grill the same way!  Check it out:

 

 

Just pull out the drawer, throw your grill on top, use it for food prep or other things.

 

You can see us using our blender to make verde sauce (also on the flatbed):

 

 

 

sam

[samerica 14]

Oops, sorry for the pic repost!

 

sam

[TommyGunns 2]

Oops, sorry for the pic repost!

 

sam

My fault, I edited my post to add in the pic from your blog. Your blog is giving me seriously itchy feet! While you and Erica are lounging around in shorts and flip flops, we've been enduring temperatures around -30! Jealous... BIG TIME!!!

[TommyGunns 2]

This pan just might be perfect for grilling. It's dimensions are very close to Webasto cooktop and it has a very durable nonstick coating. We've had a frypan made by the same company (Swiss Dimond) for close to two years now. The nonstick coating is amazingly durable!

 

http://swissdiamond.us/nonstick-double-burner-grill.html

[redpicus 1]

Just an FYI for those interested in the COBB grill.  The U.S. distributor closed up shop in November so the supply is limited.   Accessories and optional cooking items are getting very hard to find.  COBB On!!

[TommyGunns 2]

More Magma Cookware info. For sure the best camping pot set I've seen to date! Quality construction yet nests together to store in 1/2 cubic foot of space.

 

Nesting 10 piece set

http://www.magmaproducts.com/Products/Cookware/A10-360L/a10-360l.html

[drodio 14]

Awesome thread, thank you!

 

We are considering a Vitamix. There's a debate going over here on BlendTec vs Vitamix: http://lifewetravel.com/considering-a-vitamix-blender-anyone-have-an-opinion

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ketasissi 3]

I really like the cooktop in the XP. It takes a few minutes to get it hot, but in that time you can prep your food. If I only use one burner for cooking, I put water for a hot drink on the other one. If we don't need a hot drink I make tea and it will be the next days ice tea. .

The cool down period for the cook top depends in how hot you got it. 5 or 10 minutes.If you just want a quick hot cup of water and don't want to start the stove, get an immersion cooker. I just plug it in to heat a cup of water.

[ketasissi 3]

We ordered the Magma nesting cook wear and sent it back!

Too big, too heavy. Really: You can cook for big family with that. But for two people on a Webasto I think it is definitely overkill. We cook with one good-size stainless pot that has a steamer insert, one smaller stainless pot and a frying pan with ceramic lining. And I cook full meals with these three items and never felt that I needed more pots.

[ketasissi 3]

I put a papertowel behind the cooktop on the wood trim as a splash guard.

 

And yes: We have an espresso machine from Krups and use it several times every morning.

[samerica 14]

We ordered the Magma nesting cook wear and sent it back!

Too big, too heavy. Really: You can cook for big family with that. But for two people on a Webasto I think it is definitely overkill. We cook with one good-size stainless pot that has a steamer insert, one smaller stainless pot and a frying pan with ceramic lining. And I cook full meals with these three items and never felt that I needed more pots.

 

We've used every single pot when cooking some meals, and have been happy to have them..  Erica also brought along an entire set of shun knives as well, though, so maybe we just aren't as efficient as we could be!

 

sam

[samerica 14]

That tip I mentioned about warming tortillas on the stove using tinfoil?  Well, it works well for making toast:

 

 

Just be careful -- that burner is hot so it can burn things pretty quickly!

 

sam

[TommyGunns 2]

We ordered the Magma nesting cook wear and sent it back!Too big, too heavy. Really: You can cook for big family with that. But for two people on a Webasto I think it is definitely overkill. We cook with one good-size stainless pot that has a steamer insert, one smaller stainless pot and a frying pan with ceramic lining. And I cook full meals with these three items and never felt that I needed more pots.

They are heavy, 9lbs for the 7 piece set, 11lbs for the 10 piece set. In terms of size, I guess it depend on how a person cooks. We tend to cook in bigger batches and have left overs for lunch the next day. Or on longer trips we may do a good size pot of chilli, or something like that, then portion it down and freeze it.

 

For certain, there are much lighter cook sets out there, they may not be quite as nice to cook with though. This Bagaboo pot set is less than half the weight at 3lbs 4oz. Cheaper too, just over half the price of the Magma. Though, for XP owners, I'm sure cheap is NOT first priority!

 

http://www.gsioutdoors.com/products/pdp/bugaboo_base_camper_large

[ketasissi 3]

This is all a seasoned boat cook needs :-) and after cooking on commercial fishing boats in Alaska for many years I have figure it out pared it down as you would say. You wash your utensils as you go and in the end you do not have a zillion pots and pans stacked up. You cook most efficiently if the bottom of the utensil is the size of the burner. We like stainless (like All-Clad) and the pots need to have a good copper core for good conductivity and even cooking. The Cobb does part of the cooking outside, that means less splatter and smell inside. It works well for us this way. Bon appetite und Mahlzeit!

[ketasissi 3]

That tip I mentioned about warming tortillas on the stove using tinfoil?  Well, it works well for making toast:

 

 

 

Just be careful -- that burner is hot so it can burn things pretty quickly!

 

sam

Yes, that works well, you can use the frying pan too.

[redpicus 1]

Ketasissi,

 

Love  to keep it simple.  I like the holder you have inside the door , any details?

[ketasissi 3]

Ketasissi,

 

Love  to keep it simple.  I like the holder you have inside the door , any details?

We have something similar inside the shower door as well, for the garbage.

From Ikea!

[samerica 14]

We ordered the Magma nesting cook wear and sent it back!

Too big, too heavy. Really: You can cook for big family with that. But for two people on a Webasto I think it is definitely overkill. We cook with one good-size stainless pot that has a steamer insert, one smaller stainless pot and a frying pan with ceramic lining. And I cook full meals with these three items and never felt that I needed more pots.

 

We ran into some other overlanders recently -- http://www.thenextadventures.com/ -- who also use and love the Magma cookware (they have the 10 piece non-stick set).  We also discovered that Lost World Expedition -- http://lostworldexpedition.com/ -- also use this set of pans.  Josh (from next adventure) is/was a professional chef, and Luis (of lost world) is a gourmet & food enthusiast (my only point is--these guys love cooking, just like Erica).

 

I talked to Josh about the weight of this set..  They ARE heavy!  That leads to even heat distribution across the pan when you are cooking.  That said, if you are doing something like boiling water, or re-heating something, it probably isn't really necessary.

 

I'm not sure what advice to offer if you are on the fence about this set of pans..  maybe the only option is to give them a shot.  I think if you love cooking and are used to professional-grade equipment in your home kitchen (for comparison, in our home kitchen, we use a set of Creuset that Erica inherited from her grandfather) and you want the same in your camper, you'll probably love this set of cookware.

 

sam

[ketasissi 3]

I believe Sam was referring to the pull out drawer at the back of the truck bed, it doubles as a table and is handy for barbequeing and outdoor food prep. Bottom pic is Sam using his.

Hey that's me sitting on the steps!

[ketasissi 3]

We ran into some other overlanders recently -- http://www.thenextadventures.com/ -- who also use and love the Magma cookware (they have the 10 piece non-stick set).  We also discovered that Lost World Expedition -- http://lostworldexpedition.com/ -- also use this set of pans.  Josh (from next adventure) is/was a professional chef, and Luis (of lost world) is a gourmet & food enthusiast (my only point is--these guys love cooking, just like Erica).

 

I talked to Josh about the weight of this set..  They ARE heavy!  That leads to even heat distribution across the pan when you are cooking.  That said, if you are doing something like boiling water, or re-heating something, it probably isn't really necessary.

 

I'm not sure what advice to offer if you are on the fence about this set of pans..  maybe the only option is to give them a shot.  I think if you love cooking and are used to professional-grade equipment in your home kitchen (for comparison, in our home kitchen, we use a set of Creuset that Erica inherited from her grandfather) and you want the same in your camper, you'll probably love this set of cookware.

 

sam

I guess it comes down to what and how you eat, and how much room your espresso machine takes up :-). It is always interesting to compare, and quite helpful too see how others go about things while traveling. We don't have a Vitamix (haha) and we don't have a blender. Left my Kitchen Aid mixer and toaster at home too.

 I can only cook with two pots at the time on the Webasto. So that is what we have, along with a good frying pan. 

[rigshrink2 0]

Does anyone have any experience baking on the Webasto, like with a camp oven (collapsible or otherwise) or with those old fashioned ovens that went on top of wood or coal stoves? Muffins, pies, cakes and cookies can be essential to life!

[ketasissi 3]

I think you could, but would have to be careful not to scratch the stove top with some of those items.

You can bake bread in a frying pan, just turned it over once. I usually bake bread with the Cobb grill, it comes out perfect.

[jsnable 0]

I had seen the video of the burgers before but didn't realize they were grilling on a mat when I asked my steak question. If that's a viable option it would save the need for a separate BBQ. Who's going to be the first guinea pig?

Did a search on "BBQ grill mats" and came up with quite a few, including:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SLWMF8Y/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00C1LWE32&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1VAWA7B4QQW27HAXXP8A

 

I won't have my XP for a while, but will report back - looks handy!

 

Jay

[gvb1940 0]

I'm reading up on the Webasto stove and it seems simple enough to start using but there will be a learning curve to using it well. I thought it would be good to have a topic so all you pros can give us tips on what you've learned to do (and not to do) with this interesting appliance.

I do have one specific question. We like to do quick breakfasts before hitting the road in the morning, consisting of some sort of boiled meal/drink to be eaten in the truck as we head out. I know the stove stays hot/warm for a while after it's turned off. How quickly does the stove cool off enough to be able to close the camper?

Please share any cooking tips you've learned below.[/quote

 

Jet Boil stove for quick hot water

[gvb1940 0]

That tip I mentioned about warming tortillas on the stove using tinfoil?  Well, it works well for making toast:

 

 

 

Just be careful -- that burner is hot so it can burn things pretty quickly!

 

sam

I just put the bread on a flat frying pan. It toasts just fine and I don't waste aluminum foil.

[mrfish 12]

One of the handiest cooking gadgets I use is a 4qt stainless steel pressure cooker. It cooks eveything very quickly and is perfect for one pot meals. It takes a little finessing but perserverence and an imagination.

Plus the pot minus lid is perfect for boiling pasta.