by Robin Passey
The Setup
The Outdoor Kitchen is two 10ftx10ft canopies side by side with the outside corners joined together with zip ties. The floor is a 10ftx20ft brown tarp. We use the tarp as the floor so it is easy to sweep and wipe or mop up spills. This helps keep the area clean. You can use smaller tarps 10ftx10ft to tie on one side for shade. We use bungee cords, zip ties, and duck tape to help set things up.
On one side we use the Bass Pro kitchen sink fold out set up and on top we put three large cat litter bins or buss tubs. One is for washing, one for rinsing and one with a drain rack for drying.
Next to that we set up the large 2-burner propane stove.
Across from that is the prep table and it is put on plastic 3-4 inch stilts which raises the table to counter height for prepping food. The stilts were bed stilts we bought at Wal-Mart. We have square plastic milk jug holders tipped sideways side by side and at the back of the table to use for storage of canned goods, spices, and other foods. Next to the other end of the table is a plastic 5-drawer storage. In the top drawer is the divided silver ware, the next drawer are the serving utensils such as large spoons, a hand beater, and knives. The cooking spoons and spatulas are metal with rubber handles. When cooking with open flame or Dutch ovens, don’t use plastic spoons and spatulas, they will melt. The next drawer has plastic bags, wrap, and foil. The next drawer has hot pads, hot mitts, and heavy hot glove. The next drawer has lightweight plastic plates, bowls, and cups. We bring paper but if we run out we use the plastic and wash them. We bought them from the dollar store or Fry’s. We have our large cooler close by. A Yeti is the best cooler but pricy.
In the middle of the tent we have two folding camp tables end to end with table clothes and chairs. We use black tables and chairs because camping is dirty and black doesn’t show the dirt as much. The camp folding tables and chairs we got from Wal-Mart. The chairs are lightweight, easier for storage. Outside the kitchen we set up our Dutch oven metal table. We use charcoal and have gotten black plastic garbage cans with wheels and twist on lids to put our charcoal in and keep it on the side of the house.
The Menu
We will be cooking Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in the Dutch oven with charcoal on the Dutch oven table and another Dutch oven in the Volcano Stove using charcoal. This will show the difference and the time cooking. We also will show the two different sizes of Cobb Stoves which take even less charcoal than the Volcano Stove.
Water
We put a 55-gallon blue water barrel in the back of the truck and fill it with water. Then we use the water barrel pump in it to get water using gravity. The water is tap or hose water and is fine to drink but we use our Berkey filter to filter the water we drink. We usually have a small table set up close by with a plastic tub for washing and brushing teeth and a mirror tied on a tree above it.
Other Features
Our sleeping tent is usually set up close by and we can string a tarp above like a breeze way from sleeping tent to kitchen canopy. This way if it rains it helps keep things dry. We have our potty tent close by to the sleeping tent and use outdoor stake sun lamps to light up the path at night. We also will set up the cooking tripod that we use with the Dutch oven over an open campfire.
Any questions please contact:
Robin Passey
480-710-5775