Skottle, hero or hype?

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trikebubble

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So as we try to simplify and condense our "apparatus" for our impending Four Wheel Camper I've been trying to decide whether or not I need/want/desire a skottle as a primary outdoor cooking surface.
The camper will have a two burner stove, but we have always done most of our cooking outdoors. I want a single device to use for outdoor cooking, I presently use the trusty old Coleman stove (which has never, ever let me down). If this skottle thing is all it's cracked up to be, it would cut down on the need for multiple and larger fry pans, as well as likely leaving the cast iron pan at home. While I love a good grilling, space dictates that I will not be bringing a bbq along for the ride.

I' interested to know from the folks that own a skottle, if it is all it is hyped up to be or just the latest trendy overlanding must-have gadget, if you use it regularly for all or most of your outdoor cooking duties, and if you had to do it over again would you buy another.

So fire away camp Chef's.
 

DaveEli

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It's fantastic, we have had one for 3 years. We love it. At Expo East we saw dozens of them being used.
We use it camping and at home. It's fun. Would buy again.
 
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Wired_

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I have one, and I absolutely love it. I don't think I will really ever use anything else other than the 2 burner Coleman stove I have for coffee etc. you can make almost anything on it (see the skottle cookbook) it cleans easy, stores easily if you get the step 22 all in one carrying case. It's also virtually indestructible even if you get rust, like I accidentally let it sit for a while with part of the zipper open, it ended up getting rained on and developed a bunch of rust and it was pretty easy to get the rust off and re season as well. All in all highly recommended.



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Raul B

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I have had mine for almost 3 years now. Love it. I take a single burner stove just to cook things with a pot but do most of our cooking on the skottle.. that being said... their new smaller skottle has me thinking........
 
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DaveEli

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I have had mine for almost 3 years now. Love it. I take a single burner stove just to cook things with a pot but do most of our cooking on the skottle.. that being said... their new smaller skottle has me thinking........
Saw the little one at Expo. Pretty cool. Would like one.
 

000

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I made one from an old plow disk and used the same Coleman single burner stove they use for about $15 since i already had the stove and disk but I didn’t have the right size box tubing for the legs or thumb screws. It was a quick easy project. Weld up the hole with a piece of scrap steel. Grind and sand it smooth, bend some 1/4” round stock in a half circle to cradle the stove, zap some legs to hold the cradle to the disk, zap 3 nuts on the cradle for thumb screws to adjust the height of the stove up to the disk, zap 3 leg receivers about 3” long to the disk the size up from the legs so you can slip the legs in, season the disc, make fajitas. I eyeballed it and built as I went and it turned out great and has been awesome to cook on, I do breakfast, fajitas, etc on it. It works great for frying stuff like fish, as the pieces are done you drag them up the sides to drain and stay warm as the other pieces finish cooking. I built a wood box for it to go in with the stove and a couple propane canisters so I can stack stuff on top of it in my truck. I like the satisfaction of cooking on something I recycled from basically scrap steel, and I really like the price.



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old_man

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Looks interesting. Where do you buy one and roughly how much are they?
 

Craig M

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If the price has you hesitant, google plow disc cookers.. Therre are plenty of lower cost alternatives and diy options.
 

beck4u

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I'm a DIY guy and made my own too. Actually I've made 4 of them now. Pretty simple and quick project. I use mine at home, work and on the trail. Let's see... last night we had al pastor w/onions & peppers and fried some mexican cheese. I cook breakfast on my larger one at home. As a matter of fact I just fried up some leftover spaghetti for lunch! Sloppy joes work out pretty good too. Now i'm getting hungry again!

However it won't replace your entire cook system. You still need some way to boil water or cook foods in pots. But if you plan your meals around the disc it can do a lot.
 
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utspoolup

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I'm a DIY guy and made my own too. Actually I've made 4 of them now. Pretty simple and quick project. I use mine at home, work and on the trail. Let's see... last night we had al pastor w/onions & peppers and fried some mexican cheese. I cook breakfast on my larger one at home. As a matter of fact I just fried up some leftover spaghetti for lunch! Sloppy joes work out pretty good too. Now i'm getting hungry again!

However it won't replace your entire cook system. You still need some way to boil water or cook foods in pots. But if you plan your meals around the disc it can do a lot.
Awesome post and great advise, however, you can add a few qt pot to the coleman burner, just be sure to use the fuel canister stabilizer. It really is a great little system. I have used mine, MANY times the last few years I have had it. I recently picked up the steam cover and it makes a difference more so in windy conditions, and to help keep heat for certain recipes. You could make your own with a mixing bowl and handle if you needed to. But Im lazy.....

Pretty much anything done in a skillet or wok can be done on the skottle.

Kielbasa and cabbage


Disco Egg fry
Disco egg fry by Casey Jaeger, on Flickr

Beef Bulgogi


 

SLO Rob

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Absolutely love ours. It's easy, simple, the fuel cans are cheap. I can take the burner off from below and make coffee.
 
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Looks like a great idea, sounds like a great idea but they priced them right out of any possibility I will ever buy one!!!
 

SLO Rob

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People gather around it like a fire pit. It’s FUN. It isn’t light. But I can cook EVERYTHING on one gadget. Seriously, it’s a big ass single burner wok on legs and I wrote this on a list somewhere else recently, people gather around a skottle, not a Coleman. Both cook great, but it’s just fun.
 
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Rambo1619

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I used a buddies he had a small one. Worked pretty good. Really depends on what works for you and what your cooking.
 

T. Stanley

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There is one for sale right now in the Buy/sell/trade gear thread on our forums.
 

MMc

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I have plenty of food cooked on discas, they are good. I would not carry one, they are limited as to what you can cook. A 2 burner and a set pans with a fry pan will get me a larger verity of foods. If you add a flat griddle to the mix you are cooking with gas.
 
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PonoAdventures

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So I thought I would never get one because I don't really cook compared to my wife. However, I just traveled with a buddy who has one and one nice thing about it is the ease of cleaning. The usual arrangement when I travel is the person who doesn't cook cleans the dishes. Not having to do pots/pans have been a big plus.