Beanie babies. Pogs. And now, skottles. These are fads that we definitely did not see coming, and honestly, looking back they have not aged well. While a skottle is more functional than a pog, it comes with some significant drawbacks relative to alternatives on the market. For starters, there is the price. A skottle retails for $375. The origin of the skottle comes from South Africa, where they love to cook meat. Afrikaans farmers put plow discs over a flame to cook on nearly a century ago, and the basic idea has not really changed much since then. Does that sound like something that should cost even more than a tank of gas or a sheet of plywood?
Another downside to skottles is the size and weight. A skottle weighs 22 pounds and the legs only collapse to 20-inches long when not in use. This isn’t gigantic, but if you are camping with your family in a Jeep Wrangler or Toyota Tacoma you know how valuable space can be. One alternative is the Cadac Safari Chef grill, which is also from South Africa. In fact, Cadac was the first company to mass produce the skottle! You might not be surprised to learn that the Safari Chef functions similarly to a skottle, but adds a wok, griddle, and grate to the flat burner option. Plus, the diffuser on the Safari Chef makes for much more even heat across the cooking surface when compared to a skottle. The Cadac also weighs under ten pounds and nests together to be quite compact. The Cadac Safari Chef grill costs half as much as a skottle, and the removable plates make it easier to clean.
Want to go one step further and be totally minimalist? Bring a JetBoil to heat water and Mountain House or similar freeze-dried meals like backpackers do. Or do what our fathers did for us when we were kids and just purchase a pizza or bucket of chicken for the weekend. Both come in their own box and don’t require any utensils or cleanup! If you still want a skottle that’s cool, just make your purchase with your eyes wide open. Drop a comment below and let me know what you use to cook when you camp!
