A few years ago I bought a small potjie from the bring and buy stall at the Bushmoot. When I picked it up off the table I was immediately impressed with how little it weighed. Turned out that despite looking like a cast iron pot it was made of aluminium.
It has been a regular part of my camp kit ever since and I have searched in vain for a larger one but had no luck until now.
Following a search for something else, I stumbled on a link to a South African Shop and knowing that they were commonly used out there I had a quick poke around. There they were... ( Aluminium Potjie )
Not cheap but just what I was looking for. The No.3 is big enough for my little potjie to fit inside for transport and importantly, big enough to be used as a dutchie.
I know people will say cast iron is better blah blah.. but This is substantially lighter and doesn't go rusty at the drop of a hat. I've used and maintained iron pots for years, I used to run a medieval kitchen with both iron and bronze cauldrons so I know their qualities well. This is exactly what I've been looking for though.
The finish is fair, about what I have come to expect from cast ware these days. The lid lift point was drilled slightly off centre which led to the lid tipping when it was lifted. A few minutes with a file soon sorted that out. Regrettably very few things arrive in recent times that do not require some degree of fettling. It seems that modern retailers lack the sense of pride that traders once had.
I have given it a rub over with stove polish on the outside to kick start the blackening up that will occur naturally at it is used. By the end of the Bushmoot this will look just like an iron pot.
That will of course fit in very nicely with the retro feel of our Steam Tent Co-operative camps.
It has been a regular part of my camp kit ever since and I have searched in vain for a larger one but had no luck until now.
Following a search for something else, I stumbled on a link to a South African Shop and knowing that they were commonly used out there I had a quick poke around. There they were... ( Aluminium Potjie )
Not cheap but just what I was looking for. The No.3 is big enough for my little potjie to fit inside for transport and importantly, big enough to be used as a dutchie.
I know people will say cast iron is better blah blah.. but This is substantially lighter and doesn't go rusty at the drop of a hat. I've used and maintained iron pots for years, I used to run a medieval kitchen with both iron and bronze cauldrons so I know their qualities well. This is exactly what I've been looking for though.
The finish is fair, about what I have come to expect from cast ware these days. The lid lift point was drilled slightly off centre which led to the lid tipping when it was lifted. A few minutes with a file soon sorted that out. Regrettably very few things arrive in recent times that do not require some degree of fettling. It seems that modern retailers lack the sense of pride that traders once had.
I have given it a rub over with stove polish on the outside to kick start the blackening up that will occur naturally at it is used. By the end of the Bushmoot this will look just like an iron pot.
That will of course fit in very nicely with the retro feel of our Steam Tent Co-operative camps.
