Food Sticking/Burning in Billycan, poss mod?

[Gaudette]

I was thinking of buying a Billycan but one off the downsides for using them to cook seems to be that food sticks to the bottom. Has anyone ever tried cutting a circle from a Baking tray ( non stick one ) and dropping it in the bottom of the pan ?

When I usually come up with ideas like this someone comes along with the obvious as to why it won't work. I can't think of one but I'm happy to told otherwise.

Anyone tried this?

 

[am5566]

I was thinking of buying a Billycan but one off the downsides for using them to cook seems to be that food sticks to the bottom. Has anyone ever tried cutting a circle from a Baking tray ( non stick one ) and dropping it in the bottom of the pan ?

When I usually come up with ideas like this someone comes along with the obvious as to why it won't work. I can't think of one but I'm happy to told otherwise.

Anyone tried this?

Wont the fat and jucies just run under the bit of tray and stick to the billy? I find the burned on fat and juices hardest to scrub off.

 

[bilmo-p5]

For stove use you need a heat diffuser. I have a couple of these, theyre a bit pricey but I've had them 10 years and they're still going strong. The DBs of heat diffusers IMHO. There's plenty of cheaper ones about; just google or search eBay for 'stove heat diffuser'.
For fire use, try moving your pot to an area where the heat isn't so fierce and/or get a nonstick pot.

 

[Haggis]

Of course everyone tries to stop food from sticking, but food sticks to some sorts of pots simply by walking passed them. If food is going to stick, and it will always stick to some pots, I put a bit of dish soap in the pot, fill it with water, and put it back on the fire to boil. For the most part, and with luck, the water will soften everything so that it will simply wipe out with a dishrag.

 

[GGTBod]

I gave up on the billy can as a cooking pot and bought a small set of non stick camping pans with folding handles, makes campside washing up a doddle

almost identical to the set i bought, light as a feather too

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Outdoor-P...709?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33910698a5

 

[cranmere]

Most camping pans tend to stick and burn because they are made of thin metal that gets hot spots especially if you have a stove with a burner that is slightly uneven.

 

[Toddy]

Depending on what you're doing with the pot, frying or baking can both be done on top of a layer of silicon sheeting meant to line oven trays. The sheet means you need incredibly little oil or fat and food won't stick, when baking it simply comes out with the bread/bannock on top of it. Non stick, no gunked up pots, and easy to clean. Weighs nothing, cost £1 for a 30x40cm sheet in Poundland (I bought a couple this morning ) Cheap as chips and no fuss to cut with scissors.

atb,
M

 

[GordonM]

Depending on what you're doing with the pot, frying or baking can both be done on top of a layer of silicon sheeting meant to line oven trays. The sheet means you need incredibly little oil or fat and food won't stick and when baking it simply comes out with the bread/bannock on top of it. Non stick, no gunked up pots and easy to clean. Weighs nothing, cost £1 for a 30x40cm sheet in Poundland (I bought a couple this morning ) Cheap as chips and no fuss to cut with scissors.

atb,
M

Thanks for the excellent tip, Mary!

 

[rik_uk3]

Most camping pans tend to stick and burn because they are made of thin metal that gets hot spots especially if you have a stove with a burner that is slightly uneven.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIMMER-RI...pt=UK_Kitchen_Accessories&hash=item3ce0f9653f had one for about a year and its great. It really spreads the heat and is ideal when cooking some things like lentils, pearl barley etc; it cuts down the stir time needed because the heat is spread more evenly. Heat spread is vital but does vary from stove to stove and the pots you use plus what they are made of.

The biggest problem most campers/bushcrafters have is they either are not good cooks and or don't practise with their camp stoves/pots at home, no offence meant but I've seen others cook some pretty grim meals at camp because they lack basic cooking skills

Forget Titanium as a pot for real cooking (bloody awful at heat spread even on a good stove), Aluminium is way better, stainless steel not far behind.

So, don't blame the pot...blame the cook

 

[Gaudette]

Depending on what you're doing with the pot, frying or baking can both be done on top of a layer of silicon sheeting meant to line oven trays. The sheet means you need incredibly little oil or fat and food won't stick and when baking it simply comes out with the bread/bannock on top of it. Non stick, no gunked up pots and easy to clean. Weighs nothing, cost £1 for a 30x40cm sheet in Poundland (I bought a couple this morning ) Cheap as chips and no fuss to cut with scissors.


Many thanks for the tip Toddy. Sensible advice as ever.

 

[Bucephalas]

+1 for silicon sheets.
I also burn the hell out of my Zebra's but a little bit of Oven cleaner left in the bottom over night and it's as good as new.
I also use my Zebra on it's side over a gas ring with the lid on and it becomes an oven. I put the silicon sheet in the bottom too to catch any drips of fat/oil so little or no cleaning required.

 

[petrochemicals]

Heat spread is vital but does vary...a spatula and stir it with a lot more liquid.

 

[Toddy]

Anodised aluminium camping pots are a heck of an improvement on the titanium or stainless steel ones. Good, decent non stick coating on them and they're even better.

The supposed connection between aluminium and alzeheimer's disease must have been a huge income flow for pot manufacturers. I know I cleared out all of mine from my kitchen for ss and enamelled cast iron. The latter are too damned heavy and the former need aluminium sandwich bases to work properly. The last sauté pan I bought though is aluminium with a really good non stick lining, and it's brilliant.

I bought ss camping pots with the copper cladding on the base. I reckon it's a gimmick; the copper's not thick enough to disperse any heat properly. I'm giving serious thought to buying a new set of aluminium pots, especially since these days I usually have the car relatively near by. Big, settled camp I don't mind lugging the cast iron stuff along, but not when there's only me to feed.

Neat idea on turning the billy on it's side I have the grill that comes in two pieces from the Kelly kettle cook set, if that was slid inside as a rack then it really would make the pot into an oven

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Gaudette]

I tries the silicon sheeting and it was a great success. I did some rice.

Silicon sheet cut to size with ingredients.

Fire lit in with the onions ,garlic and fry

I with the spices cook for a couple of minutes

Simmer for 5

Lid on leave for 15

And the result tasty rice and no sticking

Many Thanks Toddy an excellent tip.

 

[ged]

I'm in full agreement with Mary. Non-stick is really good stuff, it cooks better and it cleans soooooo much easier.

Until something better happens along, I'm sold on Tefal. The other day I did a delicious (if I do say so myself) chiken tikka in a Tefal wok on an Emberlit stove in the garden and it was so good I'm going to do it again tomorrow.

And yes, those copper-plated camping pots are a complete con. I have a set in one of the motor-bike packs. I bought it for its convenient packed size but I was never fooled by the copper plating.

 

[ADz-1983]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned but firstly you need to lower the cooking temperature and remember to keep stirring occasionally.

Also, why not get a set of non-stick pans? The evernew titanium sets are great pans. I have the 900 and 600ml version but they do bigger sizes.

 

[Lightbulb]

Anyone tried seasoning the pan/pot?

As in heating oil in it to produce a non-stick surface?

Never occured to me before to do it to mess tin but I can't think why it shouldn't be done.

 

[Nice65]

Primus Litech all the way. That frying pan is the single most useful bit of cooking equipment I own.

 

[Bucephalas]

Mt Trangia Duossal offers best of both worlds.
Aluminium base and outer with pressed SS inner. Can scrub the hell out of it and very good heat transfer.

 

[oldtimer]

Is there any non-stick coating that one can apply oneself to one's own favourite pan? I use an Optimus aluminium mess tin that I've had for years but is very thin and I avoid cooking things likely to stick as I'm afraid of scrubbing through it!

As for the Altzeimer's point: I've cooked in aluminium pots for years and at 72 no obvious signs yet!