# Essential BBQ tools and accessories



## blade1 (May 1, 2006)

Thermapen.


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## K Kruger (May 1, 2006)

What do you have or plan to use for cleaning?

Are you serving as well as cooking? What meat(s) are you cooking? If serving, how are you planning to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold?


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## Cliff H. (May 1, 2006)

Have you cooked on this pit before ?


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## Cliff H. (May 2, 2006)

I remember seeing that rig go up for sale.  Very nice.  I hope it serves you well.


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (May 2, 2006)

Just a thought, If your going to use 8 foot tables to do prep and cutting of meat they are only 30 inches high. I use PVC pipe slipped over the legs to raze them to 37 inches. Doesn't sound like much but your back will thank you. Kind of a been there, Done that deal for me.


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## Rich Decker (May 2, 2006)

Coolers don't work to well  for holding food warm in a commercial setting. I have bought a lot of stuff from this company including Carlisle holding containers.

http://www.equippers.com/

Rich


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## Gary in VA (May 2, 2006)

Rich Decker said:
			
		

> Coolers don't work to well  for holding food warm in a commercial setting. I have bought a lot of stuff from this company including Carlisle holding containers.
> 
> http://www.equippers.com/
> 
> Rich



Amen Brother.. get some of those food pan cambros instead of coolers for holding hot food.  I have 1 and could use a second one.  for coolers for keeping things cold.. get one or more of those big suckers that keeps stuff cold for days.. they are great.  Smaller coolers just dont work.. things just dont fit in them.. the drawback to the large ones is you need two people to handle them.

the only other thing you are gonna need is HELP.


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## DATsBBQ (May 2, 2006)

Nice pit, does it have electric brakes?
DATsBBQ


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## john pen (May 2, 2006)

Nice looking pit...Is that a big billboard attatched to the pit ???


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## DATsBBQ (May 2, 2006)

Rich,
What catagory are the Carlisle Holding container under? The URL doesn't have a search function.
DATsBBQ


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## DaleP (May 2, 2006)

My beer huggie is an important tool in my arsenal of BBQ tools, materials and equipment. Oh and my tongs. Gotta have my tongs.


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## john pen (May 2, 2006)

Rory said:
			
		

> I think he's talking about these:
> 
> http://www.instawares.com/965871.965871 ... E5FBB10131.



Ive got one of those..Its awesome..Have held a steaming temp for over 6 hours...


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## Rich Decker (May 2, 2006)

DATsBBQ said:
			
		

> Rich,
> What catagory are the Carlisle Holding container under? The URL doesn't have a search function.
> DATsBBQ




They are under Serving equipment, sub-category Insulated food and beverage carriers. They are $149.00 each.

Rich Decker


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## DATsBBQ (May 2, 2006)

Rich,
Thanks. I am going to look into buying one.
DATsBBQ


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## ScottyDaQ (May 2, 2006)

Rich Decker said:
			
		

> DATsBBQ said:
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Rich,

Just curious on why you chose Carlisle over Cambro?


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## Woodman1 (May 2, 2006)

Rich Decker said:
			
		

> Coolers don't work to well  for holding food warm in a commercial setting. I have bought a lot of stuff from this company including Carlisle holding containers.
> 
> http://www.equippers.com/
> 
> Rich



Well, I would have to say that it depends on what you are holding, and for how long. If I am cooking butts, and briskets,(cuts with a substantial amount of heft,) I can hold them in the 180-200 degree range for several hours in foil. The more pieces of meat you put in the cooler, the more self sustaining it is. They actually continue to cook and become overly tender. I would think that beans in foil pans would also stay plenty hot in a cooler. A Cambro is nothing more than an HDPE cooler. IMHO, a Coleman cooler seals better and is more effective than a Cambro. You can increase the effectiveness of the cooler by puttuin a towel over the top of your food items. I use my upright to hold beans and potatoes, and 150 quart Coleman coolers for meat items. Sorry Rich, but I've got to disagree with you! :!:  #-o

ps. you can buy 3-4  huge Coleman coolers for the cost on one Cambro type apparatus. The pit you have bought has a warmer for foil pan items. Your meat will hold fine in a cooler. The Cambro products also, tend to leak water/ condensate. They have an o-ring seal that fails. Ask Uncle Bubba!


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## Uncle Bubba (May 2, 2006)

Mine did leak when I used it for keeping things cold while traveling.  Cambro replaced the seal and it has been fine ever since.  I would buy another. They hold beans hot, and I mean hot hot, for over 5 hours and transporting things in pans is much easier than in a cooler, especially multiple pans.  Since you have the upright, I'd use it like Woody described if you can.  Towels in a cooler do make things work better.  Also, some boiling water for about 10 minutes before gets them really nice and warmed up.  Guess it all depends upon what you want to do and how often you are going to be doing it.

Don't forget:  First Aid kit with peroxide, disposable latex gloves, hand/dish soap, bleach for sanitizing.


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## Rich Decker (May 2, 2006)

Woodman said:
			
		

> Rich Decker said:
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When I used to put hot food ( butts and briskets) in a cooler the cooler warped the plastic blistered. I've seen others at the comps that have don the same. The Carlisles  work great  when delivering food cooked at home, I have a small drop off party this weekend.

Rich


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## Rich Decker (May 2, 2006)

ScottyDaQ said:
			
		

> Rich Decker said:
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The recommendations of other cooks and mostly cost. 

Rich


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## Woodman1 (May 2, 2006)

Well, I have had over 20 butts at 200 degrees internal temp in a Coleman cooler with no damage! Could be, that if you put some pans of beans straight out of a 300 degree oven, it would damage it! I guess it would be difficult to put a bunch of foil wrapped briskets stacked in a Cambro too! In the end, both the cooler, and the Cambro products are made out of the same material: High Density Polyethylene. The cooler is vac formed  in two pieces (outer and inner shell) and assembled to create the air space necessary for insulation I believe . The Cambro is rotomolded in a single operation and in a single piece . In the end, HDPE is a very poor high temp material. It has very low Vicat Softening Point, as well as Heat Deflection Point. I am very familiar with Carlisle Corp as they are a large competitor of my company's in another arena. In the end, I prefer the cooler because of cost/volume considerations. I also like the cooler because it serves the dual purpose of cold _ and_ hot maintenance.
As an aside, the process used to make a Cambro is actually much more cost effective. I wonder why they cost so much more?


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## Woodman1 (May 2, 2006)

Rory, I use three washtubs in my operation. One with hot water and soap. One with hot water for rinse. One with 1 tsp bleach to 1 gallon of water. Just dip your rag in the solution and wipe what you need sanitized. Use cool water for the sanitizer as it will slow the bleach from evaporating.. You could use a spray bottle as well, but you need to dip dishes and utensils to be legal. Woody


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## Rich Decker (May 2, 2006)

I think the difference is the 'Cambro' plastic wall thickness seems to be, well,thicker. The hot meat also doesn't come in contact with the plastic, it's in food service pans. I love mine and use it constantly for competitions.  Last weekend I bet most teams had them in their arsenal. I can hold 8 foil pans in my pit's warming box but I seem to like the Carlisle better. I have a food holding nightmare in July, I'm cooking for a KCBS judging school. We need to cook food for 108 turn in boxes. That's a lot of lettuce.

R


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## Uncle Bubba (May 3, 2006)

Hey Woody, was is the wall thickness in a Cambro type product vs. a cooler?  The Cambros do seem to be more dense than coolers and they seem to have more insulation around them if you look ay the thickness of the walls vs. the bottom and sides of a cooler. Hit both with the wooden end of a hammer and you will feel and hear the difference in density or hardness.  They both work well as I have used both and continue to do so.  It's all in what you like.  I would have to say if you didn't have the uprights you'd have to use a cambro type product for panned foods.  I too have heard of coolers splitting from the heat but have never seen it or experienced it first hand.


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (May 3, 2006)

I have been using Coleman X-treme's for a few years now. I just fill them a 1/4 full of boiling water a 1/2 hour before loading them up with 1/2 pans. They fit well and are $22.00 bucks at Wally world. I can fit 6 half pans in there with little trouble. Trick is to use a piece of cardboard between each layer of 2. News paper works well on the bottom for a easy clean up.


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## ScottyDaQ (May 3, 2006)

I've had a pre warmed coleman cooler crack with the brisket wrapped in foil, AND a towel. My luck I guess.


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (May 4, 2006)

That's odd, I know a bunch of other guys that use them also with no problems. One guy I know preheats his with a 1200 watt hair dryer. You might want to give them a call for a replacement. I would.


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## ScottyDaQ (May 4, 2006)

Pigs On The Wing BBQ said:
			
		

> That's odd, I know a bunch of other guys that use them also with no problems. One guy I know preheats his with a 1200 watt hair dryer. You might want to give them a call for a replacement. I would.



You don't think they'd be like ..... "*You did what, and put what in it?....It's a cooler Sir."*  :grin:


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## K Kruger (May 5, 2006)

Rory said:
			
		

> I'm going to sound like an idiot here, but could someone please explain the proper procedure for using bleach to sanitize stuff?  Do I put it in a spray bottle?  Do I need to dilute it?  I assume I spray and wipe down, then after that do I need to rinse with water or anything?


Just FYI: Sanitizing is only effective if the articles being sanitized are washed well first. I realize most HD codes require sanitizing but most HD codes are based on the FDA Food Code and I can tell you right now that neither the FDA nor local HD inspectors have any research study that shows if you wash but don't sanitize you get sick.  HACCP does not validate sanitizing as necessary either--just washing.

 I'm not telling you to forgo sanitizer if your HD requires them. I'm just saying that if your intention is to prevent possible illness and not just follow the law washing is key, not a sanitizer. Imo, bleach--even diluted--is too harsh a chemical to use on ready-to-eat food contact surfaces. One of the oxy-clean-type products that are based on hydrogen peroxide and alcohol are safer. Barring that, a spray of H2O2 followed by a spray of dilute vinegar is better. 

Washed and rinsed or washed, rinsed ad sanitized items should air dry. One sees a 10:1 reduction in pathogenic bacteria from air drying.

Articles should be scrubbed in warm soapy water with a brush--never a sponge or scrubby. It's best, of course, if you can drain or dump the wash water very frequently.  Running rinse water is best as well but at least change the rinse water frequently--I'd use the oxy stuff or the hy-per/vin succession on RTE contact surfaces if I was not able to rinse under flowing water.  *Air dry.*

Keep in mind that food-borne illness comes mostly from the fecal-oral route (inadequate handwashing of the cooks OR the diners who, unfortunately, we can't monitor), inadequately cooked food, inadequately washed produce that was served fresh (uncooked), and cross-contamination from putting or prepping RTE food on surfaces that were inadequately cleaned after they were used for uncooked non-RTE food.  This last one is especially important when cooking in situations where  running water and a variety of sinks aren't part of the equation. If you can keep RTE foods separated from non-RTE foods you'll go a long way in preventing that potential of FBI transmission. Having bowls, containers, cutting boards, knives, etc., that are ONLY used for RTE foods will help in this regard.

Good luck on your endeavor.


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## Captain Morgan (May 5, 2006)

great info, thanks Kevin


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