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The Funky Leisure Team have been using the Camp Chef Pro 30 Gas Stove combined with the versatile Camp Chef Deluxe BBQ Grill Box for the past two years on road trips from Tarifa at the most southernly tip of Spain to Senja way up in the Norwegian Arctic Circle. After extensive field testing in varying conditions and using this camp stove/barbeque box as our everyday kitchen for a few months, we feel we feel qualified to review the pros and cons of the Camp Chef combo.
As long-term charcoal BBQ users, we were keen to discover any advantages (apart from the obvious - no charcoal required!) a decent gas stove/BBQ could offer.
We are the two digital nomads of the Funky Leisure Team currently working remotely on the road whilst travelling the UK and Europe in an off-grid VW Crafter 4-Motion camper van. We chose to try the Pro 30 Stove in combination with the BBQ Grill Box, as we felt this relatively compact cooker combo could offer the most options for different types of cooking. And, as we live on the road, it is important for us to have additional choices for cooking along with the traditional BBQ for a varied balanced diet.
We have been using this Camp Chef Pro 30 most days as a regular gas burner for omelettes and general frying, stews, paella etc. and with the Grill Box to BBQ, grill, bake, roast, sear etc.
In this review, we'll explore the features, design, and overall cooking experience of this stove/BBQ combination.
Stove Design: 4.9 out of 5
The Pro 30 Gas Stove has a strong powder-coated tubular steel frame with very sturdy legs and a large underslung cast aluminium burner. The cooking surface is at a comfortable standing cooking height and has a 12mm rim around the edge for Camp Chef accessories (like the BBQ Grill Box) to fit neatly into place and to also prevent pans sliding off. The large cooking surface can accommodate up to 34cm diameter frying pans, Dutch ovens, Paella dishes etc.
The unit is easy to lift and position when setting up using the rails at each side of the cooker, the top cover can then fold out to create a spacious, sturdy heat-proof work surface and the rail on the other side is perfect for hanging tongs and BBQ tools over.
The legs attach/detach via thumb screws and the unit can be set-up ready to cook in less than a minute. Although the cooking surface can also be levelled using the leg thumb screws, we prefer the finer adjustment of the optional Camp Chef Stove Leg Adjusters which are easy to adjust on uneven ground.
FL Top Tip : If you're a stickler for detail and insist on your omelettes sitting level in the frying pan you can use a spirit level app on top of the Camp Chef lid. The Leg Adjusters allow fine adjustment to get the stove surface bang on… slightly anal, but the leveling app is also very good for getting the van level on chocks without having to get out and check by eye!
This large stove can be packed down relatively small into an optional strong zipped carry bag and should fit neatly into most compact campervans.
Our only minor quibble with this stove design is that it doesn’t have Piezo ignition, however, it’s easy to light with a long lighter and always lights first time. Presumably, as this heavy-duty unit has obviously been built to last, the ignition was omitted as these are usually the first thing to fail on a well-used camp cooker.
Grill Box Design: 5 out of 5
The Deluxe BBQ Grill Box has a stove-enamelled steel body and powder-coated hinged lid with cooking temperature gauge. The underside of the grill box has Camp Chef's patented heat diffuser system that minimises hot spots and converts flames into infrared heat and the grilling surface is pre-seasoned cast iron.
The Grill Box has a front latch that can lock the hinged lid in place and a sturdy solid stainless-steel handle which makes it easy to lift on and off the Pro 30 Stove. The Grill Box just slots onto top of the stove and is held securely in place by the raised lip around the stove edge.
As with the Pro 30 Stove, the BBQ Grill Box is a very strong, durable piece of kit that has been built to last. After two years of almost constant use, being packed down and set-up every few days, stored in the back of a van, both units are still completely intact and in full working order.
Performance: 4.8 out of 5
The stove has a powerful 7kw (24,000 BTU) 15cm Ø burner and the gas control knob allows easy fine adjustment to the temperature. It can accommodate pans up to 34cm diameter so is great for fast high heat for large frying pans and gently simmering larger pans like Dutch ovens and paella dishes. The burner also has an Air Damper control (chrome lever behind the gas control knob) which opens a small triangular inlet to allow more primary air to mix with the gas. Sounds complicated but just rotate it slightly until you get a nice hot blue flame… you’ll find that you won’t have to really adjust it unless outdoor conditions radically change.
When first lit, we find that it’s best to keep the flame fairly low for a minute or so to let it settle before turning it up to a higher temperature. In exposed areas on windy days, the burner flame can occasionally get blown out with a strong gust but as with most other outdoor cookers, a more sheltered spot or windbreak will protect it.
When using the grill box, the heat diffuser does a great job of spreading the heat from the stove evenly over the whole seasoned cast iron cooking surface, so food cooks well even at the corners of the grill. The grill grate creates those mouth-watering, all important sear marks on your food allowing meat, fish, vegetables, Halloumi etc. to be cooked to perfection.
Versatility: 5 out of 5
We’ve found that using this powerful burner in combination with the grill box offers so many different cooking techniques, which in turn, offers a much more varied, balanced diet. And if you’re on a long road trip, or like us, living on the road, as nice as barbequed food is, we all need a bit more variety after a while.
The grill box's adjustable heat knob allows for precise temperature control, accommodating various cooking techniques. Basically, the grill box offers conventional BBQing, grilling and searing with the lid open and when closed it creates oven cooking conditions to either cook or heat food. The integrated thermometer in the lid of the BBQ Grill Box allows consistent temperature control.
With the lid closed it’s easy to adjust the gas control to get a constant 180°/200° temperature which we use it to cook anything from French cut rack of lamb to baked potatoes.
FL Top Tip: We sear the lamb on all sides and finish it off for 10 or 15mins with the lid closed. If you want to speed up your jacket spuds, halve them before wrapping in foil with some butter, salt and pepper. When they feel soft, remove from the foil and place the open side on the grill for the last 5mins to get those lovely sear marks.
Corn on the cob seasoned and wrapped in foil with butter is another favourite of ours. We find the versatility of this grill box endless… we have even reheated delicious homemade game pies that we have bought locally.
There are other Camp Chef cooking accessories like the Portable Pizza Oven and Flat Top Griddle that can be used with the Pro 30 Stove but for us with e-mountain bikes, an inflatable kayak and camping gear, and the limited space in a compact camper van, we’ve found the Grill Box combo offers the best all round variety of cooking options.
Conclusion: Overall - 4.9 out of 5
Whether you’re connecting to a butane/propane gas bottle or like us, a gas outlet from an underslung LPG tank, the simplicity and speed of setting up and cooking outdoors on a full height cooker is just so convenient. We also find the grill box very user friendly, easy to control and capable of achieving precise cooking temperatures.
Additionally, the compact and foldable design of the stove makes it easy to store and transport in a fairly compact VW campervan.
The powerful performance, versatile design, and user-friendly features of this Camp Chef duo not only delivers outstanding results but also makes the overall outdoor cooking experience a pleasure. For old time’s sake, we do occasionally use a charcoal BBQ, but for convenience and ease of use - we’re cooking on gas!
The Funky Leisure Team