# Cooking with a Pop-up Pit



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

I used my Pop-up Pit for the first time last week. It was very warm directly under the pit and nachos sounded like a good idea. I remove the lid from a 50 mm ammo can because I thought the seal might melt and used the can to make a platform under the pit. I spread the tortilla chips and cheese on a griddle and 90 seconds later they were done. We got a little fancier the next day and added bean dip, tomatoes and avocado. Using the Pop-up Pit as a broiler would also be a great way to make river pizza, melt cheese on open face sandwiches or cook meat such as a flank steak or pork chops. 

I am wondering if I could make and oven and do some baking if I put a skirt around the base of the pit. I am a bit concerned that a skirt might get the pit too hot and damage it. I wrote to Campfire Defender and asked them about this and will let you know what they say. Any other cooking ideas for the Pop-up Pit?


----------



## Osprey (May 26, 2006)

Awesome


----------



## Infidien (May 27, 2013)

Are these legal "for pans" for permitted rivers?


----------



## Infidien (May 27, 2013)

# fire


Infidien said:


> Are these legal "for pans" for permitted rivers?


----------



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

Infidien said:


> Are these legal "for pans" for permitted rivers?


Mine was approved 3x on the Middle Fork Salmon this year. I do not see why it wouldn't be approved for other rivers.There was discussion on another thread. The Pop-up Pit measures 24" x 24", has a 3 1/2" tall sides and the screen on the bottom is so fine that no ash falls through it.


----------



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

*Pizza*

We had friends staying at our house Sunday night so we experimented with making pizza under the Pop-up pit. We cooked the crust first on the low setting (50 mm ammo can on its side) and then added sauce and toppings and cooked the pizza on the high setting (ammo can upright). It worked great. I'll probably make the crust at home or buy pre-made crust rather than bake crust on the river. You could also probably just warm already made pizza, but it is fun to let each person create their own custom pie. Can't wait to try this on the river.


----------



## sonofdad (Jul 21, 2015)

this is great, thanks for sharing! might have to ask santa for a pop-up pit this year!


----------



## Dr.AndyDVM (Jul 28, 2014)

I have 2 fire pans a heavy Partner Steel that splits apart and nests inside itself and a really heavy, large Cambridge Steel firepan. When camping, I occasionally use them for fires. Most of the time I’m using them, I am cooking with my Dutch Ovens. I usually use aluminum DO’s when rafting but use my cast iron when camping. These fire pans are heavy but they do a really good job of supporting my DO’s. Sometimes up to 4 at one time. 

I was skeptical that the mesh of the Pop Up Pit can support even an aluminum DO. I wrote the Pop Up Pit company about cooking with DO’s. They replied that SS grill grates would soon be available that will work with a DO. I have never cooked with a DO on a grill. I wonder how the legs will work with a grill grate. Will some poke through? Will that matter? Will the grill bend? Have any of you tried this with a DO on the PUP? I have thoughts about cutting aluminum tubing to help support the DO. 

I am very intrigued with this pit. I guess I’ll soon be able to say I own 3 fire pans.


----------



## Infidien (May 27, 2013)

Dr.AndyDVM said:


> Dutch Ovens


I was a initially bit concerned about this, but decided having the option for a light weight fire pan for dory trips was just too good to pass up. Decided I could always just set up the ovens on the fire blanket (or maybe a piece of 11 gauge aluminium) as I rarely have more than 4 or 5 briquettes under the bottom oven. The pit is a nice looking piece of gear, can't wait to try it!


----------



## CampfireDefender (Apr 13, 2018)

Now, this is creative! Might have to steal the nacho idea for my own trips. 8)

Glad you guys are able to make due while we work on the grill grates and smoker box! 

We're going to be doing a lot of testing in the coming weeks with cooking with DOs on the Pop-Up Pit and will report back. 

Cheers!


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Dr.AndyDVM said:


> I wonder how the legs will work with a grill grate. Will some poke through? Will that matter? Will the grill bend? Have any of you tried this with a DO on the PUP? I have thoughts about cutting aluminum tubing to help support the DO.



I don't like the hassle of DO legs and grill grates.

I cut the legs off of one of my cast iron DO's to be able to use it in my home oven, on my gas grill, in my camper oven, on a gas stove, on a grill grate, etc. When I use it over an open fire or charcoal, I use a trivet.


My GSI aluminum DO doesn't have legs and also gets used with a trivet.




I'd suggest the trivet solution and chop your DO legs off instead of putting a lot of effort into leg supports. It will make your DO much more flexible.


----------



## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

MT4Runner said:


> I don't like the hassle of DO legs and grill grates.
> 
> I cut the legs off of one of my cast iron DO's to be able to use it in my home oven, on my gas grill, in my camper oven, on a gas stove, on a grill grate, etc. When I use it over an open fire or charcoal, I use a trivet.
> 
> ...


Yes! I have used the GIS 10" aluminum dutch oven, that comes standard with no legs, for years for small group trips. Works great as a DO with a trivet and as a pot on the stove. I bought a 12" GSI aluminum dutch oven this year to support a couple larger group trips I wanted to use it as a dutch oven and a large pot for the stove, but the damn 12 and14" GSI dutch ovens come with legs. So I just took a sawsall and cut off the legs and a little file work to make it smooth (less than 10 minutes of work total). the 10" nests inside the 12" and the whole thing fits nicer in the dry box with the lack of legs. Works great as a pot on the stove and on the fire with a trivet for standard DO cooking. I have no idea why GSI makes these with legs. Totally unnecessary. 
I posted about it with some pictures here:
https://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/forum/index.php?threads/143290/


----------



## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

Wadeinthewater said:


> We had friends staying at our house Sunday night so we experimented with making pizza under the Pop-up pit. We cooked the crust first on the low setting (50 mm ammo can on its side) and then added sauce and toppings and cooked the pizza on the high setting (ammo can upright). It worked great. I'll probably make the crust at home or buy pre-made crust rather than bake crust on the river. You could also probably just warm already made pizza, but it is fun to let each person create their own custom pie. Can't wait to try this on the river.


We use stonefire naan flatbread for personal pizzas at home... I bet they would work great. 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Mountain Buzz mobile app


----------



## RiverRhino (Aug 19, 2013)

Great work! we will need to try it out at the next meeting.


----------



## Dr.AndyDVM (Jul 28, 2014)

Shap and Mt,
I’ve got 2 of the legless 10 inch GSI’s too. I use trivets on them. I’ve also got 3 enamel cast iron Staub DO’s that come without legs that I use in the oven and stovetop at home. But, to amputate the legs off one of my camp Dutch ovens, that Sir, is too far! I would sooner draw a mustache on the Mona Lisa or throw a rock through a stained glass window than deface Paul Revere’s most noble invention. No, No. 

In all seriousness though, I still can’t see how the grill would work any better with the trivet. I have the GSI aluminum trivets that looks like 3 hooks welded together. It seems like at least one of the hooks would slip between a grate just as easy as a DO leg. I’ve been thinking a round plate, like a pizza plate, that fits on the grill. The coals and trivet (or legs, if your old fashioned) could all go on the round plate and the plate on the grill. 

I have 6 GSI DO’s. Two 14”, two 12”, and two 10”. It is kind of handy how the 10” nests in the 12”. The question is does the legless 12” nest in the 14”? If it did I could see myself maybe and it’s a big maybe getting out my Sawzall for one of the 12”s. 

The trivet seems a little small for the 12” oven though. I’d be worried it would be tippy.


----------



## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

Dr.AndyDVM said:


> In all seriousness though, I still can’t see how the grill would work any better with the trivet. I have the GSI aluminum trivets that looks like 3 hooks welded together. It seems like at least one of the hooks would slip between a grate just as easy as a DO leg.


I'm not suggesting using a dutch oven on top of the popup pit. Better to bring a metal oil pan to cook with your DOs. If you have a popup pit, I would suggest you start off your coals in the popup pit, then transfer the number of coals you need under the bottom of your DO - into the oil pan. I never use my DOs on the same fire pan where I start the coals in. Its usually way to hot. I like to keep extra coals going in my main fire pit, so that I have some extra to move over to the DO fire pan during the cooking process in case I need to add some more heat for something that may take awhile to cook, especially with aluminum dutch ovens as they don't hold the heat like cast iron. 

The 12' GIS dutch oven is not tippy at all sitting on those wire trivets (same trivets I use). Also, 2 of those wire trivets side by side work well to support a Rome super cooker in DO mode as well. 

If I was going to use a DO on the popup pit with the grate on top, I think the grate would be a bit above the coals enough that you could just put the DO on the grate and slide some coals underneath. Of course you would have to move a bunch of coals out of the pit entirely or move them way off to the side or else its going to be way to hot in there for baking anything.


----------



## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

I really do like Wade's pizza cooking method there with the popup pit. Pizza is one of my go-to items in the rome super cooker, but it takes awhile. It looks like you can make a bigger thin crust pizza with the popup pit method and you can still enjoy the fire while its cooking.


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Dr.AndyDVM said:


> Shap and Mt,
> I’ve got 2 of the legless 10 inch GSI’s too. I use trivets on them. I’ve also got 3 enamel cast iron Staub DO’s that come without legs that I use in the oven and stovetop at home. But, to amputate the legs off one of my camp Dutch ovens, that Sir, is too far! I would sooner draw a mustache on the Mona Lisa or throw a rock through a stained glass window than deface Paul Revere’s most noble invention. No, No.
> 
> In all seriousness though, I still can’t see how the grill would work any better with the trivet. I have the GSI aluminum trivets that looks like 3 hooks welded together. It seems like at least one of the hooks would slip between a grate just as easy as a DO leg. I’ve been thinking a round plate, like a pizza plate, that fits on the grill. The coals and trivet (or legs, if your old fashioned) could all go on the round plate and the plate on the grill.


Yeah--I didn't advocate cutting the legs off and using a trivet to make the DO work better with a popup pit. I cut the legs off to make the DO work better _everywhere else_ but the firepit--without losing functionality of cooking with the DO over coals.


----------



## LJPurvis (Apr 12, 2017)

I have a 12" anodized aluminum dutch oven. I used it twice this year with my Pop-Up Pit without any problems.

The "only" issue I had was the coals on the bottom burn WAY faster than normal so be prepared for a slightly hotter and faster cooking.

I know the Pop-Up said it can hold quite a bit of weight in wood (I seem to remember a picture on their website showing about 90lbs on the screen) so I wasn't too worried about it.

Anyway, it worked great for me. I'll keep using it as the convenience of the Pop-Up just cannot be beat.

Side note: I see them for sale EVERYWHERE now. I saw them at D&B yesterday. Great job of marketing.


----------



## CampfireDefender (Apr 13, 2018)

LJPurvis said:


> I have a 12" anodized aluminum dutch oven. I used it twice this year with my Pop-Up Pit without any problems.
> 
> The "only" issue I had was the coals on the bottom burn WAY faster than normal so be prepared for a slightly hotter and faster cooking.
> 
> ...


Hey LJ, it all started with you guys honestly. We've really started to gain some more traction all over the board and we can't thank each and every one of you guys enough. 

In terms of the dutch oven problem, we are working on an attachment to turn the Pop-Up Pit into an oven/smoker that should open up a lot more possibilities. By trapping and regulating all that heat and airflow we're looking at turning the Pop-Up Pit into effectively a convection oven. You'll be able to take premade lasagna in those aluminum pans and heat it up in the 'oven' 

Until then I'm sure you guys will stay crafty. 

Cheers!


----------



## JK_44 (May 1, 2008)

*Look what arrived today!*

Pretty excited to give the new grill a test run in the back yard. I'll let you know my results.

Initial impressions:

Nice heavier duty case, simple set up and smart design. Looking forward to cooking on it.


----------



## protechie (Jun 16, 2005)

Argh. I'm so close to buying this thing but I keep holding out for some reason. One thing I keep thinking of is cooking with wood. I like to set my wood fire, let it burn down a bit, and then grill meat. With the height of the grill on this pit it looks like regular sized logs would have to burn down quite a bit, pretty much to the point of just being coals, before I could set the grill on it. I'll allow for that generally being a better cooking method, but I don't always have the time or patience to wait for the wood to burn down that long. For those that have this in action, am I right on this or is the height sufficient that it wouldn't have to burn down too long to cook over wood? I only bring charcoal on about half of my trips and I don't really want to lug it around every trip just to be able to cook on this pit.


----------



## CampfireDefender (Apr 13, 2018)

protechie said:


> Argh. I'm so close to buying this thing but I keep holding out for some reason. One thing I keep thinking of is cooking with wood. I like to set my wood fire, let it burn down a bit, and then grill meat. With the height of the grill on this pit it looks like regular sized logs would have to burn down quite a bit, pretty much to the point of just being coals, before I could set the grill on it. I'll allow for that generally being a better cooking method, but I don't always have the time or patience to wait for the wood to burn down that long. For those that have this in action, am I right on this or is the height sufficient that it wouldn't have to burn down too long to cook over wood? I only bring charcoal on about half of my trips and I don't really want to lug it around every trip just to be able to cook on this pit.


I'll jump in and answer this one for ya. Generally, with the Pop-Up Pit, your first logs are going to burn significantly faster down to coals and as the ash blocks the airflow everything slows down. 
I've attached a picture of some logs in the pit with the grill grates on there to give you an idea of the height. 









It is a different way of cooking and takes some getting used to, but it is very consistent once you get the hang of it. 

We're all about taking care of you guys and getting you something you actually want to us, so if you buy one and it doesn't work as expected just shoot me a private message and I'll give you a full refund. 

Cheers,
Triston


----------



## Dr.AndyDVM (Jul 28, 2014)

*3 Dutch Oven Test*

I want to thank Cameron and Sig at Cascade River Gear. They let me use the store's demo Pop up Pit this weekend. They were also kind enough to let me use a brand new grill grate as well. I wanted to know if this system would work with my style of camping which relies heavily on Dutch Oven cooking. 

I found the kit to be lightweight and easy to set up. The grates were stainless steel and consisted of three grates that were linked together. The grates were suprisingly heavy and came with their own carrying case and support angle aluminum. 

For this test I used a cast iron 14" deep, and two anodized GSI aluminum DO's a 12" and a 10"

I took Shapp's advice and bought some 12" aluminum pizza pans for $5 from WM. I really wanted to test the system so I grabbed my 14" cast iron DO to cook up 6 cornish game hens with potatoes, etc. It weighed at about 40 lbs. I added a 12" aluminum with dinner rolls, and an apple pie in a 10" aluminum DO.

Because I needed a full coal-set on the 14" I wasnt able to stack all three ovens. So I had to cook with the 14" and the 12" side by side. There was barely enough room on the grates for both ovens. The plates came in very handy because I was able to have 3-4" of the plate hanging over the edge over the grate. I think I will try to see if Campfire Defender sells a 4 grate set or sells the grates in singles. 

I did stack all 3 ovens to see how the system handled that much weight. The grates bowed a little but sprang back straight when the ovens were removed. There was at least 55 lbs of DO and food.

I will say that I think this system would do best with anodized aluminum Dutch Ovens. Of course, if you are interested in a light weight fire pan, you probably already own aluminum DO's.


I think this system is very cool. I intend to have a log fire in it this week.


----------



## Cascade River Gear (Aug 12, 2014)

Dr.AndyDVM said:


> I want to thank Cameron and Sig at Cascade River Gear. They let me use the store's demo Pop up Pit this weekend. They were also kind enough to let me use a brand new grill grate as well. I wanted to know if this system would work with my style of camping which relies heavily on Dutch Oven cooking.
> 
> I found the kit to be lightweight and easy to set up. The grates were stainless steel and consisted of three grates that were linked together. The grates were suprisingly heavy and came with their own carrying case and support angle aluminum.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the great product test and review Andy and for testing them to the fullest, I'm next I can't wait to get this baby in my backyard and try out the fire pit side of it pre-dutch oven testing  I think I need this in my life! 
Hope to see you in the shop soon and that your sniffer is working  Kindly Renee


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Wadeinthewater said:


> I used my Pop-up Pit for the first time last week. It was very warm directly under the pit and nachos sounded like a good idea. I remove the lid from a 50 mm ammo can because I thought the seal might melt and used the can to make a platform under the pit. I spread the tortilla chips and cheese on a griddle and 90 seconds later they were done. We got a little fancier the next day and added bean dip, tomatoes and avocado.


this was brilliant. I used your idea to make nachos on two trips last month and blew peoples' minds.


----------



## sonofdad (Jul 21, 2015)

+1 on the nacho idea. easy-peasy and come out perfect!


----------



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

MT4Runner said:


> this was brilliant. I used your idea to make nachos on two trips last month and blew peoples' minds.


I've upped my nachos game since that first spontaneous creation. Doing them and also pizza on the Grande Ronde, Selway and MFS later this month.


----------



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

Experimented with chocolate chip cookies on my last trip.


----------



## davbaker (Aug 4, 2013)

Wadeinthewater said:


> I've upped my nachos game since that first spontaneous creation. Doing them and also pizza on the Grande Ronde, Selway and MFS later this month.
> 
> View attachment 58368


I can vouch for both - amazing food and a great trip Mark!


----------



## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

Has anyone tried the Frontier grates for dutch ovens in their pop up pit? I see some potential in issues with coal spacing, looking at this thread a pizza pan on the grates still might be the ticket. 

Triston, any word on a convection oven/ smoker you mentioned earlier on this thread a few years ago?


----------



## paor (Apr 21, 2008)

Is there a benefit to the tri-fold grate versus the quad-fold?


----------



## CampfireDefender (Apr 13, 2018)

Fly By Night said:


> Has anyone tried the Frontier grates for dutch ovens in their pop up pit? I see some potential in issues with coal spacing, looking at this thread a pizza pan on the grates still might be the ticket.
> 
> Triston, any word on a convection oven/ smoker you mentioned earlier on this thread a few years ago?


The grates have been a big hit as of late and I've been hearing good reviews coming back from customers, no specific complaints about coal spacing. I'm not much of a dutch oven cooker so I cant tell you one way or the other for DOs. From the few recipes I've followed I haven't have any issues. I do like them for just regular campfires though, seems like a better burn with the added height off the mesh. If you get a pair and hate them we honor the money back guarantee on accessories as well. 


In regards to the smoker, its still in the pipeline, unfortunately COVID has pretty much put a halt on any new product production. Hopefully things get back closer to normal by summer and we can resume travel which should speed things up exponentially. 





paor said:


> Is there a benefit to the tri-fold grate versus the quad-fold?


I personally like the Tri-fold because I like to slide the grill over top of the heat and back off once its done cooking (and back on once I realized I undercooked my chicken). But other than preference and size there is no difference one way or the other. 


Let me know if y'all have any other questions! 

Cheers,
Triston
Fireside Team


----------



## LJPurvis (Apr 12, 2017)

I use my Pop-Up with my dutch ovens without issue. One thing I did do was go to home depot and get two small pieces of angle iron that I cut to fit inside the Pop-Up frame. I set the pieces so that they sit on the two edges on the frame with the triangle top pointing up. This does two things: 1. Gives me a flat stable surface to set the dutch oven(s) and 2. Provides a small gap for the coal.

One thing to be aware of is the coals on the bottom will burn hotter and burn out faster with the Pop-Up due to the better air circulation. Be prepared to either add more coals after the bottom coals burn out or add something below the coals to minimize the air flow.


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

LJPurvis said:


> One thing to be aware of is the coals on the bottom will burn hotter and burn out faster with the Pop-Up due to the better air circulation. Be prepared to either add more coals after the bottom coals burn out or add something below the coals to minimize the air flow.


That would be another point to consider if you're using an Aluminum oven...they don't hold heat as well as cast. If you're out of coals, you're OUT and your food stops cooking. Exactly as you said: better have more coals started ~30min in or have something to slow the air flow!!

Have you been using aluminum or cast?


----------



## LJPurvis (Apr 12, 2017)

MT4Runner said:


> That would be another point to consider if you're using an Aluminum oven...they don't hold heat as well as cast. If you're out of coals, you're OUT and your food stops cooking. Exactly as you said: better have more coals started ~30min in or have something to slow the air flow!!
> 
> Have you been using aluminum or cast?


Aluminum. I have a folding chimney coal starter so the coals are ready in 10-15 minutes. I have had to use more coals a few times. I am looking at something to put down to reduce the air flow; maybe a flat piece of metal that fits across the frame. But if I start to bring too much stuff for the Pop-Up it starts to lose its advantages over the old metal pits. However, after reading some posts about nachos I might bring a pizza stone anyway. I could cover that with aluminum foil and use it for the bottom. Then I have my nacho/pizza cooker AND a floor for the dutch ovens.


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Do coals burn through aluminum foil? Could just use one layer of foil to block the air.

I have a heavy stamped aluminum griddle that was my grandfather's. He kept it shiny; I let it get seasoned, you know to prevent Alzheimers. haha
Anyway, that's my go-to for both nachos and my breakfast griddle.

You could cut a piece of 1/8" steel plate. Use one side for briquettes and the other for a griddle over your pit. Seems the same size would fit inside the ember guards or on top of the grill support.


----------



## LJPurvis (Apr 12, 2017)

MT4Runner said:


> Do coals burn through aluminum foil? Could just use one layer of foil to block the air.
> 
> I have a heavy stamped aluminum griddle that was my grandfather's. He kept it shiny; I let it get seasoned, you know to prevent Alzheimers. haha
> Anyway, that's my go-to for both nachos and my breakfast griddle.
> ...


Ha! You are correct. We did take aluminum foil, folded it over, and laid it below the metal bars. That is what we put the coals on. Now that I think about it, I think the aluminum foil that I used is in my coal bucket. My Pop-Up Pit cooking is new enough I had forgotten we did that at the end of last season. And I can use my Rome lids for nachos.


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

I need to refine my cook kit to work around the Trailblazer pit I got late in the season. It's a great fit for the Lil' Bastard and baby Briggs, and should be a good fit for my 10" GSI aluminum oven.

Until last season, I hadn't done a lot of overnights on the river, but have a pretty decent car camping/Lochsa camping cook box that needs to get pared down a little more.


----------



## cain (Dec 28, 2011)

Surprised Triston didn't mention that they have a set up for the bottom of the pop up pit for dutch ovens. Bought one a while back and looks like it will work great.


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

He did mention it in the other thread, but I think they're currently backordered?


----------



## Endopotential (May 14, 2019)

davbaker said:


> I can vouch for both - amazing food and a great trip Mark!


Aha, I've finally spent enough time here to find you guys! Great trip indeed on the Middle Fork.

I can second that - Mark's nachos and pizza were one of many highlights on the trip.


----------



## Infidien (May 27, 2013)

Grand Canyon pizza. Pro tip: brown the crust before cooking.


----------



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

Infidien said:


> Grand Canyon pizza. Pro tip: brown the crust before cooking.


Yes! Pre COVID I made the crust at home and warmed both sides on the griddle before having people assemble their own custom pizza and broiling it. Last year with COVID, I brought already baked pizza. One trip the group was gathered loading gear and I had folks order their own individual pizza on the Mod pizza app. On other trips, when the group was coming from many directions, I just bought several whole pies. Warming the bottom of the slices on the griddle before broiling makes the crust nice and crispy.


----------



## KayBur (Feb 18, 2021)

Wadeinthewater said:


> Yes! Pre COVID I made the crust at home and warmed both sides on the griddle before having people assemble their own custom pizza and broiling it. Last year with COVID, I brought already baked pizza. One trip the group was gathered loading gear and I had folks order their own individual pizza on the Mod pizza app. On other trips, when the group was coming from many directions, I just bought several whole pies. Warming the bottom of the slices on the griddle before broiling makes the crust nice and crispy.


The main thing is not to overexpose, otherwise the dough will be dry and tough. Then definitely no pleasure.


----------



## yardsells (Jul 14, 2014)

Wadeinthewater said:


> I used my Pop-up Pit for the first time last week. It was very warm directly under the pit and nachos sounded like a good idea. I remove the lid from a 50 mm ammo can because I thought the seal might melt and used the can to make a platform under the pit. I spread the tortilla chips and cheese on a griddle and 90 seconds later they were done. We got a little fancier the next day and added bean dip, tomatoes and avocado. Using the Pop-up Pit as a broiler would also be a great way to make river pizza, melt cheese on open face sandwiches or cook meat such as a flank steak or pork chops.
> 
> I am wondering if I could make and oven and do some baking if I put a skirt around the base of the pit. I am a bit concerned that a skirt might get the pit too hot and damage it. I wrote to Campfire Defender and asked them about this and will let you know what they say. Any other cooking ideas for the Pop-up Pit?


You had me at nachos. I love you.


----------



## paor (Apr 21, 2008)

Trying out the pizza under the pop-up tonight. If things work out, we’ll have chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I can’t wait to try out the nachos another time.


----------



## paor (Apr 21, 2008)

The pizza turned out well. We forgot to heat up one of the crusts and needed to finish it off in the oven. The other preheated crust worked well. Cookies weren’t too bad, either. I had to preflatten them a bit, but I certainly ate my fair share.


----------



## NativeDiver (Jun 7, 2017)

Wadeinthewater said:


> *Pizza*
> 
> We had friends staying at our house Sunday night so we experimented with making pizza under the Pop-up pit. We cooked the crust first on the low setting (50 mm ammo can on its side) and then added sauce and toppings and cooked the pizza on the high setting (ammo can upright). It worked great. I'll probably make the crust at home or buy pre-made crust rather than bake crust on the river. You could also probably just warm already made pizza, but it is fun to let each person create their own custom pie. Can't wait to try this on the river.


That looks GREAT!!!! Thanks for sharing


----------



## jrice345 (Jan 11, 2011)

Layover day on the Grande Ronde last week. Yummy!


----------



## Jim Bob (May 19, 2020)

Just wanted to add in my thoughts after our regulator failed on Deso day 2. We cooked all meals with wood on a pop up pit. I have the 4 grille set up, it would carry the load of 2 full chickey pales, a cast iron and pot, coffee or similar all at once. Aside from time to heat dish water up we didn’t miss a beat in the kitchen. 5 stars. Even with 4 grille set up there is room to feed small wood and maintain great heat. We also had a 2 burner camp chef griddle that fits the grille supports perfectly. I am really happy with this product.


----------



## DeepWater (Apr 18, 2021)

Recently used the Dutch Oven bars with the pop-up pit- Now my favorite DO set up- works like a champ with two or more DO’s at once. Now my pop up pit handles fire pit duty, grilling and makes a great DO platform too.


----------



## sonofdad (Jul 21, 2015)

DeepWater said:


> Recently used the Dutch Oven bars with the pop-up pit- Now my favorite DO set up- works like a champ with two or more DO’s at once. Now my pop up pit handles fire pit duty, grilling and makes a great DO platform too.


ditto over here. purchased the frontier grates this spring and used them on a recent yampa trip. they're bomber and pack down fairly compactly.


----------



## SherpaDave (Dec 28, 2017)

I wasn’t even aware of this[emoji115].


----------



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

So.eone put thin sheet aluminum around the legs and turn it in to a full on oven?


----------



## SherpaDave (Dec 28, 2017)

What are thoughts for the Tri vs Qual grill grates? Has anyone seen both side by side? If I get a grill grate is there an advantage to also getting the DO bars?


----------



## wdeutsch (Apr 27, 2020)

SherpaDave said:


> What are thoughts for the Tri vs Qual grill grates? Has anyone seen both side by side? If I get a grill grate is there an advantage to also getting the DO bars?


Can't help you on the tri vs quad grill. I have the trifold and it's a fair amount of cooking area, but not enough if you're 10+ people?

As for the DO bars, the grill won't help you with DO cooking. It sits too high, I think. I have the bars (or my own version of them made from stainless corner guards) and they put your DO _right_ down over the coals. The grill sits 5 or 6 inches above the screen. Too far for DO cooking, I think?


----------



## Wadeinthewater (Mar 22, 2009)

Pinchecharlie said:


> So.eone put thin sheet aluminum around the legs and turn it in to a full on oven?


I used foil around the legs, left a small gap around the top so that the side rails wouldn't melt and baked cookies. It was a bit slower than a regular oven, but the cookies came out great. (see post #29)


----------



## Jim Bob (May 19, 2020)

SherpaDave said:


> What are thoughts for the Tri vs Qual grill grates? Has anyone seen both side by side? If I get a grill grate is there an advantage to also getting the DO bars?


I haven’t seen the tri grate and after cooking on the quad for a week see how both have advantages. Feeding wood was delicate on the quad grate, but still was awesome. My gut reaction is you will appreciate the surface area of the quad for cooking but prefer the tri for other reasons. If you plan on cooking large meals over charcoal get the quad. Worst case is you don’t put one half (2 grates) on or keep one half folded.


----------



## atg200 (Apr 24, 2007)

I like the quad grill to have more room away from the hottest part of the fire. Since the popup pit burns so much hotter than a traditional firepan, it is very easy to burn thicker cuts so indirect heat is key. On the flip side, I uses my pop up pit even at home for grilling stuff like yakitori and satay that benefit from raging heat.

I put coals on my grill grate under my dutch for dutch oven cooking. Works well enough that I will not bother getting the dutch oven specific attachments. I could see wanting them if you are a huge dutch oven fan, but for people like me that just make a lasagna and maybe a desert or two per trip it isn't necessary.


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

I'd say just get an Autozone galvanized oil pan for DO use.


----------



## hysideguy67 (Jul 15, 2021)

protechie said:


> Argh. I'm so close to buying this thing but I keep holding out for some reason. One thing I keep thinking of is cooking with wood. I like to set my wood fire, let it burn down a bit, and then grill meat. With the height of the grill on this pit it looks like regular sized logs would have to burn down quite a bit, pretty much to the point of just being coals, before I could set the grill on it. I'll allow for that generally being a better cooking method, but I don't always have the time or patience to wait for the wood to burn down that long. For those that have this in action, am I right on this or is the height sufficient that it wouldn't have to burn down too long to cook over wood? I only bring charcoal on about half of my trips and I don't really want to lug it around every trip just to be able to cook on this pit.


These things are awesome and take up about the same room as a camp chair. We've cooked over wood and charcoal both, and yes, the wood needs to burn down a bit. Plenty of room to push around coals and burning wood to get the right temp for a river ribeye. At 50+ I've learned to be patient with my wood and my meat


----------



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

*At 50+ I've learned to be patient with my wood and my meat....







*


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

30% off sale:


----------



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Sweet just saved 50 bucks! Thanks buddy and look forward to nachos and cold beer!!


----------



## hysideguy67 (Jul 15, 2021)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Sweet just saved 50 bucks! Thanks buddy and look forward to nachos and cold beer!!


Good on ya, I think you'll enjoy. Just remember to be patient!


----------

